England all but batted New Zealand out of the second Test with its top-six guiding their side to a 421-run lead at the close of play on the third day of the second Test at the Basin Reserve on Saturday. Already ahead by 144 runs, the England batsmen produced a series of partnerships to reach 277 for nine at the end of play, giving its bowlers a formidable target to defend and at least two days to try to level the three-match series. The highest successful run chase at the Basin Reserve was the 277-3 achieved by Pakistan in Dec. 2003, while the highest fourth-innings total was the 286 by New Zealand against Sri Lanka in Dec. 2006. Opener Alastair Cook scored 60, and combined in a 106-run partnership with Andrew Strauss (44) while there were also useful contributions from Paul Collingwood (59) and Ian Bell (41). Collingwood and Bell put on 59-runs for the fifth wicket. Monty Panesar was six not out at the close while Collingwood, who also scored 65 in England's first innings of 342, was trapped leg before by Mark Gillespie in the final over of the day. Gillepsie had dropped Collingwood before he had scored. Jacob Oram was New Zealand's best bowler with 3-44 while Kyle Mills had figures of 2-59. England had resumed the day's play on 4-0 and only lost the wicket of captain Michael Vaughan (13) before lunch, when he nicked a Mills delivery to wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum, who took the straightforward catch. Cook, Strauss and Kevin Pietersen (17) were then all dismissed between lunch and tea in front of a capacity crowd of 9,500, which forced New Zealand Cricket to close the gates. Oram then took two wickets in the evening session, having Bell caught at point by Mathew Sinclair before he bowled Tim Ambrose, who scored a century in the first innings, for five. Stuart Broad was dismissed just before the close when he chased a full delivery from Chris Martin and was caught behind by Brendon McCullum for 16. Ryan Sidebottom was then caught by Jamie How at third slip for a duck off Gillespie, who trapped Collingwood in front on the first ball of the final over of the day. New Zealand won the first Test in Hamilton by 189 runs. The final match begins in Napier on March 22. ScoreboardEngland (1st innings) 342 New Zealand (1st innings) 198 England (2nd innings) Cook c Fleming b Mills 60 Vaughan c McCullum b Mills 13 Strauss lbw b Oram 44 Pietersen run out (Martin) 17 Bell c Sinclair b Oram 41 Collingwood lbw b Gillespie 59 Ambrose b Oram 05 Broad c McCullum b Martin 16 Sidebottom c How b Gillespie 00 Panesar not out 06 Extras (b-6, lb-5, nb-5) 16 Total (for 9; 94.1 overs) 277 Falls: 1-21 (Vaughan), 2-127 (Cook), 3-129 (Strauss), 4-160 (Pietersen), 5-219 (Bell), 6-231 (Ambrose), 7-259 (Broad), 8-260 (Sidebottom), 9-277 (Collingwood). Bowling: Martin 23-4-72-1 (1nb), Mills 23-5-59-2 (1nb), Oram 20-9-44-3, Gillespie 13.1.-1-52-2 (1nb), Vettori 15-2-39
