England reached 132 for 3 in their second innings on Sunday after the completion of Day 4 of the NZ vs Eng 1st Test at Auckland, with a 237-run deficit to clear to avoid an innings defeat.
Check out Scorecard of NZ vs Eng 1st Test at Auckland, 2018
This was after New Zealand declared their first innings at 427 for 8 with Henry Nicholls, scoring a career best of 145 not out. New Zealand settled with a huge first innings lead of 369 having bundled out England for 58 on Day 1.
The fourth day’s play had plenty of cricket played after the second and third day produced less than a session.
England, in their second innings, did much better although they had a terrible start losing former Skipper Alastair Cook to Trent Boult in just the third over. Mark Stoneman and Skipper Joe Root saw through the new ball scoring fifties.
However, by stumps, both the batsmen got out putting England under tremendous pressure on the final day’s play with just the middle order and the bowlers to follow.
Trent Boult, who picked up six wickets in the first innings, removed Joe Root for 51 while Neil Wagner removed Mark Stoneman for 55.
At stumps, England has got Dawid Malan batting on 19 with Joe Root falling in the last ball of the day’s play to a nasty short ball from the left-arm quick Trent Boult. All hopes will wrest tomorrow on the trio of Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali if England have to force a draw.