KEY POINTS:
Top scorer Stephen Fleming threw down a 'men-or-mice' challenge to an England team he clearly doesn't feel deserve to be in a position to win this first test today.
Fleming punctuated his 66 with some powerful shots and saved a few for the post-match hostilities too, taking a
pop at England's negative approach to this test.
"We're the only team that's probably positive enough to create this opportunity," Fleming said in a thinly veiled pop at Michael Vaughan. "From that point of view, England are probably feeling pretty good about themselves in that they've got a chance of winning but we knew that would have to be the case if we were going to have a chance of winning."
On New Zealand's great collapse in the last session yesterday that saw them go from 99-1 to 119-7, Fleming chose to look on the positive side.
"It's great," he said. "It's breathed some life into a game that was meandering and has probably given us our best chance of winning.
"While it was spectacular to lose those wickets - you'd love to be in a position to dictate more - you look at the overall picture and it was the best thing that happened to this and for our overall chances of winning the game."
The former captain was warming to his task now. Asked if he was surprised at England's approach in compiling 348 off 143.1 painstaking overs, Fleming was unequivocal.
"Incredibly. There wasn't any intent. We bowled well, it was honest toil, but two an over for that amount of time? You'd think at some point they'd look to dominate. They've got to probably score twice that fast in the fourth innings to win so, if they do that, it will be a remarkable turnaround.
"Anything over 270-280 in 80-odd overs tomorrow is going to create scoreboard pressure as well as fielding pressure. It's going to be a good day's cricket."
Or it will be if England take up the challenge on what Fleming described as a pitch that is getting trickier to score on with "more traffic and sun on it". Whether it is amateur psychology or not, Fleming cannot comprehend a situation where they wouldn't go for it and would be disappointed if England chose a safe path through to a draw.
"Yeah, absolutely. They've been out of the game for four days; to be presented a chance like this and not take it would be just staggering."
Fleming said their approach today would not have to alter much, even given the disappointments of the final session.
"Our mindset has been positive the whole time so there's no switching for us. I guess we would have liked to have been a bit more comfortable and declared 350 ahead and have men around the bat but that's a different kind of pressure. But as you've seen so far, having players dig in, it is difficult to remove them but having them try to score is probably our best chance.
"I'm sure it's uncomfortable for Daniel and for us but I think if we were in the batting position, we'd know it would take a pretty good day to win."
Asked whether he thought chasing down close to 300 was realistic, Fleming was coy but only slightly.
"Do you want an honest answer? If you start well, you've got a chance with partnerships through the day. It's going to be difficult because spinners can dictate over and around the wicket and therefore you can manipulate the run rate a bit more with ball in hand. It's going to take someone in that top four to play an outstanding innings - [Kevin] Pietersen to play an outstanding innings. But if they lose wickets consistently through the day, even if you have a good partnership, and go into that last session four or five wickets down, they're only one wicket away from being in trouble with men around the bat.
"It's going to be an intriguing day and I'm rapt for test cricket."
