Late Strikes From New Zealand Leave England Struggling

New Zealand picked up two England late in the day to confirm a position of strength after two day's play in the second Test at Old Trafford.After Ross Taylor hit an unbeaten 154 out of their 381, New Zealand removed England's top three as well as nightwatchman Ryan Sidebottom with the home side closing on 152 for four, still 229 runs behind.

England took the wickets of Jacob Oram (38) and Daniel Vettori (one) through run outs before they were frustrated by Kyle Mills, who made his maiden Test fifty, before he was bowled by James Anderson off an inside edge.Cook swooped with a direct hit to run out Oram while Monty Panesar took advantage of some poor running to remove Vettori, the pair departing within two overs of each other.After lunch, England lost their way, twice dropping Taylor and twice offering up four overthrows with some appalling work in the field.With Daniel Flynn unable to bat, Taylor smashed five sixes, playing as many shots as he had tried at Lord's but this time with the license to do so, and most of them came off. Anderson picked up his fourth wicket when Chris Martin was bowled for a three-ball duck.England made a steady start to their reply, Cook and Andrew Strauss playing patiently and picking off the bad balls. Cook's innings ended in somewhat unlucky fashion when an Iain O'Brien delivery jagged back markedly, as if he had bowled a leg-break, to rap him on the pads and he was sent on his way for 19.Michael Vaughan got off the mark with a glorious cover driven four before the break, but scored his runs at a desperately slow pace, succumbing shortly before the close to a Vettori delivery that he played all round to be trapped in front. He had made 30 runs from 133 balls.In between those wickets, Andrew Strauss was brilliantly caught by Brendon McCullum off of O'Brien, falling on England's most dreaded number 111 after he had made a neat 60.England's poor day was compounded when one ball after nightwatchman Sidebottom edged Vettori for four, he edged straight into the hands of Jamie How at slip to leave England in a precarious position overnight.Kevin Pietersen and Ian Bell, two men who owe their team some runs, were the overnight batsmen with Pietersen on 22 and Bell on four.How scored 64 on day one to set up New Zealand's position.