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Lunch England 353 for 5 (Pietersen 68*, Prior 15*) v New Zealand
Kevin Pietersen wasn't at his most fluent but kept England moving © Getty Images
New Zealand's four-strong attack shrugged off their onerous workload of the past week and struck back strongly on the second morning of the Wellington Test. Jonathan Trott, Ian Bell and Joe Root all succumbed as England, superior overnight at 267 for 2, leant heavily on Kevin Pietersen to reach lunch in reasonable order.
Pietersen has been variously ailing. Judging by the way he stretched gingerly after the loss of Root, the knee trouble which hampered him in Dunedin has now been joined by lower-back problems. He seems in the sort of state where he should not grip an autograph hunter's pen too tightly. But there was danger in his vulnerable body and he made 50 in the session to reach 68 not out at lunch.
New Zealand's pace bowlers had withstood a heavy workload - they are on their fifth new ball in less than a week with the prospect of a sixth to come - and however much Tim Southee, the senior member of the attack, insisted that their "bodies were recharged," the suspicion was that they might drain faster than an old Galaxy Ace.
They had bowled 170 overs in the second innings in Dunedin in a valiant but failed attempt to force victory and had only two wickets to show for another 90 overs on the first day in Wellington. To respond to such adversity with such a disciplined session was an achievement for the New Zealand attack, especially as a buffeting, swirling wind was more in keeping with Wellington's reputation as the windiest city on earth.
Southee had blamed the bowlers for starting poorly on the first day in conditions which initially he termed "favourable," an assessment which would have found favour with his captain, Brendon McCullum, who had put England in and observed them make 267 for 2.
But if the first day had belonged to Nick Compton and Jonathan Trott, century makers both, the Test soon left that stage behind. Compton had departed late on the opening day and Trott followed to his first ball of the morning, and the seventh of the day, when he feathered a catch to the wicketkeeper, BJ Watling, off the left-armer Trent Boult.
Southee began even more impressively, starting with three successive maidens as he found a hint of outswing, and extending that into an impressive nine-over spell. He had little luck as Bell's edge fell short of the slips and Pietersen top-edged a hook through the despairing fingers of the wicketkeeper, Watling.
England mustered only 17 in the first 10 overs, which began to put the sterling, if cautious, work of Trott and Compton into favourable perspective. Pietersen responded to the arrival of the left-arm spinner, Bruce Martin, by driving his first ball for six, but any ambitions that Martin would provide England with an outlet were also stymied. Only with lunch approaching did Pietersen seem to get Martin's measure.
Bell had an attack of the Ahmedabads. He had fallen first ball to the left-arm spinner, Pragyan Ojha, in Ahmedabad, dancing down the pitch to try to loft him over the top in what smacked off a crazily preconceived plan. It was far from the first ball this time - he had batted for more than an hour - but the outcome was just the same as he failed to deposit Martin down the ground and Peter Fulton ran back from mid-off to hold a neat, swirling catch.
Martin, tossing the ball high, found noticeably more turn than on the first day and he also unpicked Root, who tried to carve him through cover off the front foot and edged a turning delivery to slip. It was an ugly, misconceived shot and he stomped off with a farmer's gait. He is an outstanding prospect, but his start to international cricket has been something of a fairy story and disappointments such as this are inevitable.
Kevin Pietersen wasn't at his most fluent but kept England moving © Getty Images
New Zealand's four-strong attack shrugged off their onerous workload of the past week and struck back strongly on the second morning of the Wellington Test. Jonathan Trott, Ian Bell and Joe Root all succumbed as England, superior overnight at 267 for 2, leant heavily on Kevin Pietersen to reach lunch in reasonable order.
Pietersen has been variously ailing. Judging by the way he stretched gingerly after the loss of Root, the knee trouble which hampered him in Dunedin has now been joined by lower-back problems. He seems in the sort of state where he should not grip an autograph hunter's pen too tightly. But there was danger in his vulnerable body and he made 50 in the session to reach 68 not out at lunch.
New Zealand's pace bowlers had withstood a heavy workload - they are on their fifth new ball in less than a week with the prospect of a sixth to come - and however much Tim Southee, the senior member of the attack, insisted that their "bodies were recharged," the suspicion was that they might drain faster than an old Galaxy Ace.
They had bowled 170 overs in the second innings in Dunedin in a valiant but failed attempt to force victory and had only two wickets to show for another 90 overs on the first day in Wellington. To respond to such adversity with such a disciplined session was an achievement for the New Zealand attack, especially as a buffeting, swirling wind was more in keeping with Wellington's reputation as the windiest city on earth.
Southee had blamed the bowlers for starting poorly on the first day in conditions which initially he termed "favourable," an assessment which would have found favour with his captain, Brendon McCullum, who had put England in and observed them make 267 for 2.
But if the first day had belonged to Nick Compton and Jonathan Trott, century makers both, the Test soon left that stage behind. Compton had departed late on the opening day and Trott followed to his first ball of the morning, and the seventh of the day, when he feathered a catch to the wicketkeeper, BJ Watling, off the left-armer Trent Boult.
Southee began even more impressively, starting with three successive maidens as he found a hint of outswing, and extending that into an impressive nine-over spell. He had little luck as Bell's edge fell short of the slips and Pietersen top-edged a hook through the despairing fingers of the wicketkeeper, Watling.
England mustered only 17 in the first 10 overs, which began to put the sterling, if cautious, work of Trott and Compton into favourable perspective. Pietersen responded to the arrival of the left-arm spinner, Bruce Martin, by driving his first ball for six, but any ambitions that Martin would provide England with an outlet were also stymied. Only with lunch approaching did Pietersen seem to get Martin's measure.
Bell had an attack of the Ahmedabads. He had fallen first ball to the left-arm spinner, Pragyan Ojha, in Ahmedabad, dancing down the pitch to try to loft him over the top in what smacked off a crazily preconceived plan. It was far from the first ball this time - he had batted for more than an hour - but the outcome was just the same as he failed to deposit Martin down the ground and Peter Fulton ran back from mid-off to hold a neat, swirling catch.
Martin, tossing the ball high, found noticeably more turn than on the first day and he also unpicked Root, who tried to carve him through cover off the front foot and edged a turning delivery to slip. It was an ugly, misconceived shot and he stomped off with a farmer's gait. He is an outstanding prospect, but his start to international cricket has been something of a fairy story and disappointments such as this are inevitable.