Kane Williamson units New Zealand Test runs document as hosts push into lead

Lunch New Zealand 209 and 325 for five (Williamson 63*, Blundell 19*) lead England 435 for 8 dec by 99 runs

England had a still-new ball to assist their efforts and Ollie Robinson struck early on the fourth morning to take away Henry Nicholls, with New Zealand two runs from parity. They additionally eliminated Mitchell for a run-a-ball 54, caught top-edging one other aggressive shot off Stuart Broad, however Tom Blundell made a busy begin in benign circumstances to assist push the result in the brink of three figures by the lunch interval.

Williamson, who turned New Zealand’s main Test run-scorer with a flick for 4 from the fourth ball of the day, remained the important thing man. He was content material to bob alongside at his personal tempo, scoring 38 runs through the session with out many alarms – the closest England got here to dislodging him was an tried stumping off Jack Leach, however though Williamson had dragged his again foot out of the crease, his reflexes have been fast sufficient to get a toe over the road as Ben Foakes whipped off the bails.

He added simply two additional boundaries to his tally, swatting a pull off Broad and easing Robinson off the again foot, having reached his fifty from his 148th ball with a trademark nurdle into the leg aspect.

The former captain was overtaken by a considerably frenetic innings from Mitchell, who boshed his technique to a 52-ball half-century, reaching the milestone by hoisting Leach into the stands at long-on. Mitchell had opted to focus on James Anderson shortly after coming to the crease, thrashing England’s seam-bowling totem for 3 fours and making certain he was taken out of the assault after simply two overs.

He was additionally proactive towards spin, often trying to sweep and reverse-sweep, and appeared content material to probability his arm in an try and wrestle some momentum New Zealand’s manner. But he fell in ungainly vogue to finish a 75-run stand, top-edging a hack throughout the road at Broad with the keeper as much as be caught by Root backpedalling beneath a steepler at slip.

England picked up their fourth wicket within the eighth over of the day, with New Zealand nonetheless in arrears. Nicholls had flirted with hazard all through his innings of 29, seeing an inside edge clear quick leg and lacking an tried forcing shot off Robinson the ball earlier than he was held at third slip. This time the sting flew onerous and excessive to Harry Brook, who held a juggling catch on the fourth try.