Matt Henry and Neil Wagner picked up three wickets apiece as New Zealand were on the verge of winning the second and final Test versus England at Edgbaston.

After the tail wagged and pushed New Zealand’s total to 388, giving the visitors a sizeable 85-run first innings lead, pacers Henry and Wagner left England reeling at 122/9 in their second innings at stumps on Day III.

England lead by only 37 at present with just one wicket in hand, as the Black Caps would certainly try and seal the Test as early as possible on its penultimate day. Alongside Henry and Wagner, left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel too deserves credit for maintaining the pressure and snaring two wickets, including the prized scalp of England skipper Joe Root, who was left with too much work to do with wickets tumbling at the other end.

During his 102-minute stay at the crease never did Root look comfortable.

England lost the in-form Rory Burns in the very first over of their second innings, as Henry had him taken at the slip cordon by stand-in captain Tom Latham. England were yet to get off the mark then, while the stroke that Burns attempted was also a poor one.

The other opener, Dom Sibley, too didn’t last long as Henry got his second in the penultimate over before tea. England were wobbling at 17/2 then.

It soon became 30/3 early in the day’s final session as Henry picked up his third of the innings, trapping Zak Crawley lbw. Ollie Pope played with intent, stroking three crisp boundaries, but he too couldn’t get going as Wagner rapped him on the pads as England were four down then.

Wagner had his second soon after when he accounted for Dan Lawrence, who perished for nought, failing to follow up after his impressive knock of 81 not out in the first innings. At one point, even an innings win for New Zealand looked possible when Ajaz removed James Bracey and Root in quick succession, with England at 76/7 and still needing a few more runs to erase the deficit.

Some resistance from Olly Stone and Mark Wood during their 44-run eighth-wicket stand ensured New Zealand would have to bat again in the game.

Their quicks shaping up quite well in the lead-up to the World Test Championship final versus India augurs really well for New Zealand. Returning to the XI, Trent Boult didn’t take much time to get into his groove, picking up four wickets in the first innings. Now with Henry already having a match-haul of six scalps, he will most likely be in the reckoning for the clash in Southampton.

Brief scores: England 303 & 122/9 (M. Henry 3/36, N. Wagner 3/18). New Zealand 388 (R. Taylor 80; S. Broad 4/48). At stumps, Day III