By RICHARD BOOCK in Christchurch
It seems Stephen Fleming was not exaggerating when he complained that England had little respect for New Zealand's test reputation.
The man who effectively accused the tourists of having a superiority complex on the eve of the first test had more fuel for his argument yesterday after England demolished his side on the second day.
To make matters a shade more embarassing for the New Zealand skipper, it was relative unknown Matthew Hoggard who led the Charge of the Disrespectful, smashing through the home side's batting to end with career-best figures of seven for 63.
Dismissed for a paltry 147 on a pitch which continues to delight the seamers, New Zealand were scrambling to remain in the contest last night after England battled through to 63 for two, a lead of 144 with eight second wickets in hand.
It was another hectic day's cricket on the Jade Stadium portable pitch, which could not have been more different from last year's dried offering had it been prepared in the depths of the Amazon rain forest.
Welcomed only as a cure for insomnia last summer, the test against Pakistan realised a total of just 19 wickets over five days, a figure already eclipsed after two day's play in this match.
Resuming at nine for one yesterday morning, the New Zealand batsmen had no answer to the late swing of Hoggard, who demonstrated his durability by bowling 17 consecutive overs with only the lunchbreak for respite.
The only brief moments of resistance came from a stand-and-deliver cameo from nightwatchman Daniel Vettori and a late bash from Craig McMillan as the end of the innings beckoned.
In between it was a mixture of near-misses and terminal destruction, the Barmy Army supporters finding full voice as Hoggard cut a swathe through the New Zealand line-up, pausing for a breather after 20 overs before returning to finish off the innings.
Buoyed by the wicket of Mark Richardson the night before, he snared Matt Horne and Vettori before lunch and then came back to drive a stake through the heart of New Zealand's batting with three critical wickets.
Having led a charmed life before the break, Lou Vincent was bowled neck and crop in the 32nd over, Nathan Astle was trapped in front in the 34th, and Fleming, who possibly played more shots before the game started, lashed a catch to point after grafting for an hour-and-a-half for 12.
At that point it seemed there would be some minor relief at least for the New Zealand batsmen, as Hoggard was forced to take a rest and was replaced by the struggling Andy Caddick, who had not taken a wicket despite ideal conditions for his type of bowling.
But Caddick chose precisely that moment to make his presence felt, having Cairns caught at slip and getting Adam Parore leg before next ball to leave New Zealand staggering at 117 for eight. McMillan opted to chance his arm and smote 40 off 48 balls, but the return of Hoggard ended the resistance.
It also meant that all 10 New Zealand wickets had been captured from the Port Hills end of the ground as Hoggard and Caddick shared the spoils, capably supported by Andy Flintoff.
New Zealand did not make their task any easier in the 15.3 overs bowled before stumps, Parore missing a skied chance off Marcus Trescothick and Mark Richardson failing to gather a throw at the bowler's end with Mark Butcher short of his ground.
However Ian Butler, who is having a test debut to remember, picked up two wickets, Michael Vaughan and Trescothick, giving him four in the game so far. But New Zealand seem sure to be facing a challenging fourth innings chase.
To make matters worse, Cairns is struggling with a knee tendon problem and could not take the new ball, leaving concerns over the experience of the New Zealand pace attack.
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