Cricket-New Zealand set England 299 to win on final day

New Zealand set England a target of 299 to win the second test -- and the series -- after they were bowled out for 284 at Trent Bridge on Tuesday. In response, England made a swift start but lost opener Zak Crawley as they went in at lunch on 36-1, needing to make 263 more from the final two sessions to clinch the three-test series.

New Zealand set England a target of 299 to win the second test -- and the series -- after they were bowled out for 284 at Trent Bridge on Tuesday.

In response, England made a swift start but lost opener Zak Crawley as they went in at lunch on 36-1, needing to make 263 more from the final two sessions to clinch the three-test series. An absorbing test match now has the potential to become a classic with England to face a minimum of 63 more overs meaning they would need to score at a rate of 4.17 runs per over.

The record for a successful fourth-innings run chase in a Test at Trent Bridge is 284 made by England against New Zealand in 2004. All potential results remain possible but there was no sign of England playing conservatively for a draw as they took a positive approach to the nine-over session before lunch.

England's Alex Lees, struck three boundaries off the opening over from Tim Southee but Zak Crawley fell victim to Trent Boult, edging the left-armer to Southee at slip. Lees continued to play his shots though, reaching 30 from 35 balls at the break with Ollie Pope on six.

New Zealand will be without seamer Kyle Jamieson, who has a back injury, but, with England having a long tail, they have every incentive to search for early wickets after lunch. With the kiwis resuming on 224-7, England hoped to quickly skittle out the final three wickets and give themselves a reachable target for the afternoon.

But Daryl Mitchell's unbeaten knock of 62, with Boult adding 17 as part of a 35-run last-wicket partnership, moved the tourists into a stronger position. England's morning started with Joe Root dropping Matt Henry at slip off Jack Leach's second ball but after a sustained spell of short bowling at his body, Henry was caught behind trying to hook Stuart Broad.

Jamieson went in a similar fashion, trying to swipe a rising delivery from Broad and Ben Foakes safely snaffled up another catch. Boult's opening run made him the highest-scoring batsman at number 11 in test history and, while there was a light-hearted appreciation of that milestone, the last man-made an important contribution that may yet prove decisive.