Graham Thorpe scored 200 not out off 231 balls, the third fastest double century in Test history behind Adam Gilchrist (212) and Ian Botham (220) and one ball faster than Gordon Greenidge.

It was the third double century scored on the portable wickets used in Christchurch in the last two years.

Thorpe continued apace against a powerless New Zealand attack with a rookie fast bowler in Ian Butler who had three wickets for 137 runs and a fast-medium bowler in Chris Drum who was playing his third Test and who took two for 130. Thorpe did lose his partner in England's finest sixth wicket partnership against New Zealand, Andrew Flintoff, just after the tea break. But he found a likely ally in James Foster and they quickly raced to a 50 partnership off 72 balls and were unbeaten on 81 runs.

Thorpe was zeroing in on his first double century in Tests, an achievement as inevitable as the sun coming up tomorrow, probably to ensure the Test ends on the fourth day.

The emasculated attack without the injured Chris Cairns to call on had no answer to the continual assault on a day in which 105 overs had to be bowled as time was made up after being lost yesterday.

Thorpe cashed in after being dropped at second slip by Nathan Astle for four from the second ball he faced off Chris Drum's bowling. The runs came at a prolific pace and while Flintoff was with him the runs were almost at a run a ball.

Not even the taking of the second new ball could cause any interruption to the flow of runs and when the final drinks break of the day was taken England were 462/6 with Thorpe on 194 and James Foster on 22.

The declaration was applied as soon as Thorpe reached the mark and New Zealand were left to face 22 overs.

Already New Zealand know they will face a daunting target, well beyond the highest they have achieved in their history of 324 runs against Pakistan in 1993/94, also at Christchurch.

At the tea break, England were 377/5 with Thorpe on 142 and Flintoff 129.

The pair became the owners of the highest sixth wicket record by all countries against New Zealand when passing 254, the runs scored by Gary Sobers and Charlie Davis at Bridgetown in the West Indies in 1972/73. The 250 runs were scored off 270 balls.

Earlier they had beaten the 240 scored by Peter Parfitt and Barry Knight at Auckland in 1962/63.

The century scored by Flintoff off 114 balls, including 19 fours and two sixes was his first in Test cricket while Thorpe, when passing 138, reached his highest score in Tests. He batted superbly with good timing and was especially effective with his off-side stroke play.

Conditions can hardly ever have been more conducive to good scoring. The portable wicket lost all its life after the first hour this morning and flattened out as the New Zealand attack had to make do without Chris Cairns' bowling after his leg strain yesterday.

There was one moment when New Zealand could feel hard done by. Daniel Vettori got a ball to climb on Thorpe and it appeared to brush his gloves and wicket-keeper Adam Parore raced around to claim a catch but umpire Brent Bowden did not give it out. Television replays suggested it was a fair catch. Thorpe was on 117 at the time.

Ian Butler had three for 116 off his 18 overs while Chris Drum had two for 100 off 21 overs.

New Zealand's bowling, bereft off Chris Cairns, was being put through the wringer by England's Graham Thorpe and Andrew Flintoff. Thorpe was 103 not out and Flintoff was 96 not out.

There was a moment of controversy in the last over before the break when Craig McMillan was warned by umpire Asoka de Silva after being no-balled for bouncers. He looked to dispute the ruling with de Silva and was warned.

Meanwhile, Thorpe and Flintoff continued regardless. Ninety-one runs were added in 15 overs.

They had scored 197 runs for the sixth wicket and were closing in on the England record against New Zealand of 240 by Peter Parfitt and Barry Knight in Auckland in 1962/63.

Both were in sight of centuries, the 10th of Thorpe's career and the first of Flintoff's, at the afternoon drinks break.

Barely half an hour after lunch, 200 runs had already been scored on the day, and in nine overs after lunch 61 runs, 56 of them in boundaries, had been scored. Daniel Vettori managed to put the brakes on with a maiden off the 10th.

They had already ensured that New Zealand will face a record fourth innings target when passing the 324 run lead that New Zealand achieved to beat Pakistan in 1993/94.

It was an expensive blue when Nathan Astle dropped Thorpe from the second ball he faced for four from Chris Drum's bowling.

Thorpe triumphed and scored his century just before the break, off 121 balls, and he his 17 fours and one six.

Ian Butler was having the toughest time of it all, and the unrelenting nature of the pitch meant there was little he could do to stem the tide of runs. Flintoff, especially, dined out on his bowling, hitting one superb six to wid mid-wicket when launching into a drive. His last five overs costs him 55 runs and he had three for 116.

A helter-skelter first 75 minutes defied description with so many poor examples of cricket being produced, but finally a calming drink of some powerful elixir seemed to settle down Graham Thorpe and Andrew Flintoff and they set about rubbing New Zealand's noses in the dirt.

At lunch England were 212/5 with Thorpe on 62 off 86 balls and Flintoff 55 off 59 balls, a lead of 293 runs.

Thorpe was increasingly thankful for the dropped catch by Nathan Astle from Chris Drum's bowling from the second ball he faced. England were reeling at 89/4 at that stage and in perilous danger of total collapse.

While he lost Ramprakash at 106, Flintoff proved an ideal partner. They steadied the ship after Chris Drum and tyro fast bowler Ian Butler had threatened to take control.

Butler especially suffered as Flintoff's first scoring shots were five fours and a six, over backward point, all from Butler who at one stage had 17 runs taken from an over. His two over spell cost 28 runs before Stephen Fleming made the change.

Thorpe picked off some lovely cover drives to keep his score mounting at around run a ball pace.

They raced to a 50 partnership off 49 balls. Thorpe brought up his 50 from 51 balls and Flintoff his 50 off 49 balls.

Flintoff passed his previous best of 42, scored against South Africa at Port Elizabeth in 1999 and hit nine fours and a six in his half century.

They brought up their 100 stand off 114 balls just before the lunch break when Flintoff hit a four to fine leg which beat Vettori on the bounce.

Butler suffered considerably at Flintoff's hands and went to lunch having conceded three for 89 from his 15 overs.

Drum was consistently tight in his normal manner taking two for 48 from 17 overs.

Having had his first ball of the innings blasted for six by Thorpe, Vettori had none for 33 from his seven overs.

England and New Zealand conspired to produce a level of cricket more often seen in a school playground than on international sports fields. It may have been March madness breaking out, or the early start, 30 minutes earlier than usual.

Whatever it was, there was never a dull moment. And after 75 minutes England were 137/5, a lead of 218 runs. Graham Thorpe was 29 not out and Andrew Flintoff 16 not out.

The first hour of play on day three in the National Bank first Test between New Zealand and England had a touch of everything this morning; wickets, runs, dropped catches, missed run outs, batsmen out hitting their wickets, and some poor wafting outside off stump by batsmen with enough experience in all cricket to know better.

There was some satisfaction from New Zealand in picking up England captain Nasser Hussain caught by Parore for 11 from Chris Drum's bowling.

Then almost immediately afterwards Mark Butcher was out when attempting to put a ball from Ian Butler down to fine leg, only to step on his wickets as he completed the shot.

England were 85/4.

They should have been 85/5 but second slip Nathan Astle dropped Graham Thorpe off the second ball he faced, a chance that should have been taken.

Then on 97/4 a hopeless mix-up between Thorpe and Ramprakash saw Ramprakash set off down the pitch for a single off a mis-field when the ball cannoned into point fieldsman Craig McMillan's knee. Lou Vincent fielded and threw to the unmanned bowler's end.

Mark Richardson raced in and grasped the ball with Ramprakash out of his ground but in attempting to lob the ball into the wickets from point blank range he missed.

Craig McMillan was introduced into the attack and unusually for him he concentrated on bowling full and when Thorpe played a ball back to him, Thorpe remained out of his ground and McMillan threw the stumps down but the third umpire confirmed he was just in his ground.

Ramprakash continued to dice with death, and he finally completed his own execution by managing to play a short ball onto his stumps to be bowled by Drum for 11 leaving England 106/5.

Then in the last over before drinks, Butler conceded 17 runs, with Flintoff taking three fours, two off drives and one cut through gully.