England's horrible winter ended in frustrating fashion as they came up two wickets short in Chirstchurch as New Zealand held out for a draw to clinch the series 1-0.
England 307 & 352-9d (Vince 76, de Grandhomme 4-94) New Zealand 278 (Watling 85, Broad 6-54) & 256-8 (Latham 83, Sodhi 56)
Day five
England's harsh winter ended in more disappointment as they ran out of time on the final day and New Zealand clung on to earn a draw in the second Test and win the series 1-0.
England extended their winless run of overseas Tests to a national-record 13 with the Christchurch draw, despite a positive start to the day - Stuart Broad took two wickets with the first two balls of the day to give them hope of taking the ten wickets needed for victory.
But the resistance of Tom Latham (83) and Ish Sodhi (56no), not to mention five dropped catches in New Zealand's 256-8, left Joe Root's men with too much to do as the hosts held on bravely for their fourth series success over England - who had to deal with further frustration on top of their 4-0 Ashes trouncing.
Broad providing an astonishing start to the final push here.
England's rejuvenated 'enforcer' could take limited credit when Jeet Raval poked a catch straight to square-leg before he then got his next delivery in the perfect spot to see off Kiwi captain Kane Williamson for his first Test match golden duck in 116 innings of a great career so far.
Ross Taylor had not read Broad's comic-book hero script, blocking the hat-trick ball, but he soon made up for it in the eyes of England followers by instead becoming Leach's maiden Test wicket.
Like Taylor, Henry Nicholls then fell for 13 too when the returning James Anderson had him feeling for the line pushing forward and edging to slip for Alastair Cook's second catch of the morning.
England had to wait until after lunch and another 20 overs for their next breakthrough, and it was again a case of Root having his man in position as Mark Wood went round the wicket and struck for the first time in his comeback match when he had the determined BJ Watling flicking a catch straight to Anderson at leg-slip.
It was not until England got Latham, though, that they perhaps appeared to be on the home straight at last. Latham's mistake came after he had kept England at bay for 207 balls, and it left the Kiwis six down with a scheduled 54 overs still left.
Two drops by Mark Stoneman off Leach set the tourists back again, Colin de Grandhomme low at cover on six and Sodhi crucially at silly-point before he had scored in a half-century stand which ate up 26 precious overs.
Wood returned to have de Grandhomme very well-caught low down by Leach this time at fine-leg.
But Sodhi, who dug in for a three-hour 50, and Neil Wagner then would not be moved for 31 overs, whatever England tried - including squad-player ball-boy boundary riders to speed up the over rate and close fielders on their knees to try to make catches out of nothing.
Root himself finally had Wagner caught bat-pad on review at silly-point, but too late from the final ball of the match before bad light had last word.
Day four
England's long and arduous winter will end without reward unless they can somehow eke 10 New Zealand wickets out of an unresponsive surface on the final day of the second Test.
Joe Root set the hosts a national-record target of 382 in four-and-a-half sessions to win and take the series 2-0 after he and Dawid Malan both contributed half-centuries as England reached 352 for nine declared, despite Colin de Grandhomme's figures of four for 94.
Only 23 further overs were possible before bad autumnal light brought first spin at both ends and then an early close in mid-evening at Hagley Park, with the Kiwis on 42 for none.
The best new-ball efforts of James Anderson and Stuart Broad came to nought under persistent cloud cover, although both beat the edge of Jeet Raval's bat several times.
Broad also struck the opener a painful blow to his chest as he dropped his hands and played no shot to a well-directed short ball.
The nearest England came to a breakthrough was when James Vince failed to hold what would have been an outstanding catch, diving to his left at third slip, when Raval's partner Tom Latham edged Anderson.
There was only the encouragement, and frustration, of further plays and misses before worsening conditions truncated England's opportunity.
Their route to declaration was notable for de Grandhomme's intervention - the first change bowler on either side to make any impact - and another 'unconverted' 50 from the England captain.
Root (54) took his fourth-wicket stand with Malan (53) to 97 before the latter's unexpected departure to de Grandhomme.
New Zealand persisted with the old ball until the 88th over, perhaps because Tim Southee was feeling unwell but also doubtless to slow any process which might accelerate a contest they do not need to win - from 1-0 up after their landslide victory in Auckland last week.
It took two wickets in three balls, of both set batsmen, to change Kane Williamson's mind.
Malan chipped de Grandhomme to midwicket, having just reached his half-century at a slightly quicker tempo than his captain from 94 balls, and then Root edged a drive at a wide one in the next over from Neil Wagner.
It would have been 282 for seven if Marais Erasmus had detected a Jonny Bairstow edge behind off Trent Boult on two, or New Zealand had any reviews left.
Instead, after Ben Stokes had fallen to a Malan action replay off de Grandhomme and Stuart Broad chipped the same bowler to mid-on, Bairstow upped the ante effectively with the tail until his dismissal - caught on the hook at Wagner - brought Root's declaration.
Light rain had been falling, and cloud cover was already static - raising the potential for wickets but also significant time lost to the elements.
Root had plenty to factor in, therefore, as he tries to break England's duck at last since they first journeyed south for the start of the Ashes more than five months ago.
Day three
James Vince and Mark Stoneman's half-centuries were individually and collectively valuable as England moved into a position of strength against New Zealand in the second Test.
England's second-wicket pair, both in need of significant contributions after uncertain starts to their Test careers, joined forces after another failure from Alastair Cook in a stand of 123 which helped the tourists to 202 for three and a lead of 231 by stumps on day three at Hagley Park.
They were consolidating back-to-form Stuart Broad's six for 54 as New Zealand were bowled out for 278 to give England sound prospects of a series-squaring first win of their otherwise conspicuously unsuccessful winter.
Broad completed his first five-wicket haul in more than two years to earn England a narrow first-innings lead - and after all-time record runscorer Cook then took his paltry series haul to just 23 in four innings when he fell to Trent Boult yet again, Vince (76) and Stoneman (60) took over.
Cook paid for a tentative forward push, edging behind, as the Kiwi left-armer did for him for the fourth successive time over the past two weeks.
On a fine pitch here, with pace, even bounce and just a hint of increasing help for spin, an intriguing contest was finely poised.
But Vince and Stoneman did enough to give England an evident advantage by the close.
The former has previously served up a succession of frustrating cameos, raising expectations with high-class timing only to fall in anti-climax too many times.
He began with a trademark cover-driven four from the second ball he faced, and on this occasion never looked back until he flashed an edge to slip off Boult and was well-caught by Ross Taylor seven runs short of his career-best.
Vince's third Test 50 arrived just before tea, with another cover-drive off the leg-spin of Ish Sodhi for his ninth boundary, and Stoneman reached the milestone in early evening - with a cut over the top of the slips for his sixth four.
The left-hander was twice dropped in the slips off Colin de Grandhomme either side of his 50, and also had to overturn a review on 35 when Neil Wagner thought he had him caught-behind with one which hit only his shoulder.
Each batsman was bookending a tough winter which began with their twin 50s against Australia in Brisbane.
Stoneman's hopes of a maiden hundred foundered when he edged another, going after Tim Southee without feet and brilliantly caught-behind by BJ Watling - this his top-score among five half-centuries - and when Vince went too, England still needed some consolidation.
That will have to wait, though, after Joe Root and Dawid Malan took no chances in the final hour.
Broad's fifth wicket had earlier come when Sodhi edged him behind for Jonny Bairstow's fifth catch of the New Zealand innings.
But the hosts had grasped the early initiative as Southee hit 21 of 27 runs from 5.1 overs before the second new ball was available on the way to a 44-ball 50, containing eight fours and a memorable pulled six off Ben Stokes to go with his six first-innings wickets.
James Anderson then instantly struck with a brilliant outswinger to end Watling's five-hour innings of 85 - and after he also bowled Southee, it fell to Broad to end Wagner and Boult's last-wicket stand of 39 when the number 11 was well-caught by Malan at long-leg.
Day two
Stuart Broad (4 for 38) and James Anderson reduced New Zealand to 36 for five early on the second afternoon in reply to England's 307 all out, only for Colin de Grandhomme (72) and BJ Watling (77no) to reprise the resistance led 24 hours earlier by England's centurion Jonny Bairstow.
Their record stand of 142 helped New Zealand to 192 for six by stumps - and whatever the remaining twists and turns, they had already ensured no one-way traffic here as they bid for a famous series win and England try to avoid ending their conspicuously unsuccessful winter on another low note.
The tourists' new-ball pair threatened to consign New Zealand to the same dire straits they had chartered themselves on day one of this series in Auckland last week.
Broad struck with just his third delivery, Tom Latham edging an attempted drive to Bairstow for a duck, and the Kiwis were minus both openers when Jeet Raval fell in similar fashion to Anderson.
By the end of the 10th over, it was 17 for four, with Broad apparently kickstarting one of the hot streaks for which he used to be famed.
He had Ross Taylor edging another attempted drive to Alastair Cook at slip, and then overturned an initial not-out verdict against Henry Nicholls - who fell for a duck on his home ground.
Kane Williamson had already had the closest of calls against Anderson when he survived a review for lbw on nine, but he could not make it count after lunch as England's all-time leading wicket-taker got him eventually - with Bairstow's help, catching down the leg-side this time.
That, though, was the high point of the tourists' fortunes before De Grandhomme and Watling fought back for 50 overs - including three from Ben Stokes, his first in a Test since last September thanks to his stiff back of late - in their country's highest sixth-wicket stand against England.
De Grandhomme almost immediately served notice of his intent to counter-attack, as he quickly climbed into three leg-side fours in four balls off Mark Wood - who, unlike his pace colleagues, religiously followed an apparent gameplan to bowl short and fast.
It resulted in one alarming clunk on the head for Watling, on 10, but little else of note other than an occasional mis-hook which missed the field.
As on day one, batting became a relatively serene pursuit against an older ball - and as the Kiwi pair cashed in, de Grandhomme deposited a 75-ball 50.
Watling followed at a more studied tempo from 125 balls, albeit with a slog-swept six off debutant spinner Jack Leach to reach the milestone.
It took the evening return of Broad to at last bring a breakthrough when with only the second delivery of his new spell he had De Grandhomme edging behind as he moved above Curtly Ambrose into 14th in the all-time Test list with 406 wickets.
England's final two wickets had occupied only 6.5 more overs on the morning resumption, in which Bairstow (101) added the three runs he needed for his fifth Test hundred and one more too before he was last out upper-cutting Trent Boult (four for 87) to third-man.
Leach departed two balls later, caught-behind off Tim Southee (six for 62), to end a stand of 48.
England might have hoped to add a few more, but their own recovery from 94 for five was still enough to give them a mid-match edge.
Broad said at the close of play: "I felt probably in the best rhythm I've felt for a couple of years."
It stems from the Nottingham self-tutorial he conducted for much of last month.
"It didn't take a lot of effort to change it - because I was rubbish in Australia." Broad added.
"It was an awful period of time with my action, the lack of bounce I was getting because of my (poor) wrist (position).
"I didn't want to work with any coaches - I just wanted to get that feeling back as a cricketer, and I've got that."
After his 11 wickets at almost 48 each in England's 4-0 Ashes defeat, the fruits of his labours here are obvious.
"My stride pattern, everything from my bowling today, I felt in full control," he said.
"I could let the ball go with full effort, and it was bouncing through and had pace.
"It's quite an exciting place to be. I'm 31, not 35 or 36, and I still feel like I've got a lot to offer.
"I had to improve - and over that short period of time, I think I have."
Day one
Jonny Bairstow and Mark Wood rescued England with priceless half-centuries after the tourists had threatened once again to fall flat against New Zealand.
Bairstow (97 not out) found unexpected assistance from number nine Wood (52) for a stand of 95 in 18 overs which switched the momentum of this second and final Test as England recovered to 290 for eight at stumps.
Tim Southee (five for 60) and Trent Boult (three for 79), who had instigated England's first-innings shambles of 58 all out last week, did all the damage as three wickets fell for one run in nine balls en route to 94 for five, and later 164 for seven in Christchurch.
By tea, it was already thanks only to Bairstow and Ben Stokes that England had salvaged a vaguely viable position.
What then followed from the eighth-wicket pair was refreshing in England's long and hitherto miserable Test winter, with Bairstow on the brink of three figures by the close at a venue where he hit the fastest one-day international century by any English opener earlier this month.
It was perhaps a mild surprise that Kane Williamson put England in on a glorious morning, with the obvious caveat that memories of their Auckland capitulation were still very fresh in all minds.
Boult's late movement with the new ball was too much for a leaden-footed Alastair Cook, whose off stump was spectacularly uprooted.
James Vince, back in at three to accommodate Joe Root's return to his favoured number four, rarely looked comfortable and third flirtation with the review system ended in an umpire's-call lbw departure to Southee.
Root and Mark Stoneman closed out the session but got little further as England imploded after lunch.
Root had just driven Southee straight for four when he missed the next ball and was bowled, through the gate and off his back pad.
Boult got through a static Dawid Malan's defences, lbw for a golden duck, and then Stoneman edged Southee to second slip. It was a routine end to an innings of laudable determination, plenty of transient fortune and ultimately little substance.
Bairstow and Stokes joined forces without a run between them and batted with the care of two men fully aware those still to come might struggle to add many more.
For the second time in succession, wickets soon began to fall on the resumption for a new session.
Boult broke the stand on 57 when Stokes flapped a catch behind down the leg side. Stuart Broad, pressed up to an unaccustomed number eight for the first time in more than four years, presented Southee with his wicket via an easy catch to mid-off.
England looked in big trouble, but Wood and Bairstow had other ideas.
Wood followed solid defence with increasing readiness to put away anything loose in his maiden half-century, helping Bairstow pass 50 too when he dispatched successive short balls from Neil Wagner through the leg side for his sixth and seventh fours.
Bairstow was dropped by a leaping BJ Watling from an edge behind off Wagner on 58. Wood - playing his first Test since last July after a catalogue of ankle troubles - escaped half-chance tough catches on 28 and 48 off the left-armer.
No one could quibble at those, though, after a sparkling 50 from just 54 balls which contained seven fours and a memorable flat hook for six off Wagner.
He was eventually bowled trying to drive Southee, from the final delivery before the second new ball, but by then England had true reason to be thankful for Wood's telling intervention.
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