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Lunch England 58 for 0 (Cook 25*, Compton 25*) and 167 trail New Zealand 460 for 9 dec (Rutherford 171, McCullum 74, Fulton 55) by 235 runs
New Zealand failed to make early inroads as England battled to right the wrongs of their first-innings batting debacle in the Dunedin Test. A deficit of 293 with more than five sessions remaining represented a parlous pitch, but Alastair Cook and Nick Compton reached lunch unscathed to encourage England's belief that saving the Test was not beyond them.
New Zealand's trio of pace bowlers ran in eagerly on a cold and overcast morning, and maintained decent lines, but for all their vigour, a stodgy brown surface showed no signs of deterioration as England's openers staved off 22 overs before lunch.
Cook survived Tim Southee's lbw appeal because of an inside edge and New Zealand lost a review when Compton, on 16, when the same bowler appealed for a catch down the leg-side, but replays suggested the ball had brushed his thigh pad. Neil Wagner also found enough inswing to give Compton some uncomfortable moments, but England approached their task with a serious intent that was lacking in their lackadaisical first-innings collapse.
Indications were that an attritional fourth day could be in prospect , an abrupt change of tempo from New Zealand's enterprising start to the day as they added a further 58 in less than nine overs before declaring with nine down.
New Zealand's captain, Brendon McCullum flogged England to distraction on an overcast morning at University Oval as New Zealand raced to a first-innings lead of 293. McCullum, 44 not out from 42 balls overnight, thrashed another 30 from 17 balls as he took toll of an increasingly disenchanted England attack.
McCullum swung Stuart Broad over deep square leg to reach his fifty, the ball sailing over two Union Jacks at the back of a temporary stand and a bus as it flew out of the ground. He then pulled and drove James Anderson for further sixes. To compound Anderson's misery, McCullum escaped potential catches by Cook, at first slip, and Compton, at deep cover, by inches before he skied Broad high to mid-on where Anderson held an awkward catch.
As Broad and Anderson persisted in bowling short, McCullum's mood also rubbed off on the debutant left-arm spinner, Bruce Martin, who pulled with gusto until he was caught at the wicket for 41 off Steven Finn attempting another leg-side hit.
New Zealand failed to make early inroads as England battled to right the wrongs of their first-innings batting debacle in the Dunedin Test. A deficit of 293 with more than five sessions remaining represented a parlous pitch, but Alastair Cook and Nick Compton reached lunch unscathed to encourage England's belief that saving the Test was not beyond them.
New Zealand's trio of pace bowlers ran in eagerly on a cold and overcast morning, and maintained decent lines, but for all their vigour, a stodgy brown surface showed no signs of deterioration as England's openers staved off 22 overs before lunch.
Cook survived Tim Southee's lbw appeal because of an inside edge and New Zealand lost a review when Compton, on 16, when the same bowler appealed for a catch down the leg-side, but replays suggested the ball had brushed his thigh pad. Neil Wagner also found enough inswing to give Compton some uncomfortable moments, but England approached their task with a serious intent that was lacking in their lackadaisical first-innings collapse.
Indications were that an attritional fourth day could be in prospect , an abrupt change of tempo from New Zealand's enterprising start to the day as they added a further 58 in less than nine overs before declaring with nine down.
New Zealand's captain, Brendon McCullum flogged England to distraction on an overcast morning at University Oval as New Zealand raced to a first-innings lead of 293. McCullum, 44 not out from 42 balls overnight, thrashed another 30 from 17 balls as he took toll of an increasingly disenchanted England attack.
McCullum swung Stuart Broad over deep square leg to reach his fifty, the ball sailing over two Union Jacks at the back of a temporary stand and a bus as it flew out of the ground. He then pulled and drove James Anderson for further sixes. To compound Anderson's misery, McCullum escaped potential catches by Cook, at first slip, and Compton, at deep cover, by inches before he skied Broad high to mid-on where Anderson held an awkward catch.
As Broad and Anderson persisted in bowling short, McCullum's mood also rubbed off on the debutant left-arm spinner, Bruce Martin, who pulled with gusto until he was caught at the wicket for 41 off Steven Finn attempting another leg-side hit.