Wellington Test between NZ, Eng drawn after rain washes away final day's play

Wellington - The second Test match between England and New Zealand ended in a draw after the final day's play was washed out due to persistent rains and the three-test cricket series between thee two teams will go to a deciding match in Auckland, starting on Friday.

Day five was washed out without a ball being bowled at the Basin Reserve, leaving the teams deadlocked 0-0 heading into the third and final test at Eden Park, Stuff.co.nz reports.

The weather closed in overnight and rain continued throughout the morning. Umpires Asad Rauf and Rod Tucker officially abandoned the test at 2pm in light drizzle, with no chance of play resuming, the paper said.

England will be cursing the arrival of rain after a long dry spell in Wellington, as they were in charge virtually from ball one, and after enforcing the follow-on with New Zealand 211 behind on Saturday, would have been confident of pushing for victory to give them an unbeatable series advantage.

New Zealand was 162-2 in their follow on, still trailing England by 49, when play was abandoned on Sunday, and just 35 overs were possible in the day, either side of a four-hour rain delay, it reported.

Kane Williamson was unbeaten on 55 and Ross Taylor on 41 as they defied the England bowlers for 31 overs on a placid Basin Reserve pitch, adding an unbroken 81 for the third wicket in a confidence-boosting batting effort, the paper added.