WELLINGTON, (Reuters) – Peter Fulton and Kane Williamson guided New Zealand through to 77 for one in their second innings at the close of play on the third day of the second test at the Basin Reserve yesterday though England were firmly in control of the match.
Fulton was on 41 while Williamson was 16 not out as the hosts were still 134 runs from making England bat again and needing the rain predicted for late today to arrive earlier than expected to save the match.
While showers are predicted late on the fourth day, New Zealand’s MetService has forecast persistent rain for the Wellington region throughout tomorrow.
England captain Alastair Cook had enforced the follow-on after bowling New Zealand out for 254 shortly before tea, with the hosts 12 runs short of the required target to put the tourists back in to bat and well adrift of England’s 465.
Stuart Broad had rattled through New Zealand’s lower order with figures of six for 51 and Bruce Martin was left stranded on 21 not out before Cook enforced the follow on at tea. The hosts began their second innings under intense pressure from Broad and James Anderson but left-arm spinner Monty Panesar got the only breakthrough when Hamish Rutherford was brilliantly caught by a diving Ian Bell at leg slip for 15.
Fulton and Williamson, however, survived through to stumps to ensure the game went into a fourth day and gave local fans a slim hope of the team salvaging a weather-influenced draw, though New Zealand wicketkeeper BJ Watling said his side still felt they could pull out an improbable victory.
Scoreboard
New Zealand won the toss and chose to field
England first innings (465)
New Zealand first innings (overnight 66-3)
P. Fulton c Cook b Anderson 1
H. Rutherford c Cook b Broad 23
K. Williamson c & b Broad 42
R. Taylor b Broad 0
D. Brownlie lbw b Anderson 18
B. McCullum c Trott b Finn 69
BJ Watling c Prior b Broad 60
T. Southee c Broad b Finn 3
B. Martin not out 21
N. Wagner c Prior b Broad 0
T. Boult c Prior b Broad 2
Extras (nb-3, lb-10, w-2) 15
Total: (all out, 89.2 overs) 254
Fall of wickets: 1-6 2-48 3-48 4-85 5-89 6-189 7-197 8-239 9-252
Bowling: Anderson 25-6-68-2 (w-1, nb-1), Finn 20-2-72-2 (nb-1), Broad 17.2-2-51-6 (w-1, nb-1), Panesar 26-11-47-0, Root 1-0-6-0
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New Zealand second innings (following on)
P. Fulton not out 41
H. Rutherford c Bell b Panesar 15
K. Williamson not out 16
Extras (w-5) 5
Total: (for one wicket, 33 overs) 77
Fall of wickets: 1-25
Bowling: Anderson 5-1-15-0, Broad 7-2-14-0 (w-1), Finn 7-1-30-0, Panesar 12-8-13-1, Trott 2-0-5-0
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Previous results:
First test – match drawn
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Remaining fixtures:
March 22-26 – third test, Auckland
