New Zealand 325-5, leads England by 99 at lunch on Day 4 of 2nd Test

New Zealand`s captain Tim Southee (L) plays a shot, with England`s wicket-keeper Ben Foakes during day four of the second cricket Test match between New Zealand and England at the Basin Reserve in Wellington on February 27, 2023. (Pic Courtesy: AFP)

Kane Williamson became New Zealand's leading run-scorer in Tests and continued to marshal his team's resistance Monday on the fourth morning of the second Test against England.

At lunch, New Zealand was 325-5 and led England by 99 runs after following on 226 runs behind. Williamson was 63 and Tom Blundell was 19.
England dismissed New Zealand for 209 in its first innings in reply to its own 435-9 declared and enforced the follow before lunch on the third day.

New Zealand resumed Monday at 202-3 and still 24 runs behind. With Williamson and Henry Nicholls at the crease, New Zealand wiped off the deficit with three wickets down in the ninth over of the day.

Williamson and Nicholls had seen New Zealand through the last 90 minutes of the third day and continued Monday until their 55-run partnership ended when Nicholls (29) was caught at slip by Harry Brook off Ollie Robinson. New Zealand at that point was still four runs in deficit.

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Williamson was 34 when joined by Daryl Mitchell, who raced past him to reach a half century from 52 balls, bringing up 50 with a six from Jack Leach over long-on.
Williamson's 34th test half century came up from 148 balls in after 2-1/2 hours at the crease in an innings of great perseverance.

The fifth-wicket partnership was worth 75 when Mitchell hit out once too often and skied the third short delivery of an over from Stuart Broad to Joe Root, who had been set for the hook. New Zealand led England by 71 runs at that point and Williamson remained the anchor of the innings.

In the first over of the day, Williamson clipped a half volley from James Anderson off his toes to the mid-wicket boundary and overtook his former teammate Ross Taylor's tally of 7,683 runs in tests at the age of 32.

On the players' balcony his teammates applauded and around the grassy banks of the Basin Reserve fans of both teams rose to acclaim the achievement. Williamson is playing his 92nd test and has become New Zealand's top run-scorer at an average of 53.

The second new ball was only three overs old when play resumed Monday which ensured batting was still testing of a Basin Reserve pitch which offered pace and bounce

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