Wet Wellington puts boot in to England’s chances

England managed only the wicket of the stubborn Peter Fulton, and appeared likely to have to settle for a draw after a rain-ravaged fourth day of the second Test against New Zealand in Wellington.

The remnants of Cyclone Sandra delayed their arrival at the Basin Reserve until lunchtime. But in the predictably short window of opportunity available to England, before rain wiped out the afternoon and evening sessions, the tourists could make no significant headway.

After James Anderson had Fulton fencing a catch to slip in the fifth over of the morning, Kane Williamson (51no) helped New Zealand move from 77 for one to 153 for two.

That put the Kiwis just 58 runs adrift of England, following on — and with tomorrow’s weather forecast much worse than today’s, there is a high probability that this three-match series will head for its final instalment in Auckland still stuck at 0-0.

Meanwhile, Australia will begin the final day 16 runs behind with seven wickets remaining in the third Test against India in Mohali.

Huge centuries by openers Murali Vijay (153) and Shikhar Dhawan (187) put the hosts on top and, despite Peter Siddle taking five for 71, Virat Kohli’s unbeaten half-century saw them to 499, a first-innings lead of 91.

At 2-0 down, Australia must find a way to win the match to keep the four-match series alive and Phillip Hughes’s aggressive half-century, coupled with three wickets for Bhuvneshwar Kumar, raised hope of a result one way or the other as they finished the day 75 for three.