New Zealand played a very patient game: Jos Buttler

England batter Jos Buttler said that New Zealand played a very patient game with the bat.

"If we're really critical, it's the first-innings runs with the bat [which have cost us]. New Zealand played a very patient game with the bat. They showed the value of that patient game of batting on flat wickets and setting your sights very high," ESPN Cricinfo quoted Buttler as saying.

New Zealand declared their first innings on 615/9. BJ Watling smashed a double ton, scoring 205 runs while Mitchell Santner played a knock of 126 runs.

Buttler praised Watling and Santner's impact in the match.

"BJ Watling and Mitchell Santner really set their stall out and batted for a long time. They put a lot of overs into our legs and built that score," Buttler said.

England scored 353 runs in their first innings and are on 55/3 in their second innings after the completion of day four.

"We have to learn to be able to do that. You look at the top sides around the world on flat wickets and they get very, very big scores and bat for a very, very long time," Buttler said.

"That's a big learning point for us. With the bat, just when you think you're getting to a place where you need to be, there's a lot more hard work to come to build those big scores," he added.

England will resume their second innings on day five on Monday.