He came back into the attack to bowl the 64th over and trapped Lou Vincent leg before wicket for 71. Vincent had played a fine defensive innings for the team's cause, scoring it in 181 minutes off 170 balls and including seven fours. New Zealand were 128/3 with 23 overs remaining in the day.

Then, two overs later he bowled around the wicket to bowl Stephen Fleming with an inswinging yorker to the left-hander which cleaned out the New Zealand captain's middle stump. He'd batted 143 minutes and faced 108 balls.

Vincent brought up his second half century of the match just after the tea break, the innings taking 146 minutes and 131 balls and including five fours.

On 56 he did have a ball from Ashley Giles take the edge of his bat but neither wicket-keeper James Foster nor first slip Nasser Hussain got anywhere near it.

Lou Vincent was in sight of his second half-century of the match on 45 while Stephen Fleming was completely in defensive mode in getting to five not out.

Thirty-six overs remain before the game can be declared safe for New Zealand.

It isn't exactly riveting cricket but the battle for survival is keeping a crowd of 5000 at the ground.

Conditions are cool, although the ground is bathed in sunshine. The cool southerly breeze has forced most people out onto the sheltered grass bank around the ground.

Fleming had a life on one when James Foster dropped a straight forward edge from Andrew Flintoff's bowling. New Zealand were on 67 at the time. The ball hit Foster's glove in the middle but was never safely lodged.

Hussain introduced Michael Vaughan to bowl some leisurely-paced off-spin, with Lou Vincent helping himself to four runs off-driven nicely.

Giles had one wicket for 33 from his 20 overs, while Hussain replaced Vaughan with Andrew Caddick from the northern end for the last over before tea.

New Zealand were 66/2 with 54 overs left for England to claim the win. The target of 356 for New Zealand was never entertained as Nasser Hussain looked to make sure he wasn't caught out by a repeat of the Nathan Astle heroics, although the likelihood on the placid Basin pitch was limited compared to Christchurch.

Andrew Flintoff provided the key breakthrough for England when enticing an edge from Horne's bat which was taken low down to his left by wicket-keeper James Foster.

Horne had reached 38, his best score of the series, in 109 minutes off 80 balls. New Zealand were 65/2 at that stage.

Earlier, Lou Vincent had a life when given not out by Steve Dunne when caught off his gloves by Mark Butcher from Ashley Giles' bowling. Vincent was on four at the time.

Vincent moved through to 21 by the time drinks were taken while Stephen Fleming had scored one.

Flintoff had one for nine off six overs and Ashley Giles had one for 23 off 13 overs.

New Zealand were 28/1 at lunch with Matt Horne 21 not out, his best score of the series, with Lou Vincent still to score.

Seventy overs remain in the day for the home side and conditions should allow at least 60 of them to be bowled.

Wellington's southerly blew away just before the lunch break and the threat of rain disappeared with blue skies to the south, the same quarter as the wind was coming from. New Zealand began their quest for survival in cool conditions and the only potential problem before the lunch break was when Matt Horne was knocked off his feet by a ball from Andrew Caddick. England appealed for the leg before wicket decision, the ball looked to be going down the leg-side.

But the greater danger was that Horne could have hit the wicket with his foot.

However, he survived and set about putting together his best score of the series.

Mark Richardson wasn't so fortunate, however, and in Ashley Giles' fourth over, he swung a ball to the leg-side and Graham Thorpe, running back to a deeper fine leg held the ball after it moved about in the breeze.

Richardson had scored only four after 55 minutes from 38 balls.

His wicket fell with 28 runs on the board.

Giles had one for three from his four overs.

Hussain declared England's second innings 293/4 on a murky day in Wellington. With his 62-run first innings lead, it left New Zealand to face a score of 356, an unlikely proposition under the circumstances and the battle will be to survive.

Marcus Trescothick wasted no time getting on with the job, hitting a six of Chris Drum's first over, the opening over of the day.

Conditions were significantly different to the last three days. The wind had switched to the cold southerly, it was heavily overcast and the odd skiff of rain was falling around the neighbouring hills.

Mark Butcher attempted to get on with the scoring. He charged Drum, made room on the leg side and made good contact with the ball. However, his aim was awry and he hit straight to Chris Martin at mid-off to be caught out for 60 off 111 balls. The partnership had been worth 115 runs in 118 minutes and off 172 balls.

Flintoff was soon on the charge, hitting Drum over the covers for four as England went past 200.

However, Trescothick was unable to get onto a sweep shot to Daniel Vettori's bowling. The ball was top edged to short fine leg where Mark Richardson held the catch. Trescothick's chance of a third Test century would never have been easier but he was gone after 218 minutes and 129 balls for 88.

Nasser Hussain came in and immediately went on the charge. However, it was Flintoff who took control, although his aerial assault ran the risk of catches going to hand but during the initial stages he managed to avoid going to hand.

At one stage in his innings Flintoff was on course to better the fastest 50 in Tests, 26 held by Ian Botham and hit at Delhi in 1981/82.

As it was Flintoff hit his 50 off 33 balls with six fours and a six and continued to hit out to get to 75 before he top edged a return back to Daniel Vettori to be out caught and bowled off 44 balls with nine fours and two sixes. He was out at 291/4 and two runs later Hussain declared leaving New Zealand a target of 356.

Daniel Vettori took three wickets for 91 runs and Chris Drum had one for 77.