Return To Eden Park.

The pink- ball test between England and New Zealand was effectively decided in the very first session, when I saw a fine spell of unchanged fast bowling, by Boult and Southee, which routed the English batsmen. New Zealand's first day-night test also featured their batsmen for the rest of Thursday, Williamson driving close to a century, while the left-hander Henry Nicholls scored freely in the air off the four-man fast-medium attack, and the luckless Moeen Ali. A pink, waning crescent moon shone above the ground on Thursday, then came two days' rain which washed out most Friday, all Saturday. I went back on Sunday when Williamson completed his record century, and Nicholls went on and on to 145 not out at the 427-8 declaration. Under a white half-moon, England's batsmen set off for 370, far away, yet I saw three of their batsmen back in the pavilion by stumps, all caught off Boult or Wagner; even so Malan and Ben Stokes kept their wickets intact confidently until the end of play. Stokes and Woakes scored slow half-centuries in the second innings, but both were caught off Wagner when well set and little to follow. England was all-out for 320, losing by an innings and 49 runs. Boult and Wagner took three wickets each, but so did Todd Astle the electric leg-spinner. -27/28 March,2018.