At the third session drinks break, New Zealand were 43/1, Mark Richardson 21 and Lou Vincent 11.

After England captain Nasser Hussain was given out caught off his forearm from Daniel Vettori's bowling, England thought they had New Zealand No 3 Lou Vincent caught from a bat-pad catch by Mark Ramprakash at short leg when on three.

Television replays confirmed the edge had been taken, a fact which the bowler Andrew Caddick was keen to impress on Vettori.

New Zealand were opening their innings after England were dismissed just before the tea break for 280.

An early victim was Matt Horne, whose poor series continued when he was bowled by Andrew Caddick. He played around a straigher one and had it catch the inside edge of his bat and cannon into his leg stump. Out for eight, he departed when New Zealand had 16 on the board.

Mark Richardson was looking defiant and played one glorious straight drive for four off Matthew Hoggard. Sensing there was advantage in bowling left-arm spinner Ashley Giles, Hussain introduced him for the eighth over.

Caddick's nine-over first spell ended at a cost of 10 runs and he was replaced by Hoggard who immediately conceded three runs off his first ball to Mark Richardson.

Vincent survived another big appeal for a caught behind although the television evidence seemed inconclusive. He then added insult to injury by extra cover driving a ball from Hoggard for three.

England were finally all out for 280 after a last wicket stand of 30, just before the break.

England slumped with a dramatic middle-order collapse in the post-lunch session and at one stage three wickets fell for 11 runs as Mark Ramprakash, Nasser Hussain and Andrew Flintoff, in that order, departed in quick fashion.

Ashley Giles hit out for 10 but he too was gone quickly. At the drinks break in the session, England had reached 250/8, but immediately after the resumption Andrew Caddick attempted an off drive from Chris Martin, who had taken the new ball, and succeeded only in hitting it to Mark Richardson, who squatted low to pick up the chance. Caddick scored 10 and England were 250/9.

However, James Foster was in defiant mood and was ably assisted by last batsman Matthew Hoggard in adding 30 runs for the last wicket. Foster thrived in the attacking situation and played one lovely lofted off drive for six runs from Chris Drum's bowling.

Martin and Drum took the new ball, after Butler had been involved in getting the breakthrough earlier in the session, but when it looked all too comfortable for the English, Stephen Fleming called back Butler and he responded almost immediately by having Hoggard drive at a full ball which flew straight to wicket-keeper Adam Parore who completed the 199th dismissal of his career, although three of them were not as a wicket-keeper.

Foster was 25 not out off 45 balls.

Butler finished with his best figures in Tests of four for 60. However, he bowled 10 no balls, and New Zealand failed to get two wickets in this match because they were dismissed off no balls.

Drum finished with two for 85, Vettori two for 62 and Martin two for 58.

Forty-six overs remain in the day's play.

England went to lunch at 199/4, New Zealand went to the drinks break having reduced England to 238/8.

Northern Districts team-mates Ian Butler and Daniel Vettori picked up three wickets for two runs as the bottom fell out of England's batting, although the departure of England captain Nasser Hussain was controversial when he was given out caught off his forearm by Nathan Astle from Vettori's bowling.

Hussain had scored 66 in 225 minutes of batting off 160 balls. He hit seven fours.

Three balls earlier Mark Ramprakash had played fast bowler Ian Butler onto his middle wicket to be out for 24 scored off 70 balls.

And eight balls later, Andrew Flintoff attempted to turn a ball down the leg-side but the ball caught the leading edge of his bat and flew high back down the wicket where mid-on fieldsman Chris Drum ran in to take the catch. Flintoff scored two and England were 223/7.

Ashley Giles joined James Foster, and survived a life being caught behind by wicket-keeper Adam Parore from Butler's bowling. However, in making the delivery Butler had over-stepped for the ninth time in the innings and once realising what had happened he quickly regained his ground to avoid being run out.

He had time to hit a lovely off drive to the boundary, but in Butler's next over, Giles attempted a square cut and the ball lobbed to Craig McMillan at point, where the catch was taken with Giles out for 10.

James Foster was four not out and Andrew Caddick two not out at the break while Butler had three wickets for 57 and Vettori two for 54.

He cashed in on chances in the first Test to complete probably the most vital innings in the outcome of the match and looks set to do the same here.

At lunch, England were 199/4 with Hussain on 58 and Mark Ramprakash on 15.

He was on 46 when he was caught off by a superb diving chance taken by Ian Butler at mid-on.

But the delight was immediately tempered by Darrell Hair's out-stretched arm signalling the no ball.

Earlier, Mark Butcher was caught at second slip by Nathan Astle from Chris Drum's bowling for 47 and Graham Thorpe, always a key wicket to pick up, was gained when captain Stephen Fleming held a chance at first slip from Chris Martin's bowling for 11.

At that stage England was 163/4 and in some trouble. Vettori gained some spin and lift which caused problems for Hussain, one ball catching his gloves and lobbing high over wicket-keeper Adam Parore and first slip Stephen Fleming.

Hussain's half century, his 20th in Tests, was scored off 120 balls in 170 minutes.

Then, just before the lunch break, Vettori and the team went up for a huge appeal for a bat pad catch off Hussain to Fleming at close cover. However, Hair declined the appeal. Hussain was on 58.

There were 35 overs bowled during the extended morning session and England added 107 runs for the loss of two wickets.

Of the New Zealand bowlers, Chris Drum had two for 67 from his 20 overs, Chris Martin one for 48 from 13 overs and Vettori had one for 44 from 20 overs.

News of the death of England team-mate Ben Hollioake in a car accident in Perth overnight over-shadowed play. News came through soon after play started at 10am.

Conditions were in stark contrast to the abandoned first day with brilliant sunshine and the ever present northerly breeze.

England resumed at 92/2 and got through to 133/3 when Mark Butcher was out following a slightly wider ball from Chris Drum. He made contact and it flew high to Nathan Astle's right at second slip but he held it. Butcher was out for 47 scored in 132 minutes offf 88 balls.

Graham Thorpe, a team-mate of Hollioake's at Surrey, joined his captain Nasser Hussain, and saw play through to the drinks break by which stage England were 150/3. Drum had been taken out of the attack with two for 52.

He was replaced by Vettori who soon found increasing turn that started to cause some problems for the batsmen.

But it was Chris Martin who got the next breakthrough when Thorpe looked to pull out of an attempted pull shot, but in the process the ball caught an edge low on his bat and flew low to Stephen Fleming at first slip and he took the catch low to his right to complete his 98th Test match catch.

England were 163/4 and Thorpe, the double century-maker in the first Test was out for 11.