Williamson paused at 999 in England on his way to victory.

 Williamson paused at 999 in England on his way to victory.

England’s Day in Christchurch saw them begin with 319 runs and finish their first innings with 499, gaining a lead of 151 runs. In response, New Zealand struggled to recover from the large deficit, losing 6 wickets in the process.

By the end of Day 3, New Zealand had only managed to score 155 for 6, trailing by just 4 runs with only 4 wickets remaining. This firmly placed England in control of the match. New Zealand's only hope lies with Darryl Mitchell, who is unbeaten on 31 runs.

In their second innings, the Kiwis lost wickets consistently from the start. Both openers, Devon Conway and Tom Latham, were dismissed for a combined total of just 23 runs. Kane Williamson and Rachin Ravindra briefly steadied the innings, adding 41 runs for the third wicket.

When Rachin Ravindra was dismissed for 24, Kane Williamson formed a crucial partnership with Darryl Mitchell. The pair added 69 runs, taking New Zealand to 133 for 3 at one stage. However, the partnership was broken when Williamson was dismissed for 61, caught LBW by Chris Woakes.

During his innings, Williamson became the first New Zealand batsman to reach 9000 Test runs. He also came close to reaching 1000 career fours in Test cricket, but his progress was halted at 999 when Woakes dismissed him. The very next ball, Woakes claimed the wicket of Tom Blundell, caught behind by the keeper, and England seized control of the match with two wickets in consecutive deliveries.

Later in the day, Glenn Phillips, who had scored 58 in the first innings, was also dismissed. Brydon Kars and Woakes took 3 wickets each, as England tightened their grip on the game.

England, who began the day with 319 for 5, lost their first wicket at 381 on the third day. Harry Brook was dismissed after scoring 171 runs. Captain Ben Stokes contributed 80 runs before being dismissed as the ninth batsman.

The partnership between Stokes and Brook added 159 runs, while Stokes also formed a 63-run stand with Gus Atkinson and a further 40 runs with Brydon Kars. In total, England managed to add 180 runs in the morning session of Day 3. Matt Henry claimed 4 wickets, while Nathan Smith took 3 wickets.

Brief Scores:

• New Zealand: 348 and 155/6 (Williamson 61, Mitchell 31; Woakes 3/39, Kars 3/22)
• England: 499 (Brook 171, Stokes 80; Henry 4/84, Smith 3/141)