LONDON - England maintained the upper hand in the first cricket test against New Zealand at Lord's, reaching 68 without loss at stumps on a weather-affected second day.
The hosts trailed by just 209 runs with all 10 wickets intact, in reply to New Zealand's first innings of277.
Alastair Cook was unbeaten on 43 and Andrew Strauss on 24 after facing 21.3 overs from the four New Zealand pacemen.
Just 55 overs were possible on the second day, with five separate breaks for bad light.
New Zealand resumed on 208 for six, with captain Daniel Vettori's innings of 48 boosting them to a semi-respectable total after they'd slumped to 104 for five.
SCOREBOARD
New Zealand
First innings (208-6 overnight)
J How c Ambrose b Anderson 7
A Redmond c Cook b Anderson 0
J Marshall c Strauss b Broad 24
R Taylor c Collingwood b Broad 19
B McCullum b Panesar 97
D Flynn b Anderson 9
J Oram c Strauss b Sidebottom 28
D Vettori b Sidebottom 48
K Mills b Sidebottom 10
T Southee b Sidebottom 1
C Martin not out 0
Extras (16b, 14lb, 1w, 3nb) 34
Total (86.2 overs) 277
