England close on victory after Stuart Broad turns up heat on New Zealand

The word “gimmick” has been doing the rounds among the England camp regarding day-night Test cricket but as Stuart Broad set off on one his trademark surges, sending zing bails flying in the darkness and New Zealanders on their way, there was a sense the format might be growing on them.

A run of five straight pink-ball defeats probably informed this stance yet, equally, this is an England team that cares little for history under Ben Stokes. That is unless it’s Broad rolling out a few of the old hits, with his four-wicket burst on the third evening in Mount Maunganui putting a 10th win from 11 Test matches within touching distance.

Set a mammoth 394 for victory in this series opener, New Zealand needed plenty to go their way during a two-hour examination under lights. Instead they found themselves popped in the blender and Broad gleefully pressing the button marked “frappé”, his figures of four for 21 from 10 overs – plus a wicket for Ollie Robinson – leaving their scorecard a miserable-looking 63 for five at stumps.

Day-nighters may be primarily designed for the television audience but there is no question they produce some stunning visuals. There were plenty to chose from here, Broad clean-bowling the top three, Devon Conway (2), Kane Williamson (0) and Tom Latham (15), in the space of four overs by nipping the pink Kookaburra about at will.

Robinson chimed in with the removal of Henry Nicholls, a classic edge from the left-hander sent into to the gloves of Ben Foakes, with Broad then capping off a memorable day for both himself and the travelling supporters as Tom Blundell, a first-innings centurion, became the fourth New Zealander to suffer a stumplosion.

“New Zealand is a special country for us,” said Broad, the