The New Nation - Internet Edition

Reuters, Hamilton

England, tied down by accurate New Zealand spin bowling, crawled to 286 for six at the close on the third day of the first test on Friday.

The touring side trailed their hosts by 184 runs with two days to play. Paul Collingwood was unbeaten on 41 with debutant Tim Ambrose on 23 at the close after Michael Vaughan (63), Andrew Strauss (43), Ian Bell (25) and Kevin Pietersen (42) were dismissed during the day.

England scored at barely two runs per over as New Zealand bowled a tight line and length with spinners Daniel Vettori and Jeetan Patel extracting prodigious turn and steep bounce from the pitch.

Vettori finished with figures of two for 60 off 38 overs and Jacob Oram conceded only 18 runs from 16 overs. Of the 93 overs bowled in the day, 34 were maidens.

"The conditions didn't allow for the free flowing batsmen to go out there and score runs," Pietersen told reporters. "If a few of us had played our normal game and got out for 10 or 15 or single figures we could have been in a lot of trouble sitting here tonight.

"We got asked to bat the whole day. We got asked to fight and to scrap, and we did. To lose just four wickets in an entire day is a fantastic effort."

TIED DOWN

The naturally aggressive Pietersen, who smashed his third ball for six, was tied down by the bowlers and exhibited signs of frustration at his inability to push the scoring along.

He was eventually dismissed when a Vettori delivery ballooned off his pad from his bat and the New Zealand captain took a diving return catch.

Pietersen's 42 came off 131 balls, a strike rate of 32.06, less than half his career record of 64.68 runs per 100 balls.

Scoreboard

Scoreboard at close of the third day of the first cricket Test between New Zealand and England at Seddon Park here Friday.

New Zealand 1st innings 470 (R. Taylor 120, J. How 92, D. Vettori 88; R.

Sidebottom 4-90, P Collingwood 2-42)

England 1st innings

A. Cook c sub (Horsley) b Martin 38

M. Vaughan c McCullum b Patel 63

M. Hoggard c Fleming b Martin 2

A. Strauss b Vettori 43

K. Pietersen c & b Vettori 42

I. Bell b Mills 25

P. Collingwood not out 41

T. Ambrose not out 23

Extras (b 3, lb 1, nb 5) 9

Total (6 wickets; 134 overs) 286

Fall of wickets: 1-84 (Cook), 2-86 (Hoggard), 3-130 (Vaughan), 4-159 (Strauss), 5-203 (Bell), 6-245 (Pietersen)

Bowling: Martin 24-10-53-2, Mills 21-6-61-1, Patel 35-10-90-1 (1nb), Oram 16-8-18-0, Vettori 38-13-60-2 (4nb)