Strauss, who had not scored a hundred in his last 30 test innings, was on his highest test score of 173 not out and Bell made 110 to guide the tourists to 416 for five at the close on the third day.Their highest successful run chase was 324 for five against Pakistan at Christchurch in 1994.
Tim Ambrose was the other not out batsman on 28. Daniel Vettori had figures of three for 135.The England batsmen applied themselves throughout the day on the batter-friendly pitch and demonstrated how easy it could be to accumulate runs in the near-perfect conditions. They scored 325 runs in 90 overs for the loss of three wickets.
"They batted really well and showed us what is (achievable) on that wicket, New Zealand offspinner Jeetan Patel told reporters.
"I don't think we bowled poorly, they just stuck around and hung in as hard as they could."
Strauss, recalled for the series after being dropped last year, surpassed his previous highest score of 147, made against South Africa in 2005, and the biggest individual total (160) at McLean Park.
He had brought up his 11th test century with a cover drive off Chris Martin for his 16th boundary shortly before tea.The 31-year-old's last test century was the 116 he scored against Pakistan in Leeds in August 2006
Bell was the more aggressive and scored 88 runs between lunch and tea. However, he was dismissed after the break for 110 when he hit the ball straight to Mathew Sinclair off Vettori to end his 187-run fourth-wicket partnership with Strauss.
Paul Collingwood produced a cameo 22 before he popped a return catch to Vettori, though the wicket was barely celebrated by the New Zealand team.
Kevin Pietersen, who scored 129 in England's first innings, was the only other wicket to fall when Ross Taylor made a fine reflex catch at first slip off Vettori to dismiss him for 34 in the morning.
New Zealand won the first test by 189 runs and England the second by 126 runs.
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