Summary

  • Pope 81*, Root 55* - target 296

  • Fluent unbroken stand worth 132

  • Root reverse-sweeps Wagner for six

  • Lees run out after mix-up with Crawley

  • Crawley 25 - miscues drives to cover

  • NZ 326: Blundell 88*, Mitchell 56

  • Leach 5-66 & 10-166 in match

  • Third test, day four, Headingley

  • England lead three-match series 2-0

Live Reporting

Timothy Abraham, Tom Mallows and Kal Sajad

  1. Eng 181-2

    Consecutive boundaries! Too short from Bracewell and Root pulls past short leg, who takes cover, for four.

  2. 50 runs

    50 for Root

    Eng 177-2

    Ignore my previous entry. Joe Root sweeps for four. It's his 54th Test half-century. Machine!

  3. Eng 173-2

    Root is one shot away from his half-century. I'm sure he'll be absolutely fine if he doesn't get it this evening.

  4. Get Involved

    #bbccricket; text 81111

    Paul Cotterill: The less spoken advantage of a decent scoring rate in a chase like this is the potential to take the second new ball out of the equation - vital if you're 6ish down but still needing 40 or so.

  5. Eng 173-2

    Wagner is having a tough time. He does get one to shape away from Root and beat the outside edge, though.

    I reckon well get one more in. New Zealand in no rush.

  6. Get Involved

    #bbccricket; text 81111

    Rob Scott: Confidence in your ability is your biggest and best weapon. Same players; different mindset.

  7. Jonathan Agnew
    BBC cricket correspondent on Test Match Special

    Neil Wagner is a wholehearted and willing competitor, but I'm not sure this pitch is really for him. He is coming round the wicket which suggests more of the short stuff.

  8. Eng 172-2

    Pope 80, Root 45

    Pope is 20 runs away from his third Test century, and second of the series.

  9. Get Involved

    #bbccricket; text 81111

    I've heard talk of bringing Jos Buttler in to open instead of Crawley, all in the spirit of "BazBall". But haven't we already tried this with Bairstow and Roy etc? Leave the openers be, or are we just going to put the 50 over team in to play the tests?

    GrumpyOldChef

    On the subject of opening batsmen. I wonder if the focus on individual runs should move towards a focus on the total runs scored in partnerships? This 'measure' might better encourage openers to focus on protecting their wicket for the team performance, as opposed to scoring individual runs.

    Mark M, Reynoldston

  10. Eng 171-2

    The runs keep on coming.

    Joe Root reverse sweeps for a single. Pope takes one to the off side. Bracewell bowls one which turns slightly, beats everyone and goes through for four byes.

    A single apiece to the England men to end the over.

  11. Get Involved

    #bbccricket; text 81111

    If England can get within 80 or so in the next 10 minutes, can we claim the extra half hour?!

    Emily, Wiltshire

  12. Jonathan Agnew
    BBC cricket correspondent on Test Match Special

    Shades of Angus Fraser with Neil Wagner's reaction. He's not a happy man as he takes his sunglasses, cap and jumper from the umpire. He has stomped down back to his fielding position to think about that over.

  13. Eng 163-2

    Target 296

    That's 14 from the over. Wagner is seething as he takes his cap from the umpire.

  14. Eng 161-2

    Wagner goes fuller. Pope unleashes a crisp punch down the ground. Three consecutive boundaries!

    A kick of the turf from Wagner.

  15. Eng 157-2

    Sliced. Through the gap. Another boundary. Wagner is fuming.

  16. Eng 153-2

    Ollie Pope pulls with purpose to bring up the England 150 and the 100 partnership with a delightful boundary.

  17. Vic Marks
    Former England spinner on BBC Test Match Special

    If the balls are so poor this year, is there not a batch saved over from last year we could use instead?

  18. Matthew Henry
    BBC Sport at Headingley

    England are 149-2 and need 147 to win. "Woahh we're halfway there. Woahh living on a prayer," sings the Western Terrace.

  19. Eng 149-2

    Two more singles for England. Jack Leach is padded up on the balcony as the Headingley crowd give the hosts one final push by turning up the volume a notch.

    Aaaaand the ball has lost its shape again. On comes the briefcase of replacements. Yawn.

  20. Jonathan Agnew
    BBC cricket correspondent on Test Match Special

    How many slip chances have there been in the last few days? I know it was a reverse sweep but that was a catchable height and hit straight at him.