Cricket: NZ face an afternoon of survival

Stuart Broad celebrates taking the wicket of Ross Taylor during the fifth day of the first test between England and New Zealand at Lord's.

An unbeaten 73-run sixth-wicket partnership between Corey Anderson (51) and B-J Watling (36) has enabled New Zealand to survive the middle session against England on the final day of the first test at Lord's.

After dismissing the hosts for 478 in the second innings, where Trent Boult became the 19th New Zealander to qualify for the dressing room honours board, they faced a daunting afternoon after crumbling to 21 for three by lunch.

New Zealand were asked to haul in what would be a ground record fourth innings chase of 345. They had 77 overs to work with, at a run rate of 4.48. However, given the first three innings of the match hummed at 3.85 runs per over, there was no reason to suspect batting conditions had deteriorated.

England's adrenaline surged with two wickets before New Zealand scored. The visitors' anxiety pierced a skin of previous confidence from the past 18 months. Within 21 minutes five batsmen had come through the white pickets in a conveyor belt of contagion. One could only imagine boxes, pads and gloves flying around the dressing room like electrons in the Hadron Collider. Their angst escalated as the mood of the local crowd sensed victory.

The innings lapsed when Martin Guptill and Tom Latham were dismissed within the first seven balls. The immaculate seam position of James Anderson saw Guptill commit forward. He edged to Gary Ballance at third slip. Stuart Broad offered no respite at the other end, delivering an exceptional opening spell, reminiscent of the one which gleaned seven for 44 in 2013 and dismissed New Zealand for 68. The pair fed off the visitors' trepidation and the crowd's will, keeping the ball in an off stump channel to paralyse the batsmen's instincts.

Captain Brendon McCullum's reputation left pundits assuming New Zealand would go for the target. However, once Broad had Ross Taylor plumb for eight, the question turned to survival. This team, as witnessed by two world record sixth-wicket partnerships in the past 15 months, is capable of that.

First Kane Williamson (26) and Watling compiled 49 for the fourth wicket before the No.3 edged to Joe Root at gully off Ben Stokes. McCullum played-on first ball, leaving Stokes on a hat-trick. Anderson left his next ball outside off stump, although there was no relief from the intensity of a baying crowd.

Soon Anderson was in his element. An umbrella field gave him scope in front of square to get his eye in. His luckiest moments came trying to slog sweep Moeen Ali twice towards Baker St but the ball spun and he missed. His best shot was giving Stokes some of his own medicine from the third innings by depositing a short ball into the Mound Stand.

If Anderson was the entertainer, Watling was more the batting accountant, checking they could balance the books with their contrasting approaches, and all on an inflamed right knee. The way he played Broad's steepling bounce in the two overs before the interval was testament to his courage.

Earlier Boult joined fellow New Zealand bowlers Tim Southee, Daniel Vettori, Chris Cairns, Dion Nash and Sir Richard Hadlee by earning an inscription in the members' pavilion. He took five for 85 from 34 overs, cleaning up the tail but also securing Alastair Cook for 162 via an inside edge nick. It required a review but Hotspot worked as his ally.

The build-up to the start of play was a reminder of test cricket's place in English culture. Presumably New Zealand's reputation, as the third-ranked side in the world, played its part.

Queues stretched approximately 40 minutes outside the ground as fans sought 20 pound tickets. The local reaction was surprise which was probably a good advertisement of the New Zealand team's present pulling power, plus the fact England were trending towards a come back victory on a Bank Holiday Monday. At the very least, fans gained an intimate knowledge of St John's Wood's back streets from their experience.