Tea England 204 and 237 for 5 (Prior 45*) need another 244 runs v New Zealand 443 and 241 for 6 dec
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The wicket of Ian Bell, on the brink of the tea interval, revived New Zealand's hopes of winning the Test series against England.
Bell had resisted for 271 deliveries but, just as he was raising England's hopes of a draw, he was drawn into pushing at one outside off stump from the excellent Neil Wagner and edged to Tim Southee at third slip.
The wicket means that England go into the final session of the game needing to negotiate another 32.3 overs with three wickets in hand. New Zealand have previously only beaten England at home in one Test series, in 1983-84. They have not beaten any of the top eight Test nations, home or away, since defeating West Indies in 2006.
England had enjoyed some outrageous fortune over the final day. With New Zealand's seamers bowling with pace, skill and persistence, England were the fortunate to survive three dropped chances and one delivery that hit the stumps but did not remove the bails. They have also had an on-field lbw decision overturned and had one batsman survive when the fielders failed to appeal.
Batting appeared relatively straightforward for the first 100 minutes or so of the day. With no hope of scoring the further 391 runs they required to win the game when play resumed in the morning, Bell and Joe Root instead concentrated on occupation of the crease. The pair batted without much trouble for 28 overs, settling in as New Zealand used the seamers sparingly ahead of the second new ball.
But everything changed once it was taken. New Zealand claimed the second new ball the moment it was available and, with its first delivery, Trent Boult produced a beauty that swung back and struck a half forward Root on the pad in front of the stumps. Root and Bell discussed the worth of utilising a review under the Decision Review System, but decided, quite rightly, that the on-field umpire had made no mistake.
Boult could only squeeze one more over in before lunch but, in it, he saw both Bell and Jonny Bairstow dropped. Bell, feeling for one angled across him that he could have left, was grateful to see Dean Brownlie, at fourth slip, put down a relatively straightforward chance, before, two balls later, Bairstow pushed hard at one some way from him and was fortunate to see Kane Williamson, in the gully, put down a sharp chance. With both batsmen reluctant to leave the ball for fear of being trapped by Boult's inswing, the delivery that does not swing had become even more dangerous.
Bairstow, with only two first-class innings behind him since August, had also been close to being dismissed by his second delivery. Boult, with an inswinging yorker, appeared to strike Bairstow on the boot before it hit the bat in front of the stumps, but New Zealand did not appeal. Replays suggested that, if they had, Bairstow would have been in some trouble.
He did not last long after lunch. Tim Southee, bowling from wide of the crease, managed to make one bounce and straighten from just back of a good length to take Bairstow's edge on its way to slip. Bairstow, who had only one first-class innings since August before this Test, never looked confident.
While Bell blocked with impressive solidity, Matt Prior chose to play his more positive natural game. On 16 he surived Rod Tucker's lbw decision off the bowling of Southee - replays showed a thick inside edge onto the pads - and on 20 he survived a top-edged pull off Southee, Neil Wagner unable to cling on to a desperately tough chance as he ran back from midwicket.
But Prior's biggest slice of fortune came when he was on 28. Struggling to deal with a brute of a bouncer from the wholehearted Wagner, Prior saw the ball bounce, via the bat handle and his neck, onto the stumps but fail to dislodge a bail.
New Zealand dismiss battling Bell on stroke of tea
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New Zealand dismiss battling Bell on stroke of tea
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New Zealand dismiss battling Bell on stroke of tea
