England were 48 for one at stumps, with opener Ben Duckett (23 not out) and nightwatchman Ollie Robinson (one not out) surviving the tense final overs at the Basin Reserve after New Zealand captain Tim Southee bowled Crawley for 24.
England will fancy their chances of reeling in the remaining runs on day five, having chased down 277, 299 and 296 in successive Tests to whitewash New Zealand in the home summer.
Ben Stokes’s team also mowed down a record 378 to beat India in Birmingham in their inimitable ‘Bazball’ style.
“We know how we are going to go about things, we’ll be positive, entertain the crowd, we’ll be doing the same tomorrow,” said England spinner Jack Leach, who took 5-157 in New Zealand’s second innings total of 483.
Asked to follow-on by Stokes after being bowled out for 209 on day three, Southee’s side showed fighting spirit to drag themselves back into the match, with Kane Williamson producing an inspiring century.
Williamson cemented his claim as New Zealand’s greatest Test batsman after he eclipsed Ross Taylor as the nation’s leading run-scorer yesterday.
The former captain hit paceman James Anderson through midwicket for four with the fourth ball of the morning at Wellington’s Basin Reserve on day four to pass Taylor’s mark of 7,683 runs.
Taylor’s tally of runs came from 112 matches, while Williamson, now on 7,787 runs at an average of 53.33, is playing his 92nd Test.
However, the hosts will rue missing the chance to set a bigger target after being 423 for five at tea, with Williamson (132) and wicketkeeper Tom Blundell (90) well set.
The pair frustrated the English bowlers for the entire middle session and looked set to carry on. Enter golden boy Harry Brooks, who provided the unlikely breakthrough for England when he had Williamson caught down the legside with his part-time medium pace, ending the partnership with Blundell at 158 runs.
New Zealand promptly crumbled, losing their last four wickets for five runs.
“Brooky’s very pleased with his first wicket. (It was) something different, that they weren’t expecting,” said Leach.
New Zealand all-rounder Michael Bracewell hastened the collapse by being run out for eight when he failed to ground his bat, a howling error given he had jogged well past the line when Ben Foakes whipped off the bails.
SCOREBOARD
England 1st innings 435-8 declaredNew Zealand 1st innings 209
New Zealand 2nd innings
T. Latham lbw b Root 83
D. Conway c Pope b Leach 61
K. Williamson c Foakes b Brook 132
W. Young b Leach 8
H. Nicholls c Brook b Robinson 29
D. Mitchell c Root b Broad 54
T. Blundell c Root b Leach 90
M. Bracewell run out 8
T. Southee c sub b Leach 2
M. Henry c Root b Leach 0
N. Wagner not out 0
Extras (b1, lb5, nb8, w2) 16
Total (all out, 162.3 Overs) 483
Fall of wickets: 1-149 (Conway), 2-155 (Latham), 3-167 (Young), 4-222 (Nicholls), 5-297 (Mitchell), 6-455 (Williamson), 7-478 (Bracewell), 8-482 (Southee), 9-482 (Henry), 10-483 (Blundell)
Bowling: Anderson 27-7-77-0 (1nb), Robinson 28-6-84-1 (1w), Broad 24-3-79-1, Leach 61.3-12-157-5 (4nb), Root 12-0-39-1, Stokes 2-0-16-0 (1w, 3nb), Brook 8-0-25-1
England 2nd innings
Z. Crawley b. Southee 24
B. Duckett not out 23
O. Robinson not out 1
Total (1 wkt, 11 overs) 48
Fall of wickets: 1-39 (Crawley)
Bowling: Southee 5-0-19-1, Matt Henry 4-0-18-0, Bracewell 2-0-11-0
