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Rain interrupts play again, Black Caps still in control over England on day two of pink ball Test

March 23, 2018

Relive all the action with 1 NEWS NOW's coverage of the second day's play between New Zealand and England from Eden Park, Auckland.

9.00pm: 92.1 overs, NZ 229/4 - Watling 17, Nicholls 49

Play has been called off for the remainder of the day. Day three of play is set to start early at 1.30pm rather than 2.00pm.

7.05pm: 92.1 overs, NZ 229/4 - Watling 17, Nicholls 49

The rain has got significantly worse as ground staff go about their work.

7.00pm: 92.1 overs, NZ 229/4 - Watling 17, Nicholls 49

Just as it looked like the players were getting ready to go back out onto the field the rain begins to pour again. More covers go on. The rain has got significantly worse as ground staff go about their work.

4:48pm: 92.1 overs, NZ 229/4 - Watling 17, Nicholls 49

RAIN! It doesn't look good as the rain starts pouring down at Eden Park. A solid start with the bat by BJ Watling after Kane Williamson was dismissed in the 84th over. Henry Nicholls is one run shy of reaching a half ton.

4:32pm: 89 overs, NZ 219/4 - Watling 11, Nicholls 45

Henry Nicholls batting.
New Zealand Blackcaps v England. 1st day/night test match. Eden Park, Auckland, New Zealand. Day 2, Friday 23 March 2018. © Copyright Photo: Andrew Cornaga / www.Photosport.nz

A solid over from NZ batsman BJ Wattling as he hits two fours off Chris Woakes. New Zealand lead by 161 runs with six wickets remaining in the innings.

4:10pm: 84 overs, NZ 206/4 - Williamson 102, Nicholls 43

OUT!  Kane Williamson's brilliant innings with the bat comes to an end. James Anderson strikes at a crucial time for England as Kane Williamson is out, given lbw. Williamson opts for a review but ball-tracking says the ball has pitched just outside off, decked in off the seam.

Kane Williamson batting.
New Zealand Blackcaps v England. 1st day/night test match. Eden Park, Auckland, New Zealand. Day 1, Thursday 22 March 2018. © Copyright Photo: Andrew Cornaga / www.Photosport.nz

3:58pm: 81 overs, NZ 198/3 - Williamson 101, Nicholls 36

After one over with the new pink ball NZ are only able to score one run in the over by Stuart Broad. England are in desperate need of breaking up this partnership if they are to get themselves back into this Test match.

3:50pm: 79 overs, NZ 197/3 - Williamson 100, Nicholls 36

And we are back underway here at Eden Park.

2:43pm: 79 overs, NZ 197/3 - Williamson 100, Nicholls 36

RAIN! Rain has halted play at Eden Park. A solid 40 minute session for New Zealand as the Black Caps skipper Kane Williamson brought up a classy century. A historic knock as he becomes the first NZ batsman to reach 18 centuries in Test cricket. 

2:35pm: 78 overs, NZ 197/3 - Williamson 100, Nicholls 36

CENTURY ! Kane Williamson you legend! He brings up his 18th century international for New Zealand. Slightly short outside off delivery, and he hits it towards gully and he reaches another ton.

2:33pm: 77.1 overs, NZ 195/3 - Williamson 99, Nicholls 35

The crowd go up as Kane Williamson edges closer to another century. The NZ skipper is now on 99.

2:15pm: 73 overs, NZ 185/3 - Williamson 97, Nicholls 27

Williams is now just a boundary away from the record Test century for NZ. He scored his first runs for the day with a beautiful boundary and then whipped one off his pads for a couple.

2:04pm: 71 overs, NZ 178/3 - Williamson 91, Nicholls 27

A solid start to the day for New Zealand with Nicholls scoring three runs off the first over from Woakes. 

PRE MATCH:

After an unreal first day, Kane Williamson and the Black Caps have the chance to really take this game out of England's grasp with another solid performance.

Having bowled England out for 58 in their first innings, New Zealand are 175/3 in reply - a lead of 117 runs, with captain Williamson unbeaten on 91.

The main narrative for at the beginning of today's play revolves solely around the Black Caps skipper, needing just nine runs to bring up his 18th Test match century, overtaking Martin Crowe on the list of most hundreds by a New Zealander.

Williamson is joined by fellow not out batsman Henry Nicholls, with the pair having added 52 runs together so far.

For England, only wickets will get them back into this game, staring at a huge first innings deficit - requiring a complete team performance to even make New Zealand bat again.

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