Sidebottom
LONDON (AP):
ENGLAND OPENERS Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook coasted virtually untroubled to 68-0 when bad light halted play for the fifth and final time yesterday on the second day of the first test against New Zealand.
England trail by 209 runs at Lord's after New Zealand were dismissed shortly after lunch for 277. Ryan Sidebottom took all four wickets to fall yesterday as he recorded figures of 4-55 in 28.2 overs.
Cook at ease
Almost four hours of play - and 72 overs - have been lost in the opening two days to rain and bad light. Despite the gloom, Cook, in particular, looked in a belligerent mood, moving to 43 in 61 balls, while Strauss had made a more circumspect 24 from 68 deliveries.
With the exception of Brendon McCullum and Daniel Vettori, New Zealand had made batting in the overcast conditions look extremely difficult.
By contrast, Cook and Strauss negotiated the afternoon session with little trouble. Apart from an edge past the slip cordon, Cook looked completely at ease, at one point helping himself to 12 runs from three deliveries by Tim Southee.
As a unit, the New Zealand attack struggled to bowl with the same swing and seam that had helped Sidebottom make such a significant contribution.
New Zealand added just 69 runs to their overnight tally of 208-6, losing their final three wickets to a rampaging Sidebottom for the addition of 19 runs.
Vettori's contribution
After enduring a wicketless first day, Sidebottom took 4-3 in 10.1 overs with seven maidens, claiming two wickets both sides of lunch.
Following McCullum's run-a-ball 97 on Thursday, captain Daniel Vettori was the main contributor yesterday, making 48 in a 162-minute stay at the crease.
Vettori had struck three conse-cutive fours off James Anderson behind point when he inexplicably failed to play a stroke at a delivery from Sidebottom that cannoned into his middle stump.
England's fast bowlers redis-covered in the morning session the same rhythm and discipline that had reduced New Zealand to 104-5 shortly before tea on Thursday.
