Graeme Swann
Ex-England spinner on BBC Test Match Special

Dawid Malan is a very nice player on the eye, a little bit like James Vince. He's very languid.

Image source, Getty Images

Hello! A sumptuous cover drive from Dawid Malan races away to the fence.

The Middlesex man swivels a short ball round the corner for one before Joe Root slices through backward point for another single.

Malan knocks the last ball to deep mid-wicket to keep the strike. England have upped the scoring rate in the last couple of overs.

Ruth Brooksbank: I can't decide whether I'd prefer England to be bowled out to take the declaration out of their hands, or pile on the runs and declare - the Headingley declaration against the Windies didn't go too well...

Prestige Creative: Absolutely goosed so no #bbccricket, external for me tonight. Any lead between 325-350+ should be enough though, get them in after tea.

Andrew Samson
BBC Test Match Special statistician

Only 10 teams have chased scores of over 350 in the fourth innings of a Test, and none of them has done so in New Zealand.

The highest successful chase in New Zealand was 348 by West Indies in Auckland in 1969.

The highest New Zealand have chased is 324 against Pakistan in Christchurch in 1994.

A Test match wide! And it's very, very wide from Tim Southee, who only just about lands it on the cut strip and sends BJ Watling sprawling to intercept.

He then strays down leg and Root deftly flicks it round the corner for one.

Another tuck off his pads brings two more. The England captain looks in good touch.

Simon Mann
BBC Test Match Special commentator

I'd call them clouds...

Graeme Swann
Ex-England spinner on BBC Test Match Special

What would you call those clouds over there? I'd call them stratocumulus.

Boult tempts Root outside off, the England captain obliges but middles it out to deep point for one.

Malan then tries to pull a short ball but misses.

Graeme Swann
Ex-England spinner on BBC Test Match Special

Graham Thorpe gave the declaration game away a little bit when he said that first and foremost, England will be trying to take the game away from New Zealand. That tells me England are worried about losing the game.

Andrew Samson
BBC Test Match Special statistician

The 50 partnership has taken 108 balls, with five fours.

Malan flicks into a gap at square leg to rotate the strike.

Root picks up one more, driving out to deep cover and that brings up the 50 partnership between this pair.

First boundary of the day as Boult strays short and Malan guides it through backward point to the fence.

And Root adds four more, scything through third man as the fielder carries the ball over the rope trying to save the boundary.

Graeme Swann
Ex-England spinner on BBC Test Match Special

Joe Root is the major player as captain if England are to win this game. If he can convince his opening bowlers to pitch it up in the first 30 overs, they will have four and five wickets. Then if he's brave, he says to Jack Leach "bowl straight, and I'll set a field accordingly" - for a spinner in the last innings, he has to attack both edges.

Tim Southee will take the old ball with his new ball partner.

And it's a maiden to start - Joe Root happy to leave well alone outside his off stump.

Jonathan Agnew
BBC cricket correspondent on Test Match Special

They'll be guarded about selecting players from the Second Division.

Vic Marks
Ex-England spinner on BBC Test Match Special

Ali Martin from the Guardian has written that Ashley Giles is not interested in the national selector's job.

I do have some sympathy for the selectors at the moment as, with the batting, it's a process of elimination rather than spotting obvious alternatives. I think Haseeb Hameed's a good player in the subcontinent, but they're not sure about him in other conditions - he barely scored a run at the start of last summer.

Malan tucks off his pads for the first run of the day.

Root slices to gully but can't get it through as Kane Williamson makes a tremendous diving stop.

The England captain does then get his first run of the day, tapping into leg.

Boult brings it back in and onto Malan's pads. Brief appeal for lbw but that is not out - the ball was clearly sliding down past leg stump.