England’s dominance over New Zealand was only halted by rain on the second day of the second Test in Wellington.
Three wickets each from James Anderson and Jack Leech reduced the home side to 138-7, 297 runs behind.
England’s relentless bowling and sharp catching – batsman Ollie Pope claimed two superb catches at Leach – boosted the tourists’ chances of enforcing the follow-on.
That decision will have to wait until Sunday after rain came to end nearly two hours of play in the evening session.
England had earlier declared from their overnight score of 315-3 to 435-8, scoring 120 runs in less than two hours.
Harry Brooke was dismissed for 186 off the seventh ball but Joe Root remained not out for 153 runs.
Play on the third day will once again start at an earlier time of 21:30 GMT to make up for some of the overs lost in the first two days.
Ruthless England cruise to a historic win.
It is turning into England’s most commanding performance of the winter, brutally dismantling a New Zealand side that is a shadow of the side crowned world Test champions two years ago.
Both teams found themselves 21-3 in the match, but while England mounted a brilliant counter-attack in the form of Root and Brooke’s 302-run stand, the Black Caps held on comfortably.
The concept of follow-on remains a question mark for England led by captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum.
If they can bowl New Zealand out for less than 236, would the more aggressive option be to bat in the second innings and take an insurmountable lead, or send the hosts out again to win by an innings?
Either way, England are on course for their seventh consecutive win and 11th in 12 Tests, while New Zealand are set for a first home series defeat in six years.
Anderson and Leach run through Black Caps
Anderson was not a regular in the England team when he was first called up to play alongside Stuart Broad at the position 15 years ago.
Anderson took 5-73 in the first innings and one of Test cricket’s greatest bowling partnerships was born.
On Saturday, Anderson returned to being 40 and ranked as the world’s number one bowler, once again seen running through New Zealand’s top order with ease. Is.
Dion Conway fanned an edge that was detected by an astute England review, an out-of-sorts Kane Williamson delivered a needless poke and Will Young was dismissed by extra bounce – all three caught by wicketkeeper Ben Foakes. happened
Anderson will resume on Sunday with a chance to become the first 40-year-old fast bowler to take five Test wickets since Sydney Barnes in 1914.
Left-arm spinner Leach was playing in the 13th over when the rain started.
He first had Tom Latham, who was on 35, caught by Root at slip on reverse sweep. Latham reviewed after getting out on the field. Replays showed the ball hit the arm-guard, but TV umpire Aleem Dar also found a flick of the glove.
Pope then unleashes two of his one-handed stunners under the helmet.
On 30, Henry Nicholls tries another reverse sweep so that the ball turns his body to a diving Pope.
At the stroke of tea, Leach bowled Daryl Mitchell extra bounce and Pope brilliantly stuck one hand out and took an incredibly close hold of the bat.
Michael Bracewell had Broad caught just after the break, leaving skipper Tim Southee at the club on 23 in favor of Tom Blundell, who was not out on 25 in the rain.
