Ben Stokes has followed up his record-breaking century with two wickets in two balls as England moved closer to a stunning win in the first Test against New Zealand at Lord’s.
At tea on the fifth and final day, New Zealand were 5-134, needing a further 211 runs to reach their victory target of 345 on Monday.
But, realistically, they now needed to bat through the final session to force a draw and prevent themselves going 1-0 down in this two-match series.
However, the gritty BJ Watling was 36 not out and the dashing Corey Anderson 51 not out, with their sixth-wicket stand so far worth 73.
New Zealand, who had earlier collapsed to 3-12, found themselves 5-61 when Stokes, who on Sunday had scored the fastest Test-hundred at Lord’s, off 85 balls, struck twice in his third over.
Kane Williamson, who made 132 in the tourists’ first innings, fell for 27 when he guided Stokes to Joe Root in the gully.
And next ball New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum played on to a Stokes inswinger, before Anderson survived the hattrick ball.
New Zealand were rocked from the very start of their chase, losing both openers for ducks without a run on the board in a match where, for the most part, they had been on top.
Earlier, England were dismissed for 478 after resuming on 6-429.
England captain Alastair Cook took his overnight 153 not out – the left-handed opener’s second Test hundred in as many matches but first on home soil for two years – to 162.
But his marathon innings came to an end when he was caught behind off an inside edge to Trent Boult.
Cook batted for more than nine hours, facing 345 balls including 17 fours.
His innings extended Cook’s England record for most Test hundreds to 27.
Cook will now need just 32 runs in the second Test at Headingley to surpass Essex mentor Graham Gooch’s England Test runs record of 8,900.
Cook’s exit was the start of a Boult burst that saw the left-arm paceman wrap up the innings with four wickets for nine runs in 17 balls.
Boult’s final figures of 5-85 saw him gain a coveted place on the Lord’s honours board for the first time in his career.
