Openers make positive start

Alastair Cook looks to score on his way to 43 not out

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England’s opening batsmen set strong foundations to overhaul New Zealand’s first innings 277 all out during an afternoon of interruptions for bad light at Lord’s.

Alastair Cook and Andrew Strauss shared a 68-run opening stand when yet more gloom forced the players off at 5.40pm, eventually forcing play to be abandoned for the day.

The pair took control in conditions that still favoured seam bowlers, bringing up the fifty from 98 deliveries shortly after the longest delay between 4pm and 5pm.

Cook led the way with 43 from 61 balls, including five fours - three of which were consecutive off Tim Southee, while Strauss provided reliable support with 24 from 69 deliveries.

Black Caps captain Daniel Vettori earlier held up England’s progress with a stubborn 48 from 100 balls as the tourists slowly built a respectable first-innings total.

Ryan Sidebottom, who claimed all four wickets to fall on day two, was the pick of England’s bowlers with 4-55 while James Anderson finished with figures of 3-66.

Sidebottom dismissed Jacob Oram and Kyle Mills before lunch and then picked up Southee and Vettori immediately after each of the first two interruptions.

New Zealand had resumed overnight on 208 for six after a combination of rain and bad light had limited play on the first day to 52.1 overs but added only 52 runs in the morning session.

In cool, overcast conditions - similar to day one - Sidebottom and Anderson initially bowled tidily without posing a serious threat to New Zealand's most experienced batsmen.

The only chance of a breakthrough in the early stages came when Oram just made his ground at the striker’s end after Vettori drove Sidebottom to mid-on, where Stuart Broad parried to Michael Vaughan to gather and throw from mid-off.

Daniel Vettori forces Ian Bell to duck as he hits Monty Panesar into the leg side on his way to 48

Sidebottom and Anderson quickly settled into their groove, the latter striking Oram on the shoulder with a bouncer, and forced the Kiwi pair to wait patiently for morsels to build their total.

They worked Oram over with some accurate short-pitched deliveries before Sidebottom found the outside edge with a full-length delivery. Strauss clung on sharply at first slip to remove the batsman for 28.

Vettori picked up the pedestrian scoring rate in the second hour as Vaughan offered him singles in an attempt to get tailender Mills on strike.

Sidebottom returned to take the new ball 10 minutes before lunch and removed Mills - bowled through the gate for eight - with the second delivery of his new spell.

Bad light twice halted play after lunch to add to England’s frustration - they would have hoped to be batting by then

The first break came just two balls into the session but Sidebottom struck with the next ball, bowling youngster Southee for one.

Vettori continued to be a thorn in England’s side, striking three fours square on the off side in Anderson’s first over of the afternoon, before the next short break ensued.

The skipper could only add two more runs before he misjudged a straight Sidebottom delivery and was bowled, leaving Chris Martin unbeaten on nought.