Close New Zealand 202 and 269 for 9 (Astle 65, McMillan 50*, Hoggard 4-68) lead England 160 (Thorpe 42, Tuffey 6-54) by 311 runs
scorecard

England face their own D-day tomorrow after New Zealand batted deep into the fourth evening under the floodlights in a desperate last-ditch attempt to square the series. Leading by 42 on first innings, New Zealand went for broke in a final session that lasted three-and-a-quarter hours and brought 216 runs in 41.2 overs of harum-scarum hitting. It took their lead to 311 by the close. We could be in for a thriller.

Not surprisingly, England's bowling analyses suffered most while Nathan Astle was at the crease. He smashed a 38-ball half-century and shared partnerships of 75 in 71 balls with Chris Harris, and 51 in 35 with Craig McMillan, who was still there at the end under the moonlit sky as English tempers began to fray. New Zealand's second hundred came off just 74 deliveries. It was Christchurch almost-revisited.

Astle applied some much-needed gas after New Zealand had taken until the 40th over to reach 100. In that time they lost Adam Parore for 36, caught on the stroke of tea by Graham Thorpe at first slip off a ball from Matthew Hoggard that leapt at him outside off (53 for 1). Parore, opening in place of the injured Lou Vincent, was playing his final Test innings.

Two runs later Stephen Fleming was bowled in bizarre circumstances for 1 by Hoggard. He tried to turn a regulation ball to leg, but it became entangled in his trousers and dropped back onto his stumps (55 for 2). That completed a miserable series with the bat for Fleming of 76 runs in six innings.

Mark Richardson, who had ground his way to 25 from 104 balls, then pulled Mark Butcher straight to Usman Afzaal, the substitute fielder at square leg, who juggled but held on one-handed as he fell backwards (91 for 3).

But from then on it was all about Astle. He rekindled memories of his Lancaster Park mauling by hitting Flintoff straight down the ground for six, and then pulled the next ball for six more via Afzaal's weak attempt to catch him on the square-leg boundary. He slammed Flintoff square for four and reached his half-century with a ferocious cut off Butcher. In between, Butcher had trapped Harris leg-before for 43, but no-one seemed to notice.

McMillan was immediately infused with Astle's aggression, uppercutting Flintoff for six, then carting Hoggard over long-on for six more in the next over. But as darkness began to fall, so too did the wickets. Astle top-edged Flintoff to Butcher on the fence at deep backward square to depart for a 51-ball 65 (217 for 5), and Andre Adams dragged on a Flintoff yorker and was bowled for 11 (232 for 6).

Flintoff, whose dudgeon rose with every boundary, picked up his third wicket when he had Daniel Vettori caught behind second ball for 0 (235 for 7). At that stage New Zealand led by 277, which was a gettable target on a small ground and an increasingly flat wicket. But Vincent emerged with Fleming as his runner and helped add a quickfire 27 with McMillan before Vincent slogged Hoggard to Ashley Giles on the deep midwicket boundary to fall for 10 (262 for 8). In a breathless finale Hoggard then bowled Daryl Tuffey for 5, and the players trooped off, exhausted.

Earlier, England were skittled for 160, which was their lowest total since making 134 against West Indies at Lord's in June 2000, 22 Tests ago. Their destroyer was Tuffey, who in his first Test of the series took a career-best 6 for 54 with accurate, full-pitched seam bowling and looked New Zealand's best seamer of the series.

But England's cause wasn't helped by umpire Doug Cowie, who cut off Flintoff in his prime with one of the worst caught-behind decisions in the history of the game. Flintoff had blazed his way to a run-a-ball 29 when Andre Adams beat his outside edge by at least six inches. Adams didn't appeal, but Parore did, and - to Adams's clear embarrassment - Cowie raised his finger. Flintoff did well to restrict himself to a furious swish of the bat on his way back to the dressing-room, and England's best chance of launching a meaningful counterattack had gone.

England had resumed this morning on 12 for 3 under sunny skies, and for a while Michael Vaughan and Graham Thorpe made batting look easier than it had been all match. Vaughan drove with his usual calm elegance, while Thorpe pulled and punched like a nuggety middleweight. But when he nibbled at a straight one from Adams - his 14th ball in Test cricket - and was caught behind for 27, England were back in trouble at 60 for 4.

Mark Ramprakash got off the mark with a top-edged pull for six over square leg, but then had an almighty swipe outside off stump against Tuffey and was caught behind for 9 (75 for 5).

At that point England trailed by 127, but Flintoff started taking chunky nibbles out of the deficit. Dropped at second slip by Astle off Drum on 6, he whacked Drum straight down the ground for four, then straight-drove him for four more in his next over before pulling him behind square leg for six. A pull for four off Adams was help-yourself stuff, but in the same over Cowie had his aberration, and England were 118 for 6.

James Foster was dropped behind third ball, possibly because Parore's conscience was still suffering after his successful appeal against Flintoff. But Tuffey then struck in consecutive overs. Thorpe left one alone that cut back to hit the top of off stump and fell for 42 (122 for 7); and Ashley Giles was hit in line with off stump as he prodded half-forward and was lbw for 0 (124 for 8). That gave Tuffey his first five-wicket haul in his eighth Test.

Caddick blazed away briefly, but in the fourth over after lunch couldn't resist a slog and was bowled through the gate by Tuffey for 20 (159 for 9). And the rout was complete when Matthew Hoggard steered Adams to first slip, where Fleming took his 100th catch in Test cricket.

From nowhere, it was game on. England were in danger of ending their winter with a whimper.

Lawrence Booth is assistant editor of Wisden.com.

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