England press home advantage

Alastair Cook top-edges Mark Gillespie for six en route to a half-century © Getty Images

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See Paul Collingwood at the post-play press conference and the full day three report on ECBtv

England batted throughout the third day to strengthen their grip on the second Test against New Zealand in Wellington.

Alastair Cook and Paul Collingwood hit half-centuries and Andrew Strauss and Ian Bell weighed in with useful contributions to help the tourists, who resumed on four without loss in the second innings, close on 277 for nine.

That represents a mammoth lead of 421, and leaves England two days in which to declare their innings and bowl New Zealand out to record the victory which will level the three-match series.

Though the Kiwis retain some hope of pulling off an improbable triumph - the presence of Jacob Oram and Brendon McCullum in their middle order ensures any run-chase remains possible - history suggests otherwise.

The most they have made in the fourth innings to win a game is 324 for five - against Pakistan at Christchurch in 1994 - while West Indies’ 418 for seven against Australia in 2003 represents the highest successful pursuit in Test history.

England can take further heart from the fact that the pitch at the Basin Reserve, as it has throughout this contest, continues to offer assistance to the seamers, which went some way to explaining their solid if unspectacular progress on day three.

Cook and Strauss helped overcome the early loss of Michael Vaughan with a 106-run stand for the second wicket, and Bell and Collingwood accumulated steadily either side of tea before the second new ball provided Collingwood and Stuart Broad with an opportunity to up the ante.

Andrew Strauss, who made 44, helps put on 106 for the second wicket © Getty Images

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Vaughan was the only casualty in a morning session that began with McCullum dropping Cook.

The left-hander had added only three to his overnight score of two when he prodded tentatively at Kyle Mills, but McCullum, slow off the mark, failed to cling on to a sharp one-handed chance as he dived in front of Stephen Fleming at first slip.

McCullum made no mistake later in the over, pouching a much simpler chance to account for Vaughan, who, as in the first innings, was undone by a delivery that left him off the seam.

Cook and Strauss combined for 32 overs, the former hitting his first six in international cricket - albeit a top-edged pull over McCullum off Chris Martin - and driving Mark Gillespie twice through the off side en route to a 104-ball half-century that contained three further fours.

Strauss, eager to justify his recall to the team, also looked largely untroubled as he registered his highest score of the series, but both departed in successive overs midway through the afternoon session.

Mills induced an edge from Cook, who made 60, as he pushed forward firmly at one slanted across him - Fleming did the rest at first slip - and Strauss perished lbw for 44 playing across the line to Oram.

Kevin Pietersen wasted no time in whipping Oram through midwicket and driving him straight in the same over to suggest spectators could be in for an entertaining afternoon.

Paul Collingwood adds impetus to the England innings in the final session © Getty Images

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But he fell in the most unfortunate of circumstances, failing to regain his ground at the non-striker’s end after Martin touched Bell’s firm drive on to the stumps in his follow-through.

At 160 for four, England’s superiority was under as much threat as it had been since the first afternoon of the match, but New Zealand were left to rue missing opportunities to regain a foothold in the game.

Collingwood was put down before he had scored, dropped over his shoulder by Mark Gillespie as he ran back from mid-off attempting to claim a miscued drive off Daniel Vettori, while Mathew Sinclair, leaping high to his left at point, could get no more than fingertips to Bell’s lazy waft off the next ball, bowled by Martin.

Both survived until tea, although Collingwood, sent back by Bell as he went in search of a single, would have been run out for 12 had Matthew Bell’s throw from backward point hit the stumps.

Collingwood showed more sign of aggression after the interval, pulling Vettori for four to take England’s lead beyond 300, and continued to mix watchful defence with the occasional powerful stroke despite seeing Bell drive Oram loosely to point for 41 and Tim Ambrose have his off stump pegged back by an off-cutter from the same bowler.

Broad’s flurry yielded a useful 16 before he was caught behind driving at Martin, and Ryan Sidebottom’s departure - caught at gully via glove as he ducked into a short ball from Gillespie - persuaded Collingwood to free his arms further.

He went to his fifty off 107 deliveries, having hit eight fours, and Monty Panesar also managed a couple of authoritative drives in an entertaining ninth-wicket stand of 17 that ended when Collingwood was leg before swinging wildly at Gillespie for 59.