India, June 21 -- England was 54-3 against New Zealand in an unlikely fourth-innings chase of 463 at tea on day four of The Oval test on Saturday.

New Zealand was bowled out for 362, England scooping up the last four wickets in 6.1 overs after lunch.

That set England 463 to win the test and clinch the series with a match to spare; a total far above the world record chase of 418 by West Indies against Australia at St. John's in 2003 and way above England's best chase of 378 against India in Birmingham in 2022.

The alternative was to bat out four-plus sessions for a draw. Neither scenario looked likely as New Zealand's pace attack made immediate inroads under cloud cover.

Kyle Jamieson removed Emilio Gay and his replacement, Jacob Bethe...