KEY POINTS:
Jacob Oram and Tim Ambrose were the dominant figures when the second test began at the Basin Reserve; and that's the long and short of it.
A clever photographer will keep an eye out for the chance to get the two in the same frame. The towering New
Zealander and England's diminutive Australian-born wicketkeeper would make a picture.
It was appropriate the pair shared the eye in the day's final over. At different stages yesterday both were central figures in an absorbing day which ended with England, having been sent in, on 291 for five, Ambrose on 97 and Paul Collingwood 48.
Oram was outstanding, but Ambrose had outshone him by the end, even if he was beaten four times in that final, gripping over as he sought his maiden test century.
New Zealand need early wickets this morning; England will be eyeing 400-plus.
England had the better of the first and third sessions, while New Zealand thoroughly dominated the second on a day when the purists will have relished the cut and thrust of a fascinating contest.
After England openers Alastair Cook and Michael Vaughan had got to 79 by lunch, the game swung New Zealand's way in the hour after lunch, during which three wickets went for 28 in 14 overs.
Oram led an often-demanding attack, feeding off England's insecurities against the swinging ball before fading rapidly after tea.
Oram's second ball after lunch, which moved away from Vaughan to clip his off bail, will be among the best of his career.
Three of the next four batsmen were out pushing at balls outside their off stump, Kevin Pietersen the exception, driving airily and missing an inswinger.
Oram conceded five singles and a no ball from his first 10 overs. It was 99 balls before he gave away a two and when Ambrose off drove him to the fence it was the first boundary off his 105th delivery.
Two catches went down, both off Ian Bell inside his first five balls. Mark Gillespie blotted his day with a dreadful attempt to catch a miscued hook at fine leg.
No wonder the bowler, Kyle Mills, gave him a couple of hard stares. In the next over, wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum put down a one-handed chance to his right.
Five wickets fell in 26 overs for just 77 in that middle session before Ambrose and Collingwood settled in and wrested back the momentum. By stumps they had put on 155. In the closing stages runs were coming at a merry clip.
Ambrose, who averaged 45 for Warwickshire in the first-class championship last year, was pugnacious, cutting whenever possible, driving confidently, and his adventurous spirit paid off.
His first nine scoring strokes included six fours and a six. He lived dangerously at times, Mills beating him four times in two overs. But there's an old line about who fortune favours and by stumps he had hit 15 fours and two sixes.
Ambrose has first dibs on filling the problematic test wicketkeeping job for England. With half centuries in his first two tests, he has made a strong early statement.
The pair added 90 in the first test at Hamilton. Ambrose is the free spirit, Collingwood the rock. They clearly enjoy batting together. Just as well for England.
