England make inroads on morning of day four reducing New Zealand to 325-5

Ollie Robinson got England up and running on the fourth morning of the second Test in New Zealand, dismissing Henry Nicholls to leave the hosts four down.

After being asked to follow on by Ben Stokes, the Black Caps put up some stiff resistance to reach 202 for three in their third innings, 24 behind.

But Robinson probed away with a searching spell that threatened Nicholls’ outside edge and eventually clipped it after 35 minutes of the opening session. Harry Brook juggled the catch at third slip but held on, with England still ahead by four runs.

Earlier, Kane Williamson had overtaken Ross Taylor as his country’s record Test run-scorer, clipping a boundary off James Anderson in the first over of the day.

New batter Daryl Mitchell came out guns blazing, taking 41 of a 50-run stand with the measured Williamson as the England attack rotated in search of a breakthrough.

Jack Leach thought he was the man to provide it when he spun the ball past Williamson’s outside edge and saw Ben Foakes demolish the stumps.

Williamson’s back foot had crept forward but after plenty of replays from the third umpire, it was decided that he had just made himself safe a fraction of a second before the bails were lifted.

Mitchell beat Williamson to 50, getting there in a hurry in just 52 balls when he biffed Leach over long-on for six.

But his charge ended when he heaved at Broad, toe-ending one high over the cordon. Joe Root was the man underneath it, backtracking and settling calmly under the chance. New Zealand were five down on 297, a lead of 71.