KEY POINTS:
A couple of wickets in the final five overs put a spot of ginger into the contest and capped off a day of New Zealand domination at Seddon Park yesterday.
England will begin the third day of the opening test at 87 for two, in reply to New Zealand's impressive 470 but with the pitch holding most of the aces.
Had it not been for that late flurry of activity - and it could have been even better for New Zealand - the test would have borne all the signs of trudging determinedly towards a stalemate.
It still might, but both teams will be on edge this morning, for vastly different reasons.
"I think we can win the game," said Ross Taylor. "They're two down, it's starting to slow up and take a bit of turn. The first session [today] will be big for the game."
Taylor would appreciate the nature of the pitch better than most, after completing a memorable maiden test hundred, 120 off 185 balls with 16 fours, an innings loaded with maturity and substance. His previous four test innings, in South Africa and on pitches vastly different from Hamilton, produced 44 runs. This was a chance to ink his name in, secure a trip to England in a few weeks and show his skills in a testing but far from threatening environment - and he grabbed it.
Taylor shared a record 148-run seventh-wicket stand against England with Daniel Vettori, the captain's tidy 88 embellishing his growing reputation as perhaps the best No 8 going in the game.
It all seemed a bit easy, as the pair sailed past the 117 set by Dipak Patel and Chris Cairns at Christchurch in 1992 and only ended when Taylor tried to sweep part-time offspinner Kevin Pietersen and the ball flew straight up.
Taylor and Vettori were enterprising. They did not dawdle, nor have a safety-first approach, but sought the initiative from the start, taking advantage of sloppy England bowling to barrel along at a merry rate.
Taylor drove expertly and Vettori, in his distinctive way, mixed his strokes from the simple but effective to the delicate, notably with one classy late-cut off Monty Panesar.
Indeed, Vettori put rival left-arm spinner Panesar in his place with a six and four in one over. When the next ball was struck back to him, Panesar attempted to throw it at the stumps, but forgot to let it go. The hilarious result was the ball racing towards the point boundary, having missed the target by about 40 metres.
It was appropriate that left-armer Ryan Sidebottom finished with the best figures, four for 90 from 34.3 overs of sweat and persistence.
Michael Vaughan is on 44, but had the jitters late on, Andrew Strauss is on one in his test comeback.
England's openers Alastair Cook and Vaughan parked themselves for a long stay, caution being their byword. Both were beaten by new-ball men Chris Martin and Kyle Mills, and Vaughan edged Jeetan Patel just short of slip on 23.
Then it got interesting. Cook miscued a pull to be well caught by substitute Nick Horsley running in from deep midwicket and nightwatchman Matthew Hoggard edged Martin to first slip.
In between, Vaughan should have gone lbw to Vettori, the decision by umpire Darryl Harper, if not bizarre, then at least a potential deal breaker in New Zealand's eyes, depending on events this morning. It would have had New Zealand cock-a-hoop.
Patel wheeled away tidily and Vettori's class ensured he had the batsmen's undivided attention. The pitch should help the Kiwi spinners through the final day and a half, if they get the chance to have something to bowl at. It will be tough work, but New Zealand tails are up.
