Milestone man Root gives England 'smidgeon' with NZ '99 per cent' likely to win

Joe Root passed 14,000 Test runs on Saturday and reached stumps at The Oval 25 runs away from a 42nd century in the format, but he will have another number on his mind - 281. That is how many more runs England need to pull off a record, and remarkable, chase of 463 against New Zealand in south London after closing day four on 182-5.

The tourists seem all but certain of victory - Stuart Broad makes them 99 per cent favourites and Simon Doull 98 per cent - yet with Root still in, England have a "smidgeon" of hope, according to another Sky Sports pundit in Michael Atherton.

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