England

By Tim Wellock
After beginning the season with a century, Durham’s Ben Stokes confirmed that he is as determined as ever to play for England. .. More

Matt Prior'’s match-saving 110 not out may have captured the headlines in Auckland, but it was England team-mate Steven Finn who proved to be .. More

By Mark Baldwin
The final day of the Auckland Test had it all: gripping action as Matt Prior, Ian Bell and Stuart Broad fought for England’s survival against the .. More

Monty survives with 2* from 5 balls, including a wonderful early dive to get a single off Williamson and give Prior the strike. Panesar also hits 3rd ball of Boult's last over through mid off for 1to allow the heroic Prior (110*) to block the last 3. Epic

304-9!! Broad's vigil ends with an edged forward defensive at Williamson to Taylor at first slip (6 from 77 balls, 137 mins) and Jimmy Anderson does the same two ball later. 19 balls left - enter Monty Panesar!! Prior 102 not out. Monty almost edges first ball

And now just five overs to go on an extraordinary day.... England are 300-7, Prior has 102 (his 7th Test hundred) but has just almost been caught at mid wicket pulling Southee, and Broad has a 74-ball 2 not out. He was off mark with edged 2 from 62nd ball

12 overs left....Eng 279-7. Prior 87 and Broad a remarkable 57-ball 0 not out. His 50 - balls that is - brought a round of applause from England's supporters. Decent crowd in now, and atmosphere electric. Only Test cricket can do this...

21 overs to go....Eng 264-7. Prior 74 and Broad still on 0 but defending stubbornly. Broad was given lbw to his 23rd ball, a vicious near-yorker from Boult, but successfully asked for review while on his knees, knowing he had inside-edged. Compelling, thrilling

Drama, on the cusp of tea, as Bell edges Wagner to Southee at 3rd slip and is out for 75 (271 balls, 353 mins). Prior, 45 not out in Eng's 237-7, survived an lbw on review on 16 and, on 20, saw the bails stay on when ball lobbed into his stumps from his shoulder

159-6: Bairstow, not surprisingly out of form having had just two previous first-class inns since last August, edges Southee to Taylor at first slip and is gone for 6. Prior now joins Bell, and these two are England's last hope

Root out, to the first ball with the second new ball, a brilliant inswinger from Trent Boult to pin him lbw for 29. He had added a defiant 60 with Bell but the ten remaining minutes before lunch sees both Bell and Bairstow dropped off Boult. Eng 158-5

One hour gone, and Ian Bell and Joe Root still there with England 127-4. Bell has 23 and Root 22

Nightwatchman Finn, aka The Watford Wall, crumbles in the day's final over - superbly held by Southee at silly point off Williamson for 0. Bell 8 not out from 89 balls but England in the mire at 90-4 at stumps, 390 behind, with a day still to play

BIG wicket for New Zealand, with less than five overs of the day remaining, as Cook is drawn into a drive at Kane Williamson's occasional off spin and edges to Brownlie at second slip. Cook made 43, England are 90-3 and nightwatchman Finn joins Bell

Trott goes, for 37, edging a loose drive at a wide one from Neil Wagner, bowling from around the wicket. Poor stroke, and England are 60-2. Cook, 21 not out, is joined by Bell.

Eng 45-1 at tea, with Cook 19 - dropped low down by keeper Watling off Southee on 1 - and Trott 21

NZ strike in second over, Tim Southee swinging one away to have Nick Compton ct behind for 2. Eng 2-1, needing 481 from 143 overs after NZ declaration at 241-6. Fulton 110 (5x6, 14x4) and McCullum 67 not out (3x6, 6x4). Fair to say NZ big favourites!

Carnage at Eden Park as, after Monty Panesar removed Brownlie for 28, Fulton and Brendon McCullum ran amok in the second hour. At lunch they had added 94 in 81 balls and NZ, on 176-4, were 415 runs ahead. Fulton, with 4x6, is 91* and McCullum (2x6, 4x4) 44*

Almost an hour of day four gone and England have already decided to go on to the defensive. NZ are 79-3 - leading by 318 now - having added a further 44 in the day's first 11 overs. Fulton 41*, Brownlie 25*

NZ steady matters through Peter Fulton and Dean Brownlie to reach 35-3 by stumps. Seven of the last eight overs of the day were maidens. Fulton 14, Brownlie 13, and the NZ lead is 274.

And now NZ are 8-3 with Ross Taylor lbw to Broad for 3. That's seven wickets for 12 runs and it's terrific, crazy Test cricket. NZ lead by 247 but England still just about alive in the game with two days still to go after this one has finally finished

We've now had six wickets for just nine runs here at Eden Park! Root was bowled having a heave for 45 to leave Eng 204 all out. NZ did not enforce follow on but are now 5-2 after Broad gets Rutherford for 0 and Anderson bowls Williamson off under edge

And now Jimmy Anderson goes third ball for 4 (and that a edged boundary) to a catch at the wicket off Boult, who now has a Test-best 6-68. Boult's previous best for NZ was 4-42 and England, at 204-9, are still 239 runs in arrears

Stuart Broad, after hitting Boult for 2446 from successive balls, then speared the next tamely to cover. Terrible shot, but gone for 16 and, two overs later and without addition to the total, Finn edges Boult to first slip. 200-8, Root still there on 45

The fall of Prior for 73, ct at cover just before tea - and in the over before the second new ball was taken - took the shine off his gallant 101-run stand in 42 overs with Root, who remains 37 not out. England, at 176 for six, are still 267 runs adrift

England limp to lunch on 92-5, a deficit still of 351, with Root digging in on 15 and Prior on 11. Prior, though, on 10, would have been run out had a throw from subsitute fielder Doug Bracewell hit the stumps after Root called him for a single to cover

England in disarray at 72-5. Again on review, after originally being given not out by umpire Rod Tucker, Bairstow has to go for 3, lbw to Neil Wagner's bustling left-arm seam. Matt Prior, for some reason still batting at No 7, joins Root

Ian Bell lbw for 17, to another off-cutter from Southee, and England are in real trouble at 65-4. NZ know they have a great chance, and it is a tough ask for the two young Yorkies, Root and Bairstow, to rally England from this position

Bad start to day three for England, with Nick Compton adding just a single to his overnight score before being removed lbw for 13, on review, by a Tim Southee nip-backer. Joe Root now joins Ian Bell with England 61-3 and in a spot of bother

England struggle to 50-2 from 25 overs in reply to NZ's 443 by the close. Cook strangled down the legside for 4, off Boult, but the left-arm paceman then trapped Trott lbw for 27 with an excellent inswinger. Trott reviewed, to no avail. Compton 12*, Bell 6*