Christchurch's Jade Stadium contributed another chapter to the book of cricket records after another day of run scoring on the third day of the first National Bank series Test.

Highlights were:

Graham Thorpe's highest Test score of 200 not out was the third fastest double century. It was scored off 231 balls - Adam Gilchrist (212) and Ian Botham (220) were ahead of him and he pushed Gordon Greenidge (232) one rung further down the ladder.

His 50 was scored off 51 balls, his 100 off 121 balls, his 150 off 183 balls.

In his 71st match Thorpe beat his previous highest Test score of 138, scored against Australia in England in 1997, and repeated against Pakistan last summer in England.

The 281-run sixth wicket stand he shared with Andrew Flintoff was the best by all nations against New Zealand for that wicket. It surpassed a stand of 254 between Gary Sobers and Charlie Davis for the West Indies at Bridgetown in 1971/72.

The partnership was also England's highest for the sixth wicket against any opponent, beating the 240 made by Peter Parfitt and Barry Knight against New Zealand at Auckland in 1962/63.

Thorpe's Test runs now stand at 4800 scored at 42.47, up from 40.91 before the innings.

Flintoff scored his maiden Test century off 114 balls. His previous highest score in his 13-Test career was 42. It was scored against South Africa at Port Elizabeth in 1999/00.

His 50 was scored off 49 balls. When out for 137, he had faced 163 balls and had scored 23 fours and four sixes.

Flintoff now has 396 runs at 18.85, up from 13.63.

England set New Zealand 550 to win, the world record for successful chases is 406 scored by India against the West Indies at Port-of-Spain in 1975/76. The target is the 19th highest ever set in Tests. Eight of those Tests were timeless Tests and two were six-day Tests.

The highest target New Zealand has successfully achieved is 324 runs, against Pakistan on this ground in 1993/94.

The 550 is the highest target New Zealand has ever been set in a Test match, surpassing the 511 England set them at Nottingham in 1983.

The highest target ever set in a match was 836 by England against the West Indies in a timeless Test at Kingston, Jamaica in 1929/30.

© CricInfo