Kagiso Rabada took six wickets as South Africa recovered from a batting collapse on day three to beat West Indies by 87 runs in the first Test in Centurion.

A haul of 6-50 from Rabada carried the hosts home as West Indies were bowled out for 159 in their second innings, with Jermaine Blackwood's terrific 79 from 93 balls providing the chief resistance.

The SuperSport Park crowd had seen South Africa fall from their overnight 49-4 to 116 all out in the morning session, with Aiden Markram following his century in the first innings with 47 as only two others reached double figures.

Kemar Roach took 5-47, with Markram among his victims, to fuel hopes of a first Test win for West Indies against South Africa since December 2007.

Yet momentum began to tilt back the Proteas' way when West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite fell to Rabada just before lunch, before any runs went on the board in the chase.

The tourists needed 247, but a wretched start saw them crumble to 20-4 and left the middle and lower order with a cliff face to climb.

Rabada had Brathwaite and Raymon Reifer caught behind by Heinrich Klaasen, before Marco Jansen drew a badly timed hook from Tagenarine Chanderpaul and then bowled Roston Chase with the next ball.

They were 33-5 when Gerald Coetzee had Kyle Mayers taken at slip, and it was only Blackwood keeping West Indies in the game.

He delivered a sparkling innings that nobody else could match, with Joshua Da Silva (17) and Jason Holder (18) briefly joining him in handy stands, but both fell to edges off Rabada.

Eventually, so too did Blackwood, a fiery delivery from Rabada into the body jabbed to Markram at second slip.

That gave South Africa a ninth wicket and it was effectively job done with the dangerman out of the way. Rabada duly wrapped it up, pinning Roach lbw.

Rabada hits Windies for six

This was Rabada's first six-wicket haul in Tests since taking 6-54 against Australia in March 2018, and his three best innings performances have all now come at Centurion. This ranks third on the list, behind the 7-112 and 6-32 that he took in the same game against England in January 2016.

It was not enough for man-of-the-match honours this time, though, with Markram taking that award.

Proteas keep rivalry one-sided

South Africa led by 130 after the first innings of this match, meaning their dismal display with the bat second time around did not prove too costly. The result means they are now unbeaten against West Indies in their last 11 Tests (W9 D2), with this a fourth victory on the bounce. Indeed, all four matches between these sides at SuperSport Park have been won by the hosts.

Home captain Temba Bavuma made a pair of ducks in his first game as skipper, but got away with it. The second and final Test of this series begins at the Wanderers in Johannesburg next Wednesday.

Nathan Lyon took eight wickets on a dramatic day two of the third Test to leave Australia needing 76 runs to beat India and keep the series alive.

Sixteen wickets fell on a captivating second day at Holkar Cricket Stadium, where the tourists collapsed to 197 all in reply to India's 109.

Ravichandran Ashwin (3-44) and Umesh Yadav (3-12) took Australia's last six wickets for only 11 runs to seemingly leave the game in the balance.

With sharp turn and variable bounce to contend with, Cheteshwar Pujara made 59 but India were skittled out for 163 in their second innings in Indore, Lyon claiming a magnificent 8-64 to leave Australia facing only a small run chase to make it 2-1.

Ashwin ended a stand of 40 by removing Peter Handscomb (19) after Australia resumed on 156-4 and Umesh trapped Cameron Green leg before in the next over.

Umesh cleaned up Mitchell Starc and Todd Murphy as the tourists folded after the drinks break, with Ashwin on the money as he struck Alex Carey in front, before bowling Lyon to end the innings in a flash.

Starting their second innings with a deficit of 88, India lost openers Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma bowled and lbw respectively to the excellent Lyon.

Virat Kohli followed for only 13 after being struck on the pad in front of middle stump attempting to pull a Matthew Kuhnemann delivery that kept low and India were 78-4 when Lyon sent Ravindra Jadeja trudging off.

Shreyas Iyer made a brisk 25 before falling to Mitchell Starc and Lyon continued to apply the pressure, seeing the back of Srikar Bharat and Ashwin.

Pujara stood firm for a battling half-century but his knock was ended when Steve Smith produced a brilliant diving catch at leg slip for the relentless Lyon, who dismissed Umesh and Mohammed Siraj without scoring to clean up the India innings.

Ashwin into the top three

The 36-year-old Ashwin took his incredible tally of international wickets to 689 in his 269th match to become India's third-highest wicket-taker across all formats.

He surpassed the great Kapil Dev's haul of 687 in all formats for India, making the most of the conditions after Jadeja (4-78) had taken all four wickets for India on day one.

Only Anil Kumble (953) and Harbhajan Singh (707) have claimed more scalps for India in all formats combined.

Lyon Australia's spin king

It was Kuhnemann who starred for the tourists by claiming his maiden five-wicket haul in only his second Test on day one, but fellow spinner Lyon was the main man on Thursday.

He bowled with great guile and control, helping himself taking his 23rd haul in the longest format after picking up three wickets on day one.

Lyon now has more wickets against India across all formats than any other Australia bowler after moving past Brett Lee's total of 111, having claimed his second eight-wicket haul in India.

Ben Stokes is not risking fitness for this year's Ashes series by playing in the Indian Premier League, insists England head coach Brendon McCullum.

England's Test captain has signed for Chennai Super Kings with the IPL season starting on March 31, ahead of the Ashes getting underway on June 16 in Birmingham.

Stokes struggled with his left knee in England's Test defeat to New Zealand in Wellington, where he could only bowl two overs while batting for 33 runs on the final day.

But McCullum has no concerns.

"I don't think he's jeopardising the Ashes. The skipper has a strong mind, and he knows how to get right for the big moments," he told reporters.

"In fact I look forward to watching him play for Chennai, and see him play cricket without the captaincy and having to worry about everyone else.

"We know when he comes back to us, he'll have that bit between his teeth. I also believe the Ashes is the script the skipper is waiting to write."

Stokes has delivered in huge moments for England, from starring in their 2019 World Cup victory to stunning Australia in a famous Ashes Test at Headingley when the series was last played on English soil four years ago.

He also scored an unbeaten 52 to propel England to victory at the T20 World Cup last year and has become the quickest Test captain to reach 10 wins.

At Chennai, he will play under head coach Stephen Fleming, who was once New Zealand team-mates with McCullum.

"I've got a tee-time with him, so I'll be making sure he looks after the skipper," said McCullum of Fleming.

"Chennai have a very good set-up, and they have an outstanding leader in Flem. He sees the big picture in everything, so I've no concerns."

Australia won the last Ashes 4-0 but after developing a distinct style of play since McCullum's appointment, England look primed to take the fight to the tourists. 

"This team has grown over the last eight or nine months," McCullum added. "I think the players have become more at ease with how we're playing, and it's become more authentic.

"Our style certainly does give us the best chance of being able to topple a good Australian side.

"We know it won't be easy but with eight or nine months development of that style under our belts, we should be hard to beat. Bring it on!"

West Indies enjoyed a late flurry with the ball that breathed life into their chances in the first Test against South Africa after Anrich Nortje's five-for limited the visitors to just 212 on day two.

Having skittled the hosts for 342, the West Indies were then left with a significant 130-run deficit at the end of the Nortje show.

But a brilliant spell right at the end of the day saw South Africa lose four wickets for just 18 runs towards the start of their second innings, leaving the Proteas looking frustrated.

Alzarri Joseph (5-81) started the day by picking up where he left off, ending South Africa's first innings when dealing with Gerald Coetzee (17) – caught easily by Jason Holder – and Nortje (14) to complete his maiden five-for, owing thanks to Tagenarine Chanderpaul for getting under the latter's slice.

West Indies initially stood firm against a relentless attack as they went into bat, Raymon Reifer (62) proving particularly defiant.

Runs were tricky to come by for the tourists, putting on just 65 between lunch and tea, though Reifer and Jermaine Blackwood (37) managed a respectable stand of 64.

But Nortje (5-36) removed Blackwood, his inside edge drawing a diving catch from Heinrich Klaasen, who ended Reifer's resistance in similar fashion with the West Indies on 169-4.

South Africa made light work of the rest, Nortje taking another four wickets.

Aiden Markram – scorer of 115 on day one – was seemingly in the groove once again as he hit 35 off 33.

But Dean Elgar (1) fell short going for the ramp, his first of four wickets in relatively quick succession, Joseph (2-17) taking two and Jason Holder (1-0) removing Keegan Petersen (7) lbw with the day's last delivery.

A day for the bowlers

The day's last session was particularly dramatic, with the West Indies losing seven wickets and South Africa seeing four fall.

Clearly, the stars of the day were Nortje and Joseph, who each secured five-fors. The South Africa man deserves special mention, however, with his figures of 5-36 truly exceptional.

Holder reaches a milestone

The scalp of Petersen right at the end of the day was momentous for Holder, who reached 150 Test wickets.

As such, he became only the second West Indian to achieve 150 wickets and 2,500 runs in Test cricket. Joseph may have been the main man on the day, but Holder had his moment to shine as well.

Matt Kuhnemann starred on the first day of the third test at Holkar Stadium as Australia reached stumps in control of India.

Not even in the squad for the start of the series, Kuhnemann bowled a five-for on a poor pitch as India's first innings in Indore amounted to just 109 in 33.2 overs.

Marnus Labuschagne (31) and Usman Khawaja (60) then steered Australia into a comfortable position with a 96-run stand, as India's flagrant use of the DRS caused issues for the hosts.

While Ravindra Jadeja bowled Labuschagne to end that pairing, the tourists remained strong to finish the day 156-4 and hold a 47-run lead.

Australia came out of the blocks flying to take five wickets in the first hour, and seven in the first session.

Kuhnemann (5-16) and Nathan Lyon (3-35) had three wickets each, while Todd Murphy (1-23) trapped Virat Kohli lbw (22) to leave India 84-7 at lunch, before the hosts finished all out for 109 in just over a session.

India's response with the ball started well, Jadeja (4-64) taking Travis Head (9) lbw with just 12 runs on the board, and then bowled Labuschagne off a no ball – a mistake that proved costly.

Poor decision-making on DRS also contributed to the hosts' downfall, losing two reviews and opting not to challenge the umpire's call for an lbw on Labuschagne, which replays showed would have been out.

Australia welcomed those errors, Khawaja hitting a half century before being caught by Shubman Gill to put the tourists well on their way to fighting back in the series.

Kuhnemann's fine day

In just his second Test, Kuhnemann oversaw the undoing of India to finish with figures of 5-16.

Australia's charge saw six wickets tumble in just 22 overs, the most India have lost in the first innings of a match in this format since the beginning of 2007.

Jadeja's record

On a disappointing day for India, there was at least some comfort with the performance of Jadeja, who took all four of Australia's wickets.

He became just the second Indian player – and 11th cricketer overall – to take 500 wickets and score over 5,000 runs in the international game.

Australia are persisting with their three-pronged spin attack of their third Test against India, while the hosts made two changes in their side in Indore on Wednesday.

Trailing 2-0 in the series, and with captain Pat Cummins returning home for personal reasons, Australia welcomed back Mitchell Starc from a finger injury as the only full-time pacer bowler in the line-up.

Also coming into the visiting side is all-rounder Cameron Green, with the injured David Warner joining Cummins as the outs, leaving Travis Head and Usman Khawaja to open the batting. Matt Renshaw had replaced Warner mid-game in the second Test as a concussion sub.

Retaining their places are the spinning trio of Nathan Lyon, Todd Murphy and Matt Kuhnemann, while the addition of Green for Warner gives the Australians another weapon in their pace attack.

For India, K.L. Rahul was dropped and Mohammed Shami was rested, with opening batsman Shubman Gill and fast bowler Umesh Yadav taking their place. India won the toss and elected to bat.

Aiden Markram enjoyed a tremendous return to Test cricket on the first day of the opener against West Indies with a century that ensured South Africa's subsequent minor collapse was not too drastic.

The Proteas began a new era at Centurion Park with Temba Bavuma as captain and Shukri Conrad as head coach, and it initially looked to be starting in style as Markram and former skipper Dean Elgar combined impressively.

But after that pair helped the hosts to 221-2, South Africa endured a difficult third session, eventually reaching 314-8 at stumps.

Elgar paid the price for the crushing defeat by Australia but benefited from early luck on Tuesday when his outside edge was dropped by Roston Chase.

He eventually fell to Alzarri Joseph (3-60), caught by Jermaine Blackwood – who did well to readjust himself – after ramping it too short.

Markram then took over.

He survived a scare on 99, the ball only hitting his shoulder before being caught and slapped the next delivery for four to bring up his century.

Yet Markram was also sent packing by Joseph, a devastating yorker at the base of off stump indicative of the Windies' gradual improvement.

Markram departed with South Africa on 236-4 – Tony de Zorzi's (28) inconspicuous run out began something of a collapse a little earlier, before Bavuma went for a duck thanks to another excellent Joseph delivery snaring him lbw.

Keegan Petersen (14), Heinrich Klaasen (20), Senuran Muthusamy (3) and Kagiso Rabada (8) all went back to the pavilion without making much of an impact.

Marco Jansen (17 not out) and Gerald Coetzee (11 not out) at least ensured South Africa passed 300.

Markram back from the wilderness

Markram was left out of the series with Australia in December and January amid what interim coach Malibongwe Maketa at the time called a "dip" in form.

It is fair to say he responded emphatically here, with 115 off 174 to give South Africa a real foothold. Ultimately, most of the rest of the team did not do his efforts justice, but either way this was a big moment for Markram, who looked quite emotional when confirming his sixth Test ton.

Joseph the Windies' inspiration

It took a while for the tourists to get to grips with South Africa, but there is little doubt Joseph played a vital role in turning the tide somewhat.

He claimed the scalps of both Elgar and Markram, as well as captain Bavuma, who barely knew what hit him when Joseph's ferocious delivery slapped straight into his shin.

Steve Smith will tell Australia to learn from their Delhi mistakes and play at their own pace as they battle for pride in the third Test against India.

From 85-2 in their second innings last time out, Australia crumbled to 113 all out, and India rolled to a six-wicket win that allowed them to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

The best Australia can do is draw the series, and stand-in captain Smith wants to see more resilience from the batters, including himself among those that fluffed their lines last time out.

In fact, he was the lowest scorer of all Australia's specialist batters last time out, with nought followed by nine, and Smith being pinned lbw by Ravichandran Ashwin when sweeping was the trigger for the tourists' implosion.

Smith said on Tuesday: "I don't think there's been too many times I've walked off the field and I've gone, 'What the hell am I doing?'."

He was left "bedazzled" and "pretty angry" with his own blunder, adding: "It wasn't my finest moment.

"We probably just rushed things a little bit, and it's something we'll talk about. We don't have to play at such a high tempo and risky tempo."

Smith, who says Australia must "learn to adapt a little bit better", has not managed a half-century in his last five Test innings in India, his longest such barren stretch in the country.

He has never gone six successive Test innings in any country without making at least a fifty, so he has one last chance to avoid this being the first time.

India's 2-0 series lead means they have won their last three men's Tests against Australia, having also tasted victory in Brisbane in January 2021. Their longest winning streak in Tests against Australia is four matches.

Australia are without regular skipper Pat Cummins, who has returned home for personal reasons, but Cameron Green and Mitchell Starc are poised to return from injury.

The tussle in Indore could see Virat Kohli become just the fifth man to reach 4,000 runs in Tests played in India, as he stands 77 runs short of that milestone.

India captain Rohit Sharma will aim to close out a series victory at the Holkar Cricket Stadium, and there is the tantalising prospect of these teams meeting again in the World Test Championship final at the Oval in June.

That is in the back of minds for now, but will come to the forefront soon enough, possibly if India secure the series before the fourth match at Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium.

The prospect of India asking for a green pitch for that game, rather than the spinner-friendly surfaces they have been playing on so far, has been teased already.

Rohit wants India to be smart about their preparation for a likely trip to London, and while they would not be able exactly replicate English conditions, a green pitch would at least to some extent simulate what likely awaits them.

The India skipper said it was "definitely a possibility", adding: "If we do what we do here and we get the result we want, we might kick off doing something different in Ahmedabad."

He pointed to India and Australia having plenty of prior experience of performing in England that could stand them in good stead.

"It's not going to be alien conditions as such for both teams," Rohit said, "so it will be a good contest between the teams, whoever the two teams are."

Tim Southee hailed New Zealand's dramatic one-run win over England as a great advert for Test cricket and revelled in the "pretty special" victory.

The Black Caps became just the fourth side in history to win a Test match having been asked to follow-on from the first innings.

A dramatic fifth day saw Neil Wagner, who finished with four wickets, claim the final scalp of James Anderson as England were all out for 256 needing 258 for victory.

It means the series finished tied at 1-1, with Black Caps skipper Southee talking up the resolve of his side.

"I have to say it ranks right up there," he told BT Sport. "There have only been a handful of sides to be asked to follow on and win, so it is pretty special.

"We were on the back foot after two days and the character shown over the last three days has been really pleasing."

The defeat was only England's second in 11 Tests with Ben Stokes as captain and Brendon McCullum as coach.

Their exciting brand of 'Bazball' cricket fell short on this occasion, and the form they have shown made victory even sweeter for Southee.

"It is great for Test cricket the way England have been playing and it was another great Test match to be involved in," he added.

"All the guys here cherish Test cricket and hopefully having matches like this will be good for Test cricket going forward."

Ben Stokes felt "blessed" to have taken part in one of the all-time great Test finishes and has no regrets in enforcing the follow-on despite England's one-run loss to New Zealand.

Neil Wagner took four wickets, including the final scalp of James Anderson, as England were bowled for 256 requiring 258 for victory.

It meant the series finished tied at 1-1, while New Zealand became only the fourth team to win a Test having been forced to follow-on.

"It is disappointing to not win, but we look at the bigger picture," England captain Stokes told BT Sport.

"What everyone has enjoyed here today is probably bigger than any disappointment at the moment.

"Being in that situation in the last half an hour, it is everything you wish for.

"And even though we came out on the wrong side of it, you can't help but feel blessed that we managed to be a part of an incredible game like that."

England declared with two wickets remaining in their first innings and asked New Zealand to bat again after knocking the Black Caps over for 209.

But instead of going back to the crease to give New Zealand something to chase, Stokes opted to have the hosts bat again – a decision he would not change.

"Imagine captaining in hindsight? That's not something I would ever do," he said.

"It was always our game to lose once we had enforced the follow-on. The logic was our bowlers had ripped through their top order three innings in a row and we knew New Zealand had to play pretty much the perfect game to put us in a situation like this.

"Batting in the last innings chasing 250 is not something we were worried about, but you have to give huge credit to New Zealand not just for the way they batted in their second innings but the way they bowled and managed to get early wickets with not too many runs on the board.

"Other teams are allowed to pay better than us and New Zealand played better than us this week."

Stokes said Anderson's reaction to being the final wicket, where he walked off smiling, summed up the feeling of everyone playing in the Test match.

"I didn't know how Jimmy would react when he walked off," Stokes added.

"He's been in those positions before where he's walked off disappointed, but the fact he was walking off smiling made everything we talk and speak about true and a reality."

Neil Wagner claimed four wickets including the final scalp of James Anderson as New Zealand edged England by one run in a thrilling second Test in Wellington to earn a 1-1 series draw on Tuesday.

With the game on a knife's edge, Anderson tickled a leg-side Wagner delivery through to wicketkeeper Tom Blundell to clinch the victory, with England bowled out for 256 chasing 258 for victory.

Ben Foakes seemed destined to guide England to the win after taking the lead role after slumping to 215-8 but was caught by final-day hero Wagner at fine leg off Tim Southee for 35, leaving tail-enders Anderson and Jack Leach to finish the job.

They could not, with Wagner taking the final scalp to cap his 4-62 performance after Anderson had belted a boundary through midwicket to close within two runs of victory.

New Zealand became the fourth team in Test history to win a Test after being forced to follow on, with Player of the Match Kane Williamson's second-innings century helping them back into the contest. The Black Caps win preserves their unbeaten home Test series record dating back to 2017.

England had resumed on the final day at 48-1, but were five down by drinks in the first session as the Black Caps took control. Joe Root inexplicably ran out first-inning centurion Harry Brook for a diamond duck amid the madness.

Root and Ben Stokes responded with a 121-run sixth-wicket partnership where the former skipper led the way with an aggressive 95 that included eight fours and three sixes. But Stokes and Root both fell within two overs, both to Wagner.

Stuart Broad's brief cameo ended on 11 caught by Wagner at third man off Matt Henry to put New Zealand in the box seat, with England needing 43 more runs with two wickets in hand before Foakes expertly farmed the strike, only to fall short.

Black Caps claim rare follow-on win

New Zealand were looking to become only the fourth side in Test history to win a game after being forced to follow on and achieved the feat by the narrowest margin possible. The last side to manage that was India against Australia in Kolkata in March 2001.

Wagner's final-day heroics

Left-arm fast bowler Wagner was at his tireless best on the fifth day, including taking two key catches in the field for the wickets of Broad and Foakes.

Wagner broke the crucial stand of Stokes and Root too, with the all-rounder's one-handed swat from a short delivery looping up to Tom Latham at square leg. Root fell to Wagner with a premeditated shot straight up to Michael Bracewell at midwicket in his next over.

Temba Bavuma expects South Africa to put the "trauma" of a hammering in Australia behind them when they start a new Test era against West Indies on Tuesday.

Bavuma has replaced Dean Elgar as captain in the longest format after the Proteas were emphatically beaten 2-0 in Australia, where they probably would have been whitewashed but for the weather in Sydney.

The opening Test against the Windies at Supersport Park will also be Shukri Conrad's first as head coach, with Malibongwe Maketa having taken over on a temporary basis following Mark Boucher's departure.

Bavuma says it is time to heal the wounds from a chastening tour of Australia.

The skipper said: "No one died. We went to Australia and got a good beating. With that there were lessons that guys took individually from it. It was quite hard to have a team de-brief on it because the management who were there, some of those guys are not here now.

"From a personal point of view, I went back and looked at areas I could work on.

"Here within the Test team, guys would've dealt with the challenges that they faced. I also think that guys need to be kind to themselves and understand that Australia is another tough place to tour. That's why people respect Australia for the country that they are.

"Another thing is not to hold on for too long to the trauma or that baggage. At some point you have to move on from it and I trust that the guys have done that."

Tony de Zorzi could make his debut and Aiden Markram has been recalled, while fellow batters Keegan Petersen and Ryan Rickelton have recovered from injuries and Neil McKenzie has been appointed as a batting consultant.

Rassie van der Dussen, Kyle Verreynne and Lungi Ngidi were overlooked, but Elgar will hope to thrive at the top of the order without the captaincy.

Batter Alick Athanaze and seamer Akeem Jordan will be hoping to make their debuts for the Windies, who arrived in South Africa with three series wins from four after a 1-0 success in Zimbabwe.

Windies overdue a win over Proteas

You have to go back to December 2007 for the first time the Windies beat South Africa in a Test, with the Proteas winning eight and drawing two of the 10 since then.

Only against Bangladesh (14) do the Proteas have a longer active unbeaten streak in the format.

South Africa have won each of their eight multi-game bilateral Test series against West Indies.

Chanderpaul must build on impressive start

Tagenarine Chanderpaul has looked very much at home in the Test arena since making his Windies debut last year.

The left-hander scored a magnificent unbeaten 207 in the first Test against Zimbabwe this month and averages 69.66 from his seven innings.

West Indies will need Chanderpaul to stand up when they attempt to improve a poor record against South Africa.

Kane Williamson savoured the "special" achievement of becoming New Zealand's leading Test run-scorer after giving his side a fighting chance of salvaging a 1-1 draw against England.

Williamson made a masterful 132 as the Black Caps were all out for 483 on day four, having been made to follow-on by Ben Stokes.

Former captain Williamson moved beyond Ross Taylor's tally of 7,683 runs to break the record at Basin Reserve on Monday, where England closed on 48-1 in need of another 210 runs for a 2-0 whitewash on the final day.

Williamson's 26th Test century came on his 161st innings, with Taylor's huge haul achieved from 186 knocks in the longest format.

Asked about his achievement at the close of play, the 32-year-old said: "It's not something I've thought a whole lot about.

"But it is an honour. You look at that list, and I've admired all of those players over those years, whether that's watching from afar growing up or playing alongside a number of them as well.

"It's not a focus point but it's special to be amongst that company."

Williamson, who was eventually dismissed caught down the leg side off part-time bowler Harry Brook, hopes to celebrate his exploits with a victory in Wellington.

"It would be pretty special for sure," he said. "It's exciting going in to day five. As a bowling attack and a team, we want to make sure we're on it come tomorrow.

"There's still some assistance there and some assistance for the slower bowlers as well. All to play for, which is exciting."

Jack Leach took 5-157 from 61.3 overs as England had to be patient, with Tom Blundell (90) and Daryl Mitchell (54) also holding them up.

Zak Crawley was unable to make it through to stumps, Tim Southee cleaning him up for 24. Ben Duckett was still there on 23, with Ollie Robinson taking the nightwatchman role after Crawley departed late in the day.

England require another 210 runs for victory with nine wickets in hand after the history-making Kane Williamson set up a thrilling fifth-day finale with his 26th Test century in Wellington on Monday.

Williamson became New Zealand's all-time leading Test run scorer on his way to 132 as the Black Caps posted 483 in their second innings to set England a target of 258 for victory in the second Test.

The hosts potentially could have set England a target beyond 300 if not for spinner Jack Leach cleaning up the tail in quick time, finishing with 5-157, as New Zealand lost their final four wickets for five runs.

After Zak Crawley survived a Devon Conway run-out chance, Tim Southee removed the opener by jagging one back to take the top of off-stump as England reached stumps at 48-1 from 11 overs, with Ben Duckett (23 not out) and night watchman Ollie Robinson (1 not out) at the crease.

Victory is on the table for either side, with New Zealand roaring back into the contest as they look for a series-levelling win to preserve their record of not losing a home Test series since 2017.

The hosts resumed at 202-3, trailing by 24 runs, and lost Henry Nicholls for 29 to Ollie Robinson before they had got ahead of the ledger. Daryl Mitchell fell to Stuart Broad for a run-a-ball 54 before Williamson took charge alongside Tom Blundell in a 158-run stand which ensured the hosts a shot at victory.

The second session belonged to Williamson and Blundell who batted through, with the former skipper reaching triple figures before tea, while James Anderson dropped the latter.

Williamson eventually departed for 132 from 282 deliveries when Ben Stokes' hopeful review revealed he had tickled a leg-side delivery from Harry Brook, bowling at Test level for the first time, to wicketkeeper Ben Foakes.

Foakes' quick thinking led to Michael Bracewell's inexplicable run out before the Black Caps' tail fell meekly searching for fast runs, eager for a crack at England's top order late in the day's play.

Run-chase experts

England have won 10 of their last 11 Tests with fourth-inning run chases and are unlikely to be fazed by the target, despite history suggesting otherwise. The tourists started positively despite their awkward 11-over stay in the final session, erasing almost 20 per cent of the target already.

Black Caps in the game

On the flip side, New Zealand are in with a shot at a remarkable victory. Only three teams in Test history have previously won a game after being made to follow-on.

Kane Williamson has surpassed Ross Taylor to become New Zealand's all-time highest run scorer in Test cricket with his second-innings performance against England.

The former captain headed into day four of the second Test in Wellington needing just four runs to overtake his former team-mate's haul of 7,683.

Williamson achieved the feat with his first runs of the day, clipping James Anderson through mid-wicket boundary in the opening over to reach 7,684.

The top-order batter, widely considered one of the finest players of his generation, has long been expected to surpass the figure, and does so in his 92nd Test match.

He guided the Black Caps to success in the inaugural World Test Championship in 2021, beating India in the final after back-to-back silver-medal finishes in the World Cup.

Between 2016 and 2022, he captained New Zealand in 40 Tests, before relinquishing his red-ball command last December to Tim Southee, though he remains white-ball skipper.

New Zealand are looking to bounce back from a first Test loss to England, after a 267-run defeat at Mount Maunganui.

They struggled in their first innings, mustering just 209 in response to the tourists' total of 435, with Ben Stokes forcing them to follow on.