One of the Black Caps’ best days of the series left them still requiring a minor miracle. Fortunately for the hosts, a player poised to be their greatest runscorer will be leading that quest.
New Zealand’s top orderfinally produced some fight - and, more importantly, some runs - to give their side an outside chance of pulling off a famous victory over England.
When skipper Ben Stokes opted to enforce the follow-on this morning, the tourists held a 226-run lead in the match to accompany their 1-0 advantage in the series.
When Kane Williamson left the field to end day three, having crept within three of Ross Taylor’s record of 7683 test runs, that deficit had been knocked down to 24.
Tom Latham and Devon Conway put on 149 for the first wicket - by far the Black Caps’ biggest stand of the series - before Williamson and Henry Nicholls overcame a brief stumble to safely reach stumps on 202-3.
Seemingly set for their first test series defeat at home since 2017, New Zealand now have much happier history in their sights, if they cross their fingers and squint a little.
Only three teams have won a test after being made to follow-on. It’s a once-a-century occurrence - England accomplished the feat in 1894 and 1981, before India famously thumped Australia in 2001.
Such heady dreams will quickly be quashed if there’s a return of the fragility displayed by the Black Caps batsmen earlier this series. England may well tear through the home side and chase down a meagre target.
But there was no fragility this afternoon. Only the opposite.
Latham and Conway especially were in resolute form, safely seeing off the new-ball period that had caused such consternation in both tests.
They were eminently capable of such innings; Latham became the seventh New Zealander to register 5000 test runs, while Conway took his average to 51.6 in 14 matches.
But the gap between the Black Caps’ ability and results had recently been vast, creating the worrying possibility of a second thumping to conclude this showpiece series.
Instead, the beleaguered top order mixed graft with sensible shot-making, applying an all-too-rare level of pressure to England and sparking a glimmer of hope.
There had been very little in the morning, despite the efforts of Tim Southee. The skipper resumed alongside Tom Blundell on 138-7, trailing by 297, and set about attempting to avoid the follow-on one prodigious blow at a time.
Southee needed 39 balls to bring up his sixth test 50 with a booming six down the ground off Jack Leach, one of three in the over. The spinner soon spilled a boundary catch to give Southee a life, but that lasted only one ball as his next mis-hit slog offered another simple chance.
Tim Southee went down swinging in the Black Caps' first innings. Photo / Getty
His wicket left New Zealand requiring a further 35 runs, and the possibility of that further diminished when Blundell departed two overs later. Henry was next as the hosts lost their last three wickets of eight runs and England opted to send back in their opposition.
That was the first time the Black Caps had been asked to follow-on since 2018 and only the second occasion since England made the request at the same venue in 2013.
Latham and Conway began 226 runs in arrears and the first mission - surviving until lunch - was accomplished easily enough despite James Anderson and Ollie Robinson both getting swing and a good shape with the new ball.
Considering they had lost at least three wickets before reaching the score in their three previous innings, the hosts would have enjoyed their lunch on 40-0. And the positive vibes grew as Conway kickstarted the middle session with a couple of cracking drives off Stuart Broad.
The openers soon survived their first real scares, each edging a teasing Anderson delivery but employing soft enough hands for the chance to fall short.
A 100-run partnership was achieved for the first time in these two tests, before Latham and Conway both raised their bats. Progressing to 128-0 at tea, it marked the first session in which New Zealand had batted this series without losing a wicket.
But the good times eventually came to a halt. The deficit had been reduced to 77 when Conway fell, coming forward to defend Leach but managing only a thick inside edge that ballooned off his pad to short leg.
Latham went three overs later, one of the Black Caps’ best players of spin missing a sweep off part-timer Joe Root. When Will Young was deceived by a textbook Leach delivery - the extra batsman for this match adding a total of 10 runs - the home side had lost 3-18.
That left the focus on two men if not desperate for runs then at least possessing a strong desire to collect a few. Williamson and Nicholls did not disappoint, though they and their team will need plenty more tomorrow.
