New Zealand v England: third Test, day three – live

82nd over: New Zealand 333-5 (Mitchell 38, Blundell 5) Glenn Phillips is padded up on the Kiwi balcony, suggesting there’s no declaration imminent. Unless it is a cunning ruse. Tim Southee, in his final Test, needs two sixes to notch 100 in Test cricket too. We might see a guard of honour for the seam bowling stalwart with bat in hand yet.

81st over: New Zealand 330-5 (Mitchell 38, Blundell 2) Plenty going on in Bashir’s latest over as Pope goes upstairs to have a look at a caught behing off a Blundell reverse-sweep. The review is still not Pope’s friend, the ball game off the batter’s toe and so England lose another. Darly Mitchell is then caught by Harry Brook at slip but the third umpire takes a look and decides it was pouched on the bounce. It was a muted appeal by Brook which suggests it could be the correct decision. On we go.

80th over: New Zealand 329-5 (Mitchell 38, Blundell 1) Bethell rattles through the 80th over but Ollie Pope ain’t interested in taking the new ball. Not yet at least.

79th over: New Zealand 327-5 (Mitchell 37, Blundell 0) One over til the new ball can be taken. Tom Blundell is the new batter, these two like batting together and England ruddy well know it. The lead is officially A LOT.

WICKET! Williamson c Rehan Ahmed b Shoaib Bashir 156 (New Zealand 327-5)

78th over: New Zealand 325-4 (Williamson 155, Mitchell 36) The commentators go in to great detail about Kane Williamson and his passion for coffee. Apparently he’s a dab hand at ‘latte art’ and takes his own espresso machine on tour. We’re a long way from Alec Stewart and his suitcase of Heinz Baked Beans eh?

77th over: New Zealand 322-4 (Williamson 153, Mitchell 35) Runs flowing at Seddon Park. England doing well to keep chipper despite staring down the barrel and with Stokes absent.

They are back on at the Gabba and India are in trouble with the bat. The man who laughs in the face of sleep, Rob Smyth, is on the tools for that one.

76th over: New Zealand 318-4 (Williamson 150, Mitchell 34) Kane Williamson goes to 150! Consecutive lofted drives off Bethell skim away to the fence and New Zealand press ever so politely on England’s throat.

75th over: New Zealand 308-4 (Williamson 142, Mitchell 32) More toil for England as three boundaries are collected off Bashir’s latest, two of them to Mitchell who dabs and reverse sweeps to the fence. Williamson picks up four of his own through cover to leave himself needing one more run to average 100 at Seddon Park. Head down for the red inker after that mind… the lead is over 500.

74th over: New Zealand 294-4 (Williamson 136, Mitchell 24) Williamson presses on the gas with his dainty size 8s. Bethell tosses up and is driven over cover for four.

73rd over: New Zealand 288-4 (Williamson 130, Mitchell 23) Bashir whirls away and is pocketed for three singles.

Michael Gourlay emails in and ‘admits’ what we all knew to be true already…

“I’m an Australian old enough to remember the joys of England’s Ashes trip to Australia in 1974-75 when a couple of fellows called Lillee and Thomson had some fun and the scoreline was 4-0 Australia’s way after 5 tests (from memory the Australian team gave England the 6th test to allow the English side some respectability).

For some reason since then I seem to get more joy seeing England lose a test match than Australia win one. I have spent more time on this Guardian blog today than I have on Australia vs India. Also does Tom Van der Gucht win a prize for funniest blog contribution of 2024 with his “sniff of a hint of a chance” from earlier today. Maybe he’s right and Stokes will do a Glenn Maxwell and make a heroic 201 not out with a dodgy leg?”

Happy to have you Michael, but how bereft will you be when England do knock these runs off and claim a new Test record? Ahem.

72nd over: New Zealand 285-4 (Williamson 129, Mitchell 22) Bethell gives it some flight and relinquishes just a couple of singles off the over. England are plugging away but New Zealand hold all the cards, the lead is approaching 500 and there are two full days and a session left in the match.

71st over: New Zealand 283-4 (Williamson 128, Mitchell 21) Mitch Santner will be peering down through his Deidre Barlow varifocals at this pitch with some interest. It’s starting to break up a little and offer some some sharp turn.

70th over: New Zealand 280-4 (Williamson 127, Mitchell 19) Nearly! Bethell from the other end and he gets some turn and bounce off the wicket, the advancing Williamson has to use every ounce of his hand/eye coordination to get bat on ball at the last and dab away. A stumping looked very much in the offing. Williamson offers the bowler an apologetic shrug and a smile.

69th over: New Zealand 276-4 (Williamson 124, Mitchell 18) Shoaib Bashir starts the session and there’s a vociferous appeal first ball for an lbw to Williamson. Pope sends it upstairs but there’s nowt doing for England as the impact was way outside off.

The players return to the field in watery sunshine as Ali sends an official update on the Stokes injury situation:

Ben Stokes Update

England captain Ben Stokes, who left the field during the middle session on day three of the third Test at Seddon Park, is currently receiving treatment for a left hamstring issue. He will not return to the field in this innings and will undergo further assessment to determine his availability to bat in England’s second innings.”

A word on Kane Williamson, who went to his 33rd Test century in that session. Take a look at his record on home turf, don’t read on if you are susceptible to nose bleeds.

52 Matches

20 Hundreds

Average: 67.22

I would direct you over the ditch to Brisbane for Australia v India but it turns out that it is chucking it down at the Gabba. What’s with all this Antipodean precipitation?

68th over: New Zealand 274-4 (Williamson 123, Mitchell 18) Bethell is bowling a leg stump line, Williamson sweeps fine, very fine, the ball races away for four but is given as byes. Hard lines, Kane.

That’s tea, folks.

36 overs in the session, 138 runs added by New Zealand for just one wicket, Rachin Ravindra. The more seismic news as far as England are concerned is the fact Ben Stokes looks to have done his hamstring once again. Rotten luck for the England captain.

The lead stands at a chunky 478 runs as Williamson and Mitchell amble off the park to put their feet up for 20 minutes.

67th over: New Zealand 265-4 (Williamson 119, Mitchell 17) Bashir drops short and Williamson doesn’t miss out, rocking back and splatting through square leg for four. We’ll have one more over before tea and Jacob Bethell is going to bowl it.

66th over: New Zealand 259-4 (Williamson 113, Mitchell 17) Potts is on the button, just a single off his latest as the respite of the tea break approaches for England.

65th over: New Zealand 258-4 (Williamson 112, Mitchell 17) A paddle sweep from Mitchell sees him pick up a clever boundary and he follows up with a reverse for four more. England hurting, the runs taking New Zealand out of sight and they’ve lost their captain to what looks like a bad recurrence of his hamstring injury. Merry bloody Christmas.

64th over: New Zealand 250-4 (Williamson 112, Mitchell 9) Potts steams in and nearly picks up Williamson, the ball sticking in the pitch slightly as the batter’s booming drive whistles in the air just out of reach for a return catch. *Andrex soft hands from Kane as he glides down to deep third and Mitchell swats a single into the leg side to take the lead to 450.

*Other loo roll is available but might not be as double quilted as Kane Williamson’s late cut.

63rd over: New Zealand 248-4 (Williamson 111, Mitchell 8) Williamson cuts for a couple off Bashir to take the lead past 450. Just one more single off the over with a nurdle into the covers. It’s gone a bit gloomy again in Hamilton, anoraks and fleeces being reached for on the grass banks.

62nd over: New Zealand 245-4 (Williamson 108, Mitchell 8) Mitchell tickles Potts off his hip and away for four. He then goes for a wild drive but connects only with fresh Hamilton air. Mitchell reins himself in a little and Potts joins the dots for the rest of the over.

61st over: New Zealand 241-4 (Williamson 108, Mitchell 4) Sharp turn from Bashir albeit from way outside off stump, Williamson is surprised and gets a glove on it as it spits back at him. Harry Brook wrong-footing himself in anticipation and the ball ploops into the void between his left hand and Pope’s right. Two runs collected and the lead up to 445 for the home side.

60th over: New Zealand 239-4 (Williamson 106, Mitchell 4) Daryl ‘Moose’ Mitchell is not who you want to see striding to the middle with your side 430-odd runs to the pump and with your talismanic captain off the field injured. He duly clubs Potts over cover for four runs off his second ball. Ouch.

WICKET! Ravindra c Carse b Potts 44 (New Zealand 235-4)

59th over: New Zealand 235-3 (Williamson 105, Ravindra 42) Spoiler alert, Virat Kohli has just got out over in Brisbane but the last few weeks have seen each member of the ‘Fab Four’ notch a ton. The guard isn’t changing just yet.

Bashir gets some bounce and turn to Ravindra, the batter getting in a tizz as he comes out of his ground and then has to change his shot as Bashir sees him coming.

58th over: New Zealand 232-3 (Williamson 105, Ravindra 42)

Kane Williamson goes to his 33rd Test century by lofting Jacob Bethell down the ground for SIX! He raises his arms in as undemonstrative fashion as possible and embraces his partner in batting. That’s his seventh ton on this ground too, he averages a lick over 97 at Seddon Park.

He dances down to drive Bashir for four more, maybe New Zealand have got the declaration on the mind?

57th over: New Zealand 220-3 (Williamson 94, Ravindra 41) Ollie Pope takes the captaincy reins once more as New Zealand’s lead stretches to 424. Ravindra cuts Bashir for four and then carts a shorter ball away for SIX over midwicket. England will now need to pull off the highest fourth innings chase in Test history. No, you stop it.

56th over: New Zealand 210-3 (Williamson 94, Ravindra 31) Jacob Bethell finishes Stokes’ over with some serviceable left-arm spin. There’s a grim hush around Seddon Park, such rotten luck for Ben Stokes. Fingers crossed it was more of a twinge than a tear.

Ben Stokes hobbles off injured

55th over: New Zealand 201-3 (Williamson 91, Ravindra 25) Williamson goes back to cut Bashir and gets another thick edge that races away for four this time. He’s into the 90s and New Zealand’s lead is over 400.

53rd over: New Zealand 195-3 (Williamson 86, Ravindra 24) Williamson, so quick on his feet against Bashir, skids back to push a single to mid-off. I was going to say he was hitting against the spin but then I remember Duncan Fletcher’s geometry lesson.

I wonder what Fletcher would make of Bashir. He wouldn’t care much for his batting, that’s for sure, or for the long hop that Ravindra has just carted for four. That’s the first really bad ball from Bashir today.

Right, it’s time for me to tag in Jim Wallace for the rest of the day. Bye!

52nd over: New Zealand 187-3 (Williamson 85, Ravindra 17) Carse off, Stokes on, with a slip and gully in place for Williamson. This is his 35th over of the game, the most he’s bowled since the Trent Bridge Test of 2022. That’s a really encouraging sign for England ahead of their big year.

Williamson works a single off the pads. I doubt Stokes will mind this as he’ll want an early crack at Ravindra. After timing a square drive that doesn’t beat one of the three men in the covers, Ravindra chases a less full delivery and is beaten. Clever bowling.

Drinks: New Zealand lead by 390 runs

50th over: New Zealand 180-3 (Williamson 80, Ravindra 15) The Carse-Ravindra contest resumes – but only for two balls, with Ravindra taking a quick single on the off side. There was a whiff of a run-out chance but Williamson made his ground, and the throw missed anyway.

Carse decides to continue round the wicket to the right-handed Williamson, which is rare a sign of benevolent intent. Williamson pulls a single to bring up a fifty partnership that he has dominated.

That might be it for Carse after a menacing spell of 5-1-13-0.

49th over: New Zealand 176-3 (Williamson 79, Ravindra 13) Four from the over, which extends the lead to precisely 380.

48th over: New Zealand 172-3 (Williamson 77, Ravindra 11) Carse, and I say this with only love, can be a nasty piece of work with the ball in hand. He’s doing everything he can to unsettle Ravindra, who ignores the sledging and then pulls majestically in front of square for four. That’s the cue for Carse to give him an even bigger mouthful.

“That ball was smashing middle and leg,” says Brian Withington. “‘Umpire’s call’ is what needs trimming.”

Could you make the margin of error a third rather than half? Would that work? I’m loath to jump to prescriptions because I know the square root of bugger all about how the technology works, particularly how reliable it is (and therefore the minimum margin of error that is required).

Meanwhile, things are happening in Brisbane…

47th over: New Zealand 168-3 (Williamson 77, Ravindra 7) Williamson dances down to flick Bashir over midwicket for four, though it didn’t clear the leaping fielder by much. It was Ben Stokes, trying to pull off another of his ‘no, no way’ catches.

46th over: New Zealand 163-3 (Williamson 73, Ravindra 6) A maiden from Carse, who is back at it after a relatively poor first-innings performance.

Williamson is not out! He was hit just above the kneeroll as he tried to play back. Here comes the replay… yep, umpire’s call. It was more than just a bail-trimmer so Carse might feel slightly aggrieved.

England review! Williamson survives a huge LBW shout after being smacked on the pad by a big nipbacker from Carse. England are going upstairs. It’s all about the bounce; my hunch is this’ll be umpire’s call and therefore not out.

45th over: New Zealand 163-3 (Williamson 73, Ravindra 6) Bashir has a slip and leg slip for Ravindra, with a tight line from round the wicket. Ravindra skids back to take a cut off middle stump, though he doesn’t beat the cover fielder. It feels like something has to give here; Ravindra, such a beautiful strokeplayer, is 6 not out from 42 balls.

44th over: New Zealand 162-3 (Williamson 72, Ravindra 6) Carse goes round the wicket to Ravindra, who shows good judgement to leave a ball angled back into him. Carse has a few words, trying to rip Ravindra from his bubble. It works, albeit without the reward England wanted, when Ravindra throws his hands at the next ball and drags it back down the pitch. I suspect he would have left that had Carse said nothing to him.

43rd over: New Zealand 161-3 (Williamson 71, Ravindra 6) Ravindra pushes tentatively at Bashir and edges wide of slip for a couple. There’s some bit for Bashir and he looks quite threatening, especially to the left-handed Ravindra.

42nd over: New Zealand 159-3 (Williamson 71, Ravindra 4) A double bowling change, as is Ben Stokes’ wont at the moment, with Carse on for Atkinson. Williamson tries to attack a short ball, gets in an ungainly position and slashes it over gully for four. He has another moment of fortune when he tries to cut a ball that is too close for the shot and whooshes past the stumps. A promising start from Carse, who like O’Rourke should be an unpleasant proposition on this slightly uneven pitch.

41st over: New Zealand 155-3 (Williamson 67, Ravindra 4) Shoaib Bashir comes on for Potts, probably with the left-handed Ravindra in mind more than Williamson. That said, his fourth ball growls towards Williamson from well outside off stump. A less accomplished batsman would probably have dragged that onto the stumps. Williamson managed to jump back in his crease and force it out of harm’s way.

40th over: New Zealand 151-3 (Williamson 64, Ravindra 3) Now Williamson has to deal with some low bounce from Atkinson, jabbing down on a ball that might otherwise have disturbed his furniture. If England knew the bounce would be this uneven on the third morning they would surely have batted first.

39th over: New Zealand 151-3 (Williamson 64, Ravindra 3) The commentator’s curse almost strikes when Williamson fresh-airs an attempted cut off Potts. Their head-to-head record, since you asked, is now 28 runs and four wickets. Williamson was three for the before this gme.

38th over: New Zealand 150-3 (Williamson 63, Ravindra 3) Ravindra, who remains almost strokeless against the fuller ball, comes to life when Atkinson digs one in. But his attempted pull stroke is mistimed and dribbles to midwicket.

Another maiden. Ravindra has 3 from 25 balls, a sign of his determination to make his first significant score of the series. Williamson has 63 from 79 and is making batting look easy.