Stuart Broad rattles Kiwis under lights to put England on the brink of Test win

Fast bowler reduces hosts to 63-5 chasing 394 in Mount Maunganui

England's Stuart Broad (L) bowls New Zealand's Tom Blundell during day three of the first cricket Test match between New Zealand and England at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui on February 18, 2023. (Photo by Marty MELVILLE / AFP)

England's Stuart Broad, centre, celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of New Zealand's Kane Williamson. AP

England's England's James Anderson, left, and Stuart Broad pose after becoming the most successful bowling pair. AP

Devon Conway of New Zealand is bowled by Stuart Broad. Getty

Joe Root scored a quick fifty for England. Getty

England's Harry Brook celebrates after reaching his fifty. AFP

Stuart Broad bowled a devastating spell under lights to clean up New Zealand's top order and put England on the verge of winning the first Test at Mount Maunganui.

Broad claimed four wickets under lights - all clean bowled - to reduce the Black Caps to 63-5 by stumps in their second innings on day three chasing a daunting target of 394.

England have two full days to claim the remaining five wickets at the Bay Oval and go one-up in the two-match series. If they succeed, it would be their 10th win in 11 Tests.

Broad got the pink ball to move around corners, taking 4-21 off 10 unrelenting overs.

Rapid half centuries by Joe Root, Harry Brook and Ben Foakes allowed England to score at more than five runs per over to reach 374 in their second innings, an overall lead of 393.

Broad then clean bowled Devon Conway (12), Kane Williamson (0), Tom Latham (15) and first innings century-maker Tom Blundell (1) to knock the wind out of the Kiwis' sail.

When Blundell was out, New Zealand were 28-5. Daryl Mitchell, who was on 13, and Michael Bracewell (25) saw out the last 10 overs of the day.

Broad’s four wickets lifted his tally of Test wickets in partnership with James Anderson to 1,004, surpassing the Australian combination of Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne (1,001), who previously were the most prolific wicket-taking pair in Tests.

“I feel very blessed that I was born in the same era as (Anderson) so that I could bowl at the other end to him,” Broad said. “I felt like it was the perfect dryness of pitch today for my kind of bowling. I could slam the ball into the pitch but it was still skidding and hitting the stumps.”

With fine weather forecast for the last two days, England should march to their first win on New Zealand soil since 2008, having drawn five and lost two of the seven Tests since.