In the second Test match of day two at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on Saturday, New Zealand batsmen BJ Watling and his partner Colin de Grandhomme fought hard for their respective fifties.
Watling faced a marathon of 196 deliveries for his unbeaten 77. His innings is laced with ten fours and a solitary six.
At the other end, Tim Southee faced 16 balls to scored 13 runs. He alongside BJ Watling will begin the proceeding at 192 for six in 74.5 overs on day three.
New Zealand is trailing by 115 runs after England post 307 in the first innings while riding on solid hundred of wicketkeeper-batsman Jonny Bairstow and outstanding fifty from Mark Wood (52 off 62).
At one stage the Black Caps was reeling at 36 for five in 19.1 overs. Hosts lost the first wicket in the very second over on a duck when Tom Latham perished on the bowling of Stuart Broad.
In the fifth over, Jeet Raval returned to the hut after 15-ball five, before Ross Taylor (2 off 13) and first-Test centurion Henry Nicholls (0 off 7) returned pavilion without creating much trouble for the scorers.
However, the record partnership between wicketkeeper-batsman BJ Watling and de Grandhomme dug the host side out of a hole with the record 142-run partnership for the sixth wicket.
Earlier, England bowlers were in business when the new-ball pair made things miserable for the hosts’ batters.
With 33 balls to be bowled for the withdrawn of stumps on day two, de Grandhomme was dismissed by Stuart Broad when gloveman Bairstow caught the former.
De Grandhomme scored 72 off 151 balls as his innings included seven boundaries.
Broad alongside James Anderson broke the back of Black Caps batting line-up.
The lanky Broad went on to bag four wickets in 16 overs after conceding 38 runs. However, Anderson claimed two crucial wickets at the top. He bowled 19 overs to give away 43 runs.
New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson was trying to set his foot in. He scored 48-ball 22 before being caught by Bairstow on the bowling of Anderson.
In the meantime, Joe Root-led England has a decent chance to make most of the opportunity. The visitors are already down with one-nil in the two-Test match series.
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