Craig White had the only success for England when he had Shanan Stewart caught at deep backward square leg for 58 by Ashley Giles when the score was 112.

It had been hard graft for the batsmen who took the minimum of risks but perseverance paid off for Stewart who scored the third half century of his brief first-class career and went on to make it his highest first-class score, bettering the 57 he scored against Northern Districts on his debut.

His partner in the opening stand, Robbie Frew, was 48 not out at the break.

New batsman Michael Papps had time to score one not out.

White went to the break with one wicket for 16 runs, while Andrew Flintoff had just started his first spell and had none for four. Matthew Hoggard had been the most expensive of the bowlers and none for 52 off his 16 overs.

Andrew Caddick had bowled 12 overs for 15 runs.

At drinks, Canterbury were 76/0 with Shanan Stewart 32 and Robbie Frew 36, a deficit of 144 runs.

Canterbury started their second innings 220 runs behind England and were intent on survival. After an hour of the afternoon session they had still to lose their openers who were more interested in keeping their wickets intact that scoring runs.

It was a battle of attrition in which left-arm spinner Ashley Giles got closest to making a breakthrough, but his appeals for bat-pad catches from Shanan Stewart were declined by umpire Dave Quested.

There were occasional outbursts of attacking play from the batsmen but there was a correctness about the batting approach with few balls lifted in the air, those that were being relatively risk-free.

Andrew Caddick bowled after the resumption for five overs and conceded only 10 runs while Giles bowled 13 overs and had none for 21.

Matthew Hoggard replaced Caddick and when the drinks break was taken he had none for 33 from his 12 overs.

Conditions have improved with the cool southerly having given way to a gentle nor-easter which has helped the temperature improve.

They had taken Canterbury to 40/0. Stewart was 17 and Frew 18.

Stewart was a model of application, taking 33 runs to get off the mark, and not coincidentally, off the dreaded pair.

When he had faced 51 balls he was one five and three balls later he had tripled his score with a six into the press tent and two balls later a four, both from left-arm spinner Ashley Giles.

Stewart had battled to get runs out of Andrew Caddick whose first six overs were maidens, but a single in the last over of his first spell got him moving and Robbie Frew clipped four off his legs to have none for five off seven.

Hoggard bowled nine overs, switching ends midway through and had none for 18 at the break. Left-arm spinner Ashley Giles had none for 12 off his five overs.

England's decision to bat on today, in fact into the last hour of the second day's play, was curious.

It achieved little for the match, and one suspects little for their side. All the players who had needed to bat, had batted.

By leaving Canterbury a target of 220 to wipe out the deficit, it was only going to be the England bowlers who were given a work out, when a lesser target might have resulted in batsmen getting another chance, especially those batsmen who failed during the first innings.

However, Canterbury set out determined to deny England the victory and by lunch had laid a foundation.

Shanan Stewart was still scoreless in the fifth over when he edged a ball from Andrew Caddick to Ashley Giles in the gully. Caddick was running through to congratulate the catcher but hadn't seen Giles lose the ball as he rolled on the ground to complete the take.

Neither did Stewart and he was walking from the ground until halted by umpire Dave Quested with the news that he hadn't achieved a pair.

After an hour's play, Canterbury were 12 without loss with Robbie Frew having scored all the runs and Matthew Hoggard having conceded them all.

England batted on for 29 minutes on the third morning, adding 32 runs, before the fall of Craig White's wicket, caught by Chris Harris, his fifth catch of the innings, from off-spinner Paul Wiseman's bowling.

White attempted to hit Wiseman over mid-wicket but chipped an easy chance to Harris with White out for 73 scored off 151 balls in 165 minutes. He his nine fours and one six.

Nasser Hussain made the declaration immediately leaving Andrew Caddick 15 not out with the score 432/9, a lead of 220 runs.

The ninth wicket stand was worth 49 in 43 minutes, and the entire England innings took 427 minutes.

By picking up the last wicket before the declaration Wiseman ended with three for 90 from his 21 overs while recalled Test bowler Chris Martin ended wicketless from his 23 overs at a cost of 92 runs.