MOUNT MAUNGANUI, New Zealand (AFP) — England were battling for survival after Mitchell Santner took three cheap wickets following a match-turning double century by BJ Watling in the first Test against New Zealand yesterday.

After New Zealand declared at 615 for nine on day four in Mount Maunganui, England were 55 for three at stumps, needing a further 207 on the final day if they are to make the Black Caps bat again.

Watling swung the match firmly New Zealand’s way with his Test best 205 and a record-breaking partnership with Santner, who scored a maiden century and then capped his remarkable day by taking three wickets for six runs.

After more than two days in the field, much of it watching Watling and Santner take the game away from them, England had an uncomfortable two hours batting with openers Dom Sibley (12) and Rory Burns (31), as well as nightwatchman Jack Leach (nought) all falling to Santner.

Sibley’s wicket was the first by a New Zealand spinner on home soil since March 2018 with 101-consecutive Test wickets in 11 innings in between having all fallen to seamers.

Watling’s 205 comfortably beat his previous Test best of 142 not out against Sri Lanka in 2015, while Santner’s 126 overhauled his 73 against Bangladesh in 2017.

SCOREBOARD

England 1st innings 353 (B Stokes 91, J Denly 74, R Burns 52;

Southee 4-88, Wagner 3-90)

New Zealand 1st innings (overnight 394-6)

J Raval c Denly b Leach 19

T Latham lbw Curran 8

K Williamson c Stokes b Curran 51

R Taylor c Pope b Stokes 25

H Nicholls lbw Root 41

B Watling c Buttler b Archer 205

C de Grandhomme c Sibley b Stokes 65

M Santner c Pope b Curran 126

T Southee c and b Leach 9

N Wagner not out 11

T Boult not out 1

Extras (b22, lb9, w21, nb2) 54

Total (9 wkts dec; 201 overs) 615

Fall of wickets: 1-18 (Latham), 2-72 (Raval), 3-106 (Taylor), 4-127

(Williamson), 5-197 (Nichols), 6-316 (de Grandhomme), 7-577

(Santner), 8-598 (Southee), 9-603 (Watling)

Bowling: Broad 33-13-64-0, Archer 42-15-107-1 (2w, 1nb), Curran

35-7-119-3 (1w), Leach 47-7-153-2, Stokes 26-5-74-2 (4w, 1nb),

Root 18-3-67-1 (4w)

England 2nd innings

R Burns c de Grandhomme b Santner 31

D Sibley c Watling b Santner 12

J Denly not out 7

J Leach c Latham b Santner 0

Extras (b4, lb1) 5

Total (for 3 wkts, 27.4 overs) 55

Fall of wickets: 1-48 (Sibley), 2-53 (Burns), 3-55 (Leach)

Bowling: Southee 4-0-18-0, Boult 5-4-2-0, de Grandhomme 4-1-8-0,

Santner 8.4-4-6-3, Wagner 6-1-16-0

Toss: England

Umpires: Kumar Dharmasena (SRI), Bruce Oxenford (AUS)

TV Umpire: Paul Wilson (AUS)

Match Referee: Javagal Srinath (IND)