LEEDS: New Zealand thrashed England´s bowlers for quick runs to leave the hosts facing a record chase to win the second Test at Headingley on Monday´s fourth day.
The Black Caps extended their overnight 338 for six to 454 for eight declared, scoring 116 runs in just 16 overs on Monday before captain Brendon McCullum called a halt.
That left England needing
By AFP
June 01, 2015
LEEDS: New Zealand thrashed England´s bowlers for quick runs to leave the hosts facing a record chase to win the second Test at Headingley on Monday´s fourth day.
The Black Caps extended their overnight 338 for six to 454 for eight declared, scoring 116 runs in just 16 overs on Monday before captain Brendon McCullum called a halt.
That left England needing 455 to win.
The most any side have made in the fourth innings to win a Test is the West Indies´ 418 for seven against Australia at St John´s, Antigua, in 2002/03.
England´s corresponding record is 332 for seven against Australia at Melbourne back in 1928/29.
At lunch, England were 32 without loss.
Both Adam Lyth, who scored a maiden Test hundred in the first innings, and skipper Alastair Cook, who in the first innings became England´s highest run-scorer in Tests, were 15 not out.
When McCullum declared there were still a minimum 171 overs left in the match, leaving England to score at a modest rate of 2.66 runs per over for victory.
New Zealand were unlucky to be 1-0 behind in this two-match series after scoring more than 700 runs and taking 20 wickets in the first Test at Lord´s yet still going down to a 124-run defeat.
BJ Watling resumed Monday on exactly 100 not out after becoming the first New Zealand batsman to score a Test hundred at Headingley. Mark Craig, 15 not out overnight, was dropped on 23 when a diving Stuart Broad at mid-off failed to hold a tough chance off James Anderson.
But Anderson´s second delivery with the new ball removed Watling for 120, the ball taking the shoulder of the bat before third slip Joe Root held a fine catch to end the batsman´s 163-ball innings, including 15 fours and a six.
England had missed several slip catches this series and their cause was not helped when Ian Bell failed to move for a chance offered by Tim Southee off Anderson.
The big-hitting Southee fell for 40, off just 24 balls, when he drove off-spinner Moeen Ali to Anderson at long-on.
Craig drove a back-of-a-length ball down the ground for six and tailender Mark Henry struck two more of his own, ending the innings with a pull that sailed high over deep square leg.
Off-spinner Craig finished on 58 not out off 77 balls, including nine fours and a six. (AFP)
