Another milestone as Harry Brook goes to 2,000 Test runs. Not many have got there quicker than the England man.

Lovely drive through the covers by Ollie Pope.

But again it slows enough before the cushion that a fielder is able to get round and cut it off.

Another three, the third in the space of two overs.

You'd never see such nonsense in a club match. That last one would have been a leisurely single as both batters got their breath back.

Back-to-back threes for England as Ollie Pope and Harry Brook take turns to play lovely shots that would have brought boundaries on most grounds.

However, the outfield is very slow this week at Hagley Oval so they have to put the hard yards in.

Pope's was an elegant straight drive before Brook swatted the ball through mid-wicket as Will O'Rourke loses his radar slightly.

A single from the last brings up the 200 for England.

Image source, Getty Images

Ben Stokes certainly has the technique to bat at three, Matt, but given how much he has done to make himself a bowling option again, I can't see it happening now.

My guess is Ollie Pope just goes back to three, unless England want to have a proper reshuffle and move Joe Root and Harry Brook up one and try him at five.

Anyway, England take four from Glenn Phillips' latest with Pope scoring three of them to reach 3,000 runs in Tests.

Will O'Rourke is a tall man and he can really get the ball to rear up.

Just ask Ollie Pope who ends up on his back as a bouncer follows him and flies past his nose before being taken at full stretch above his head by Tom Blundell.

Image source, Getty Images

After exchanging singles with Ollie Pope, Harry Brook drills a half-volley from Glenn Phillips to the cover boundary.

He was never going to miss out on that one.

Short and wide from Will O'Rourke, cut nicely by Harry Brook but Glenn Phillips gets down well to make the stop at gully.

O'Rourke got away with that one.

He strikes Ollie Pope on the pad last ball of the over but there is no conviction about the appeal. There may well have been some bat on it.

Image source, Getty Images

Glenn Phillips bowled the last over before tea and he's going to continue for New Zealand.

It's a good over from the off-spinner, finding some drift away from Harry Brook then a hint of turn and bounce to beat him on the outside edge.

Just one from the over.

Full and very wide from Will O'Rourke and Harry Brook can't help but go after it.

Play and a miss from the England number five but he quickly shrugs that off and pinches a quick single next ball.

ESPNCricinfo's Matt Roller: Ollie Pope already has more runs on England's tour to New Zealand (59) than he made on their tour to Pakistan last month (55). Looks a much more natural fit at No. 6 than No. 3.

England are up and running, literally, from the first ball after tea.

Nicely worked off the pads by Ollie Pope and he scampers back for two.

Will O'Rourke will hope to tighten up his lines as the over goes on.

The cloud cover we saw early in the day has well and truly gone now with TV pictures of Hagley Oval showing a bright blue sky with only the odd fluffy white cloud.

With the ball now 41 overs old as well, all signs point towards this being a good time to bat.

Things are rarely that simple where Test cricket and England are concerned so we'll see how things pan out with the evening session about to begin...

Image source, Getty Images

There was certainly a lot of that kind of talk when Ollie Pope came out to join Harry Brook in the middle at 71-4, John.

An unbroken stand of 103 later and things look significantly more rosy for England...

John Jefferis: I’m assuming all the doomsayers have gone to bed, but wondering if anyone still thinks we won’t make NZ bat again?

Thanks, Tim. Feast might be pushing it but the odd chocolate biscuit has been consumed while Harry Brook and Ollie Pope have gone about their business.

Things certainly look a whole lot better from an England perspective than they did at lunch.

The tourists are now exactly halfway to matching New Zealand's first innings total with six wickets remaining.

Reasons to be cheerful/optimistic, I'd say...

Harry Brook and Ollie Pope have rebuilt things superbly in Christchurch and they walk off for some nibbles at tea. Has Sam Drury whipped up a post-midnight feast of his own?

He's on hand to take you through the interval and into the evening session.