When New Zealand resumed at 136-3, leading by 340, England’s prospects were already bleak and Williamson ruthlessly dismantled any semblance of hope.
On his home ground, Williamson hit his seventh century and took his average at Seddon Park to 94.94. From the 50th over he was alert and correct, mostly waiting for England to fall to get closer to the square boundary.
In the 73rd over, Williamson survived Brydon Carse’s heaviest scream and in the 80th over, he wrongly pointed to Shoaib Bashir over Carse at mid-wicket. In the 86th over, goalkeeper Stokes’ pull was parried by Pope, who went down the leg side. That would be a great catch.
When Stokes was injured, he was replaced in attack by left-arm spinner Jacob Bethell, whom Williamson hit six times in a long spell to score his 33rd Test hundred. The action simply came down to how many runs New Zealand wanted to accumulate.
Williamson looked set for a double, only to flick Bashir to midfielder Rehan Ahmed at deep square leg. Mitchell struggled for a long time and became Bethell’s first Test wicketkeeper.
New Zealand’s futility in continuing to expand its lead bordered on farce. England spared their seamen and Harry Brook bowled the second new ball.
The crowd chanted for Southee and got their wish when Mitchell Santner was bowled out for 49, including five sixes. England gave Southee his second guard of honor of the match and his quest to add to his 98 career sixes ended with Bethell being elevated for the long haul. On the next over, Bethell bowled Matt Henry for 3-72.
Zak Crawley was bowled when he got leg-side from Henry off the fifth ball of the innings, before Duckett’s absurd charge at Southee.
Henry still had time to catch Crawley for the sixth time in six innings in the series. Crawley finishes the game with a series average of 8.66 – no England batsman has ever batted so much in one series and finished with a lower average.
