Rain stymies New Zealand’s victory bid

(AFP) New Zealand thrashed England’s bowlers for quick runs to leave the hosts facing a record chase to win the second Test at Headingley on Monday’s fourth day before rain stopped play.

The Black Caps extended their overnight 338 for six to 454 for eight declared, scoring 116 runs in just 16 overs on Monday before captain Brendon McCullum called a halt.
That left England needing 455 to win.
The most any side have made in the fourth innings to win a Test is the West Indies’ 418 for seven against Australia at St John’s, Antigua, in 2002/03.
England’s corresponding record is 332 for seven against Australia at Melbourne back in 1928/29.
But rain meant England, who started their reply before lunch, faced just overs in Monday’s second session before officials brought forward the tea interval by 30 minutes.
Adam Lyth, who scored a maiden Test hundred in the first innings, was 24 not out on his Yorkshire home ground.
England captain Alastair Cook, who in the first innings became England’s highest run-scorer in Tests, was 18 not out.
New Zealand were unlucky to be 1-0 behind in this two-match series after scoring more than 700 runs and taking 20 wickets in the first Test at Lord’s yet still going down to a 124-run defeat.
BJ Watling resumed Monday on exactly 100 not out after becoming the first New Zealand batsman to score a Test hundred at Headingley.
Mark Craig, 15 not out overnight, was dropped on 23 when a diving Stuart Broad at mid-off failed to hold a tough chance off James Anderson.
It was estimated that dropped catches had cost England 250 runs in the series and 182 in the second innings of this match alone.
Anderson’s second delivery with the new ball removed Watling for 120, the ball taking the shoulder of the bat before third slip Joe Root held a fine catch to end a 163-ball innings, including 15 fours and a six.
England’s cause was not helped when Ian Bell failed to move for a chance offered by Tim Southee off Anderson.
Southee cashed in, scoring 20 runs off Broad’s first over Monday.
He swung Broad backward of square for four and next ball drove the paceman straight back over his head for a superb six.
Southee followed up next ball with a bottom-edged pull off Broad and then drove him through the covers for another boundary before taking two off the last ball of the over
The big-hitting Southee fell for 40, off just 24 balls, when he drove off-spinner Moeen Ali to Anderson at long-on.
But it made little difference with New Zealand hammering Broad, who repeatedly bowled too short and, like many of his team-mates, didn’t use the yorker, for 19 runs in the last over before the declaration.
The over featured three sixes, one a straight drive by Craig and two from tailender Matt Henry, who ended the innings with a pull that sailed high over deep square leg.