Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow key to England’s victory hopes at Trent Bridge

England’s hopes of a sensational dash to victory over New Zealand rested with Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow as the second LV= Insurance Test entered a gripping final chapter at Trent Bridge.

New Zealand were bowled out in the morning for 284, leaving the hosts with a formidable winning target of 299 in 72 overs.

That is the kind of equation that would see many teams hunkering down for the draw, including the England set-up of a couple of months ago. But times are different with captain Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum at the helm.

They embraced the challenge to take tea on 139 for four, with the cheap dismissals of Zak Crawley (nought) and Joe Root (three) making their task a seismic one.

But 44 from Alex Lees and an unbroken stand of 46 between Stokes and Bairstow left everything up for grabs with 38 overs still to bowl and 160 needed.

Any doubts about England’s willingness to take on the challenge of keeping pace with a required rate of 4.15 were dispelled when Lees took 12 runs off the opening over.

Tim Southee’s first two deliveries were crunched through cover for four and, even when he won a moral victory, a thick edge skipped away to third man.

That is the way Crawley likes to play his cricket too, but for the second time in the match he was not able to keep out Trent Boult with the new ball. This time the left-armer preyed on his doubts around off stump, taking an edge that sailed through to Tom Blundell.

Lees continued his care-free start, backing an uncomplicated method and picking up three more boundaries as he reached lunch with 30 of England’s 36 runs.

Ollie Pope, a first-innings centurion, whipped a ball from outside off to the midwicket boundary to get off the mark but should have been on his way from