Boult strikes as Root falls late in the day to leave England in need of a stoic final-day rearguard

Joe Root fell to the penultimate ball of day four leaving England needing a heroic batting effort on the fifth at Eden Park

Joe Root fell to the penultimate ball of day four leaving England needing heroic batting effort on the fifth.

Root and Mark Stoneman had added 88 runs for second wicket after Alastair Cook made just two. Both would make fifties but no more as England finished proceedings 237 runs behind with seven wickets in hand.

While the eyes of the cricketing world were firmly fixed on Cape Town, New Zealand and England were quietly going about their business in Auckland.

After just seventeen balls were bowled yesterday, Eden Park served up a full day’s play as England looked to dig themselves out of an almighty trough.

^{Root acknowledges the crowd after reaching his 38th Test fifty}

The Blackcaps, and Henry Nicholls in particular, had alternative ideas.

Nicholls continued his fine innings - he has batted on all four days of the Test - reaching three figures before tea and finishing unbeaten on 145 when Kane Williamson gave the declaration signal.

It was the batsman’s second Test hundred, one which was full of class. There’s more to this New Zealand line-up than the usual headline-makers.

BJ Watling, Colin de Grandhomme, Todd Astle, Tim Southee and Neil Wagner all chipped in alongside Nicholls as the hosts declared on 427 for eight. New Zealand had built a lead of 369 as England once again failed to find a way to take 10 wickets.

^{Wagner celebrates taking the wicket of Stoneman}

England’s response began in beleaguered fashion when Cook found himself caught down leg off a wayward Trent Boult delivery.

Cook's Melbourne epic is the only time he has passed 40 in his last 15 Test innings.

Stoneman and Root survived Boult and Southee’s opening spells and when we finally saw another New Zealand bowler employed, Neil Wagner provided an intriguing battle.

He reeled out the short stuff to which Root ducked and weaved. The batsman gave a knowing smile, Wagner the same. It was a battle between to craftsmen enjoying their trade.

Stoneman would get similar treatment and the Surrey opener would stampede into the trap. A top-edge six brought up his fifty but Wagner switched to around the wicket the very next ball and Stoneman, misjudging the bounce, picked out Boult at long leg.

^{The England skipper was struck on the hand the delivery before his dismissal}

Another fifty but the selectors will need evidence that Test hundreds are within Stoneman’s ability. Dismissals like today’s will hamper his cause.

If Root and Dawid Malan had seen England through to the close, they may have been quietly confident about making a fist of it tomorrow.

As it is, a fired-up final over from Boult rocked those plans. The fourth delivery pinned him on the forefinger and after consulting the physio Root battled on.

The following delivery was a ruthless, sternum-seeking scud that the England skipper could not evade, gloving through to Watling behind the stumps.

New Zealand started the day 175 runs ahead, they finished it with a lead of 237. 

England’s batting line-up may be long, but have they got the staying power?