Christchurch (New Zealand) (AFP) – James Vince and Mark Stoneman stretched England’s lead to 142 with nine wickets in hand at tea on day three of the second Test in Christchurch on Sunday.
With a benign wicket working in their favour, England were 113 for one at the interval with Vince on 55 and Stoneman 42.
The pair have put on 89 for the second wicket after the early fall of Alastair Cook.
New Zealand resumed the day at 192 for six with their last four wickets adding 86 before the innings closed at 278, to give England a 29-run lead.
The tourists made seven without loss in the five overs available before lunch then added 106 in the middle session with Cook the only casualty, out for 14 caught behind off Trent Boult.
The out-of-sorts opener has totalled only 23 in his four innings in New Zealand, and has been removed by Boult each time — twice caught by the wicketkeeper, once at second slip and once bowled.
Stoneman had an anxious moment on 35 when given out caught behind, but the decision was overturned on review when replays showed the ball missed the bat and deflected off his shoulder.
At the start of the day, BJ Watling had progressed from his overnight 77 to 85 when he was beaten by a demanding delivery from Jimmy Anderson which swung in towards the pads then nipped away to remove the off-stump.
Ish Sodhi, made a brief appearance for one, and Tim Southee, who had shared a 48-run stand with Watling, reached 50, his fourth Test half century, when he was bowled by Anderson with a similar delivery to that which removed Watling.
Neil Wagner and Boult put on a rollicking 39 off 42 deliveries for the last wicket before Boult was out for 16.
Wagner was left unbeaten on 24 which included a huge six off Anderson that sailed over the square-leg boundary.
Broad finished with six for 54, the ninth best return in his storied 115-Test career, while Anderson took four for 76.
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