Joe Root and Ollie Pope strike sublime partnership with England on course for famous New Zealand series win

This series has been a modern classic, which is a little odd, because all three games have shared plenty of characteristics.

New Zealand have batted first each time and, whatever they scored, England made a very similar total, with the first innings deficits just nine, 13 and 31. New Zealand have gone on to set England targets between 277 and 299.

That they have set England that many has usually been down to the heroic batting of Daryl Mitchell and Tom Blundell, and so it was here again. Mitchell has a century in every Test, and made 56 more in his last innings of the tour. Blundell was the unbeaten batter in New Zealand’s second innings 326, making a terrific, pugnacious 88. Their stand was 113, three figures for the third time in the series.

And England have approached all three chases with vim. Going into a final day that is free entry once more, they are the strong favourites to win. They are 183 for two, needing 114 more, with Ollie Pope and Joe Root looking in sublime touch in a partnership of 131 that fizzed along at more than five an over. New Zealand bowled poorly, but they looked in total control.

One difference in this game from the rest is that spin, in the form of Jack Leach, has entered the series. As he did in the first innings, Leach bowled very nicely indeed, and picked up another five scalps that gave him his first 10-wicket haul in Tests.

Again, Leach swept up the tail, taking the final four wickets, but he provided excellent control and spun the ball hard. Oddly, some of his best deliveries beat the bat, but the keeper and slip too, running away to the boundary.

Leach was frustrated in the morning session, which Mitchell and Blundell batted through, with each reaching his half-century just after the break. On 17, Mitchell was given out lbw, but his review saw the decision overturned.

After lunch, it was Matt Potts, England’s best seamer, who opened the door that Leach barged through. Blundell was given out lbw off his bowling on 52, but DRS showed the ball was sliding down the legside. Later in the over, Mitchell was trapped in front, and the review did not work. An extraordinary series in which Mitchell scored 538 runs at an average of 107.6, with a century in each Test and another two half-centuries.

Leach tempted Michael Bracewell into sweeping to the man in the deep, then bowled Tim Southee. Later in the over, Neil Wagner fell in unusual fashion, caught between the wicketkeeper’s knees. That wicketkeeper was Sam Billings, called up overnight in frantic fashion due to a positive Covid-19 test for Ben Foakes, who also had a back injury. He was the third wicketkeeper to take a catch for England in the match, after Foakes and Jonny Bairstow, who stood in on day three.

The last wicket to fall was Trent Boult, bowled, which meant Leach left the field to a standing ovation – not for the first time at Headingley – in what feels a very significant performance from England’s spinner.

England needed 295, more than Lord’s but less than Trent Bridge. As with both of them, they made a modest start. This time, they only had themselves to blame. Zak Crawley, looking desperately scratchy, middled a ball wide of mid-off, and expected it to scoot away for four. Kane Williamson pulled of a brilliant stop, and got a throw away to Boult at the non-striker’s end. A smart piece of work found Alex Lees, dozing, out of his ground.

Crawley smashed four fours, not all of them totally in control, off Boult, but soon fell in desperately disappointing fashion. Williamson left a huge gap on the offside, and encouraged Bracewell, the spinner, to hang it outside his eyeline. He picked out the one man in front of square.

That brought Pope and Root together, and they gelled immediately. New Zealand were scrappy, with reviews wasted and Bracewell unable to provide any control (he was reverse swept relentlessly). Root reverse-ramped Wagner, straight into the Rugby Stand, for a six even more extraordinary than last week’s off Southee.

Pope looked calm and collected, picking off boundaries right until stumps. There is a little concern about rain tomorrow, but England should still have time to complete a famous series win.