England are set to push for what would be a remarkable victory on day five of the second Test at Trent Bridge, with New Zealand leading by 238 runs with just three wickets remaining following another dramatic day.
After England resumed still 80 runs behind New Zealand, they managed to whittle that down to just 14 when they were bowled out for 539. Joe Root and Ben Foakes began very positively, with Foakes quickly brining up his first half-century for England since his second Test in November 2018.
Root, meanwhile, looked destined to score his sixth Test match double hundred and produced a stunning reverse scoop shot to hit Tim Southee for six. However, he ultimately fell 24 runs short of 200, getting caught by Southee at cover after being deceived by a Trent Boult slower ball.
That dismissal triggered a lower order collapse as England lost their last five wickets for just 23 runs, with Boult taking a much-deserved five-wicket haul. In response, it took England just five balls to make a breakthrough as James Anderson picked up his 650th Test wicket when Tom Latham misjudged a leave and was bowled for four.
However, Will Young and Devon Conway proceeded to build an excellent partnership worth exactly 100 runs. Conway reached his fourth Test fifty with a reverse-sweep for four off Jack Leach, but fell the very next ball when he holed out to Jonny Bairstow at deep square leg.
England then began to regularly pick up wickets, with Henry Nicholls cutting a delivery from Matthew Potts straight to Alex Lees at backward point and Young getting run out for 56 after a major mix-up with Daryl Mitchell. Tom Blundell was bounced out by Stuart Broad for 24 and Michael Bracewell then holed out for a quick fire 25 off 17.
The final wicket to fall on day four was the most calamitous of all as Tim Southee was run out for nought after another mix-up involving Mitchell. New Zealand ultimately reached the close of play on 224-7 with a lead of 238 and, under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum, England will certainly try and force the win on day five.
Here are six talking points from the day's play...
Root falls short of 200
Root's 176 in England's first innings was an absolute masterclass from the former captain and it was just a shame that it came to an end with him just 24 runs away from a sixth double hundred. The 31-year-old has been in stunning form since the start of 2021, notching ten centuries.
Six of those have been scores of 150+ and Root now sits 12th on the list of all-time leading Test run scorers, having overtaken both Younus Khan and Sunil Gavaskar during his innings. And Root was lauded as a "genius" by former England captain Sir Alastair Cook.
Speaking on BBC Test Match Special, he said: "What an innings. A genius. A genius at work. What a brilliant, brilliant innings. It was a pleasure to watch that."
Foakes continues to impress
It has been a very good Test match for Foakes so far, who has kept brilliantly throughout and scored a half-century. In the first innings, Foakes conceded just one bye, while his opposite number Tom Blundell conceded 12.
He then followed that up with a useful 56, his first half-century for England since November 2018, building on the crucial 36 not out at Lord's that helped England win the first Test. Foakes is now beginning to make the wicketkeeper spot his own after an underwhelming West Indies tour.
His two most recent innings have also been very timely, given Jonny Bairstow is already in the side and England chief Rob Key talked up a potential return for Jos Buttler before the series began.
Former New Zealand captain Jeremy Coney told BBC Test Match Special: "He's had two good innings against New Zealand and kept tidily. He's cementing his place in this side."
Boult's magnificent effort
On a benign pitch which saw both sides score over 500 in their first innings for just the seventh time in England, Boult produced a magnificent effort to take his tenth Test five-fer. His figures of 5-106 were truly outstanding, given New Zealand's three other seamers picked up just one wicket between them.
Boult also had to carry the load even more when Kyle Jamieson came off the field on day three with a back injury and was ruled out for the entirety of day four to undergo an MRI scan. Remarkably, Boult's average speed only dipped by one or two kph across the innings, meaning his pace barely dropped during a tiring 33.3 over spell.
Anderson's 650th wicket
When Latham made an ill-judged leave and saw the ball swing back and crash into his stumps, it means Anderson joined legendary spinners Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan as just the third bowler in the history of Test cricket to take 650 wickets.
It is a truly remarkable feat for a fast bowler to accomplish and Anderson has been excellent since returning to the side after getting dropped following the Ashes. He took six wickets in the first test at Lord's and followed that up with 3-62 at 20.66 in the first innings at Trent Bridge, while his teammates took the other seven wickets at 67.7.
"What an achievement for Jimmy," former England captain Michael Vaughan said after Anderson took his 650th wicket. "The want and the will to continue and to play Test match cricket. Still delivering such a high-quality performance."
England attempt to force a win
Although a draw remains the most likely result, England have done their utmost to try and force a win. Despite conceding a slender first-innings lead, England did so trying to rack up runs quickly in a bid to ensure enough time was left in the game for a result, with Stokes' quick fire 46 off 33 balls a clear example of this.
They then managed to reduce New Zealand to 224-7 at the close of play, leaving the visitors just 238 runs ahead going into the final day and potentially missing a bowler in Jamieson. And former England captain Michael Atherton was full of praise for England's attempts to go all out for a win instead of setting for a draw.
"When both teams have got 500-plus in the first innings, the vast majority of games are going to be drawn," he told Sky Sports. "So, I actually think England's approach was the right one, to try and get the runs as quickly as you can, even if that means you're losing wickets.
"The deficit is a thin one, it's neither here nor there, it's down to a one innings game. Give yourself maximum time, open the game up. Five sessions and 40 minutes. You've got to bowl them out in three sessions effectively, and you can still win the game."
Nottinghamshire make tickets free for final day
It all looks set for an enthralling final day's play at Trent Bridge and Nottinghamshire have announced that tickets will be free, with refunds also offered to those who have already purchased theirs.
The first three days of the Test were all sold out, but there was a much smaller crowd on day four as fans returned to work and school on the Monday. However, if supporters can get the day off then they can attend the final day free of charge in a brilliant move from Nottinghamshire, particularly after the controversy surrounding ticket prices for the first Test at Lord's.
In a statement, the club said: "The decision to permit free entry has been taken by Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club after a frankly thrilling four days sent the contest into its final chapter with all three results still possible. We hope that this gesture will encourage first-time visitors to join long-standing supporters at Trent Bridge and we can’t wait to welcome you to our historic home."
