Hussain makes a point about the poor light

This will, of course, depend on how they are progressing.

Only three times have England scored more than 300 in the fourth innings to win a Test, but because time is still being made up in this match because of the bad weather early on, the final day is longer than usual - 105 overs - and a target of 315, or so, would be tempting.

More likely, and this is due to the failure of the Test championship to reward points per Test win, England will accept the offer of bad light the moment the umpires approach them.

The draw would therefore be secured and, with it, the series, and that is all that matters under the present system.

Using the conditions

The draw, then, is the favourite as far as I am concerned but, close behind, comes a New Zealand victory.

Their medium pacers found more help in the pitch than Caddick, Flintoff and Hoggard did because they do not hit the deck as hard.

Ashley Giles is given out lbw

The likes of Tuffey, Drum and Adams have to bowl at a fuller length because they are not as fast as their English counterparts, and that makes them more dangerous in these conditions.

Tuffey troubled all the batsmen as he took six wickets, but I would be surprised if he managed to do that again.

I can't help but feel that the real cause of England�s collapse within 45 overs was the six overs of madness on the evening before.

Batting at the end of a day is always fraught with danger, and I think their overnight position of 12 for three contributed to their collapse more than devils lurking in the pitch.

On the final day they will be entirely focussed and know what they have to do.

Surviving a full day of 105 overs would be difficult but, safe in the knowledge that bad light could spare them facing up to 20 of them, England will feel confident that they will leave New Zealand with their lead intact.