England still believe they have a chance to end their woeful winless run in overseas Tests even though New Zealand will start the final day of the second Test with all 10 wickets still intact.
When bad light ended play 24 overs early in Christchurch on Monday, New Zealand were 42 without loss but still 340 runs short of their formidable 382-run target.
Tom Latham was not out 25 and Jeet Raval unbeaten on 17 after surviving a testing 23 overs before play ended more than an hour early.
England batsman-wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow said there were enough signs to believe the tourists' run of 12 away matches without a victory could be about to end.
But New Zealand were hopeful of a rare series victory against England if they can at least hang on for a draw after winning the first match in the two-Test series.
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"There's definitely enough in the pitch for us to take the wickets," Bairstow said. "We've beaten the bat consistently. Leachy (spinner Jack Leach) bowled three overs this evening and there were some chances created there."
England's new-ball pair James Anderson and Stuart Broad repeatedly pressured Latham and Raval, with one tough chance off Latham dropped by James Vince at third slip. Bairstow believed that "without a shadow of a doubt" his team were in charge.
But with 10 wickets in hand, New Zealand batting coach Craig McMillan was eyeing what would be only the fourth series win over England in 36 series -- and the first since 1999.
"It would be huge. We love playing England. Series wins have been few and far between for New Zealand Test sides and in terms of history it will be very special," he said praising Latham and Raval for their stubborn start to the innings.
"It was really impressive. It was obviously a tough period against two world-class new ball bowlers. They got examined and tested in different areas but they did a great job to get through."
After England declared on 352-9, Latham and Raval had some difficult moments in a hostile first-up spell from Anderson and Broad.
Anderson did everything but claim Latham's wicket as the New Zealand opener flirted outside off stump while Broad struck Raval a painful blow in the ribs.
When the New Zealand innings began with a minimum of 137 overs to reach the target, the required run rate was 2.78 per over. When the light ended play early, costing 16 available overs, the run rate was 3.46.
England flourished at the start of the day when they resumed on 202-3, with Joe Root and Dawid Malan moving the score to 262 before Colin de Grandhomme rallied New Zealand.
He had Malan caught at mid-wicket by Henry Nicholls for 53 to start a tumble that saw six wickets fall for 90 runs before England declared.
Root, having shared in a 97-run stand with Malan, was out three balls later for 54 with an edge to wicketkeeper BJ Watling off Neil Wagner.
De Grandhomme produced his second-best Test figures of four for 94 as he followed up with the wickets of Ben Stokes (12), Broad (12) and Wood (nine).
Bairstow, who was given not out on two when he feathered a ball to the wicketkeeper and New Zealand had no reviews left, was eventually out for 36 - leaving Leach not out 14 when the declaration came.
The specs
Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed
Power: 271 and 409 horsepower
Torque: 385 and 650Nm
Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENomad%20Homes%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2020%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHelen%20Chen%2C%20Damien%20Drap%2C%20and%20Dan%20Piehler%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20UAE%20and%20Europe%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20PropTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20raised%20so%20far%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2444m%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Acrew%20Capital%2C%2001%20Advisors%2C%20HighSage%20Ventures%2C%20Abstract%20Ventures%2C%20Partech%2C%20Precursor%20Ventures%2C%20Potluck%20Ventures%2C%20Knollwood%20and%20several%20undisclosed%20hedge%20funds%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Brief scoreline:
Manchester United 1
Mata 11'
Chelsea 1
Alonso 43'
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
Gertrude Bell's life in focus
A feature film
At one point, two feature films were in the works, but only German director Werner Herzog’s project starring Nicole Kidman would be made. While there were high hopes he would do a worthy job of directing the biopic, when Queen of the Desert arrived in 2015 it was a disappointment. Critics panned the film, in which Herzog largely glossed over Bell’s political work in favour of her ill-fated romances.
A documentary
A project that did do justice to Bell arrived the next year: Sabine Krayenbuhl and Zeva Oelbaum’s Letters from Baghdad: The Extraordinary Life and Times of Gertrude Bell. Drawing on more than 1,000 pieces of archival footage, 1,700 documents and 1,600 letters, the filmmakers painstakingly pieced together a compelling narrative that managed to convey both the depth of Bell’s experience and her tortured love life.
Books, letters and archives
Two biographies have been written about Bell, and both are worth reading: Georgina Howell’s 2006 book Queen of the Desert and Janet Wallach’s 1996 effort Desert Queen. Bell published several books documenting her travels and there are also several volumes of her letters, although they are hard to find in print. Original documents are housed at the Gertrude Bell Archive at the University of Newcastle, which has an online catalogue.
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
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IF YOU GO
The flights
FlyDubai flies direct from Dubai to Skopje in five hours from Dh1,314 return including taxes. Hourly buses from Skopje to Ohrid take three hours.
The tours
English-speaking guided tours of Ohrid town and the surrounding area are organised by Cultura 365; these cost €90 (Dh386) for a one-day trip including driver and guide and €100 a day (Dh429) for two people.
The hotels
Villa St Sofija in the old town of Ohrid, twin room from $54 (Dh198) a night.
St Naum Monastery, on the lake 30km south of Ohrid town, has updated its pilgrims' quarters into a modern 3-star hotel, with rooms overlooking the monastery courtyard and lake. Double room from $60 (Dh 220) a night.