KEY POINTS:
New Zealand's openers have made a solid start to the their quest for a mammoth 553 to win the third cricket test against England with openers Matthew Bell and Jamie How surviving to lunch on day four at McLean Park here today.
Bell, under pressure to retain his
spot for the return tour to England next month, was on 35 while How was 11 as the pair put on 48 from the first 19 overs.
After making three ducks in four innings, Bell struck seven boundaries, all off opening bowler James Anderson.
He needed 12 balls to get off the mark, courtesy of a top edge over the slips cordon, but then knuckled down to play a some consummate square drives.
The current partnership is the highest the pair have made in the series, surpassing the 44 compiled in the first innings of the series opener in Hamilton.
England, starting the penultimate day with a lead of 501, declared their second innings closed on 467 for seven after adding a brisk 51 in 9.5 overs.
New Zealand have a maximum of 168 overs to reach the target, and need to score at a rate of 3.3 runs per over.
Andrew Strauss, his sights on a double century, was out to the 11th ball of the day when he was caught by Bell at mid-off for 177 after adding four to his overnight score.
Strauss batted more than eight hours, faced 343 balls and struck 25 boundaries while posting his 11th test century.
Fellow overnight batsman Tim Ambrose also made little impact today, adding three to his 28 before Daniel Vettori took a easy return catch the over after Strauss departed.
Stuart Broad was unbeaten on 31 and Ryan Sidebottom 12 when Michael Vaughan called the pair in 30 minutes into the morning session.
Vettori ended with four for 158 off 45 overs, while Jeetan Patel, who ended Strauss's resistance, took two for 104 from 30.5.
For the second time in successive tests New Zealand have been set a world record run chase.
In Wellington last week New Zealand needed 438 to win the second test. They fell 126 runs short as England squared the series.
The highest successful chase in test history is the West Indies' 418-run overhaul of Australia at Antigua in 2003.
New Zealand's highest successful run chase is 324 for five against Pakistan at Christchurch in 1994.
Should England prevail it will be the third time New Zealand have lost a three-test series after leading 1-0.
They were against South Africa in 1995 and Sri Lanka in 1997.
- NZPA