Sun Dec 01 09:43:47 UTC 2024: ## England on Verge of Victory in First Test Against New Zealand
**Christchurch, New Zealand:** England are poised for victory in the first Test against New Zealand after dominating the third day’s play. New Zealand, facing a first innings deficit of 151 runs, ended the day teetering at 155/6 in their second innings, holding only a slender four-run lead.
Earlier, England declared their first innings at a commanding 499, after Harry Brook narrowly missed a double century (171) and Ben Stokes fell short of a century (80). Despite the impressive win, however, the victory will not impact England’s position on the World Test Championship points table, where they remain in sixth place with 40.79%. Even a win in this match would only raise their percentage to 43.75%, insufficient to overtake South Africa (54.17%) in fifth place.
New Zealand’s second innings started poorly, with only Kane Williamson (61) offering significant resistance. With six wickets down and a minimal lead, New Zealand face a daunting task on day four to avoid defeat. England will be confident of securing a victory and ending the day with a comfortable lead.
First Piper 