Wellington, Feb 26 (AP) Captain Tim Southee produced a daring rearguard innings to help New Zealand reduce the deficit before England enforced the follow-on Sunday on the third morning of the second test.

New Zealand began the day at 138-7, still 297 runs behind England's first innings of 435-8 declared and needing 98 to avoid the follow-on. It added 71 runs, thanks mainly to Southee, but held on only for an hour before it's first innings ended at 209, giving England a lead of 226.

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England captain Ben Stokes needed only a few moments of deliberation before calling on New Zealand to bat again.

Openers Tom Latham and Devon Conway were able to hang on through the second hour until lunch when New Zealand was 40-0, still 186 behind. Latham was 27 and Conway 13 and the partnership was New Zealand's best for the first wicket in the series after stands of 10 and 14 in the first test at Mount Maunganui and 1 in the first innings in Wellington.

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Despite being forced to follow on New Zealand still had its best session of the match because Southee's innings put it on the offensive for the first time.

Southee was 23 not out overnight and rushed on Sunday to his sixth half-century in tests from 39 balls. He finally was out for 73 from 49 deliveries when New Zealand was 201-8, still needing 35 to avoid the follow-on. He had hit five fours and six sixes.

Southee put on 98 runs in a defiant partnership for the eighth wicket with first test century-maker Tom Blundell, who made 38 before he was out with 28 runs still needed to avoid batting again.

Stuart Broad quickly wrapped up the New Zealand innings and finished with 4-61.

Southee made an unbeaten 77 in his debut test against England in 2008 and that innings for a long time led to a hope that he might develop into a genuine allrounder.

That hasn't come to pass. He now has six half-centuries in tests but they have come in 131 innings and he averages just over 15.

Latham and Conway's resilient stand on a Basin Reserve pitch that still was providing some awkward bounce also was encouraging for New Zealand.

Kane Williamson, who is next in, has managed only 10 runs in three innings in the series so far and New Zealand will hope the openers will have built a foundation by the time he comes to bat.

The outlook for the Black Caps still is bleak. New Zealand never has won a test after following on. It has done so 45 times in tests and lost on 35 occasions, 25 of which were by an innings. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)