New Zealand’s hopes of claiming a series-tying win over England in the second and final test were damaged Monday by gentle but persistent rain that wiped out more than half of the fourth day’s play at Headingley.
Set a world-record run chase of 455, England was 44-0 off 13 overs when rain began to fall just after lunch. The teams came off and the covers weren’t removed for the rest of the day.
England trails by 411 runs, so is likely to set its sights on batting out a maximum 98 overs on the final day to secure a draw and settle for a 1-0 series victory into the upcoming Ashes against Australia. Some rain is forecast for Tuesday, too, further limiting New Zealand’s chances.
Seeking a victory target of 455, England was 32-0 at lunch on the fourth day. The Black Caps resumed play on 338-6 and were in full limited-overs mode on a chilly morning in northern England, scoring 116 runs in 16 overs.
Brief Scores
New Zealand: 350 & 454/8 (Watling 120, Craig 58, McCullum 55; Wood 3/97, Broad 2/94) lead England: 350 & 44/0 (lyth 24*, Cook 18*) by 411 runs.