Trent Boult celebrates after claiming the wicket of Joe Root. Photo / Getty
The equations are simple for both New Zealand and England as the historic pink-ball test concludes today.
Despite the fat end of almost two complete days lost to rain, New Zealand need to take seven wickets in 98 overs to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.
England's role is, in a sense, simpler: Bat all day.
As it happened: England trail Black Caps by 237 runs
They start at 132 for three, needing a further 237 to make New Zealand bat a second time.
And they had a last-over clanger last night with captain Joe Root, struck on his right hand by the previous ball, glancing a catch down the leg side off Trent Boult for 51. With that, England's hopes may have gone south.
In truth their chances of winning the test essentially evaporated by the first interval on Thursday afternoon, by which time they were in the field, trying to minimise the damage done by their 58 all out in the first innings.
Since then, New Zealand have remorselessly moved themselves further ahead. Yesterday they delayed the declaration until 13 overs had been bowled in the second session, with the total at 427 for eight, a lead of 369.
Among the theories for why they batted on longer than, in pure run terms, they needed to: they wanted to try and ensure they only need to bat once in the test; or they were trying to calculate how many overs would be used of the new ball before the lights would kick in, in the final session. In other words try and maximise the threat of the pink ball in what are perceived its most favourable conditions for the bowlers.
As always, if New Zealand win today all will be well and they'll have got it right. If England play out the final hour with, say, two wickets still standing, they'll cop flak for delaying the declaration and losing up to an hour of bowling time. You really can't win in this situation.
New Zealand probably wanted three wickets, minimum, by the end of play and got them, just.
Alastair Cook fell to a legside strangle off Boult and Mark Stoneman had done the hard part when he had a moment of madness.
He had just completed his fourth test 50, with his first test six, hooking Neil Wagner over fine leg. Next ball Wagner went round the wicket, changed the angle of delivery, pitched it short again and Stoneman hooked it straight to Boult in a squarer fine leg position.
Stoneman lost his head for a moment; Wagner delivered a smart play.
Root played and missed a few times, and copped a couple of balls which kept worryingly low. But the England captain has passed 50 for the 38th time, and looks to have settled in for a long stay, before his late departure, as wicketkeeper BJ Watling leapt high to his left to pull in the edge.
The ball did wobble a bit for New Zealand's bowlers but going round corners as some had anticipated? No.
Earlier Henry Nicholls' second test century was ample reward for a fine innings.
He grafted at times, showed patience and then, towards the declaration, unfurled some bright attacking shots. He works the ball well through the on side and it might yet come to be seen as a watershed test for the Canterbury lefthander.
Nicholls shared four successive stands which had the effect of denying England any rapid lower order success – 54 with Watling for the fifth wicket; then 49 with de Grandhomme, 32 with Todd Astle and 82 with Tim Southee.
The revised tournament schedule has finally been announced.