May 25, 2008	Sunday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 19, 1429

MANCHESTER (England), May 24: Ross Taylor’s unbeaten 154 helped put New Zealand in command of the second

Test on day two against England and the tourists then dismissed Alastair Cook before tea at Old Trafford on Saturday.

England reached 42 for one at the interval after Cook was adjudged lbw for 19 to Iain O’Brien, who managed to cut a delivery back into the left-handed opener.

Andrew Strauss was on 17 and Michael Vaughan had four.

New Zealand made 381 for nine with the injured Daniel Flynn unavailable to bat.

Taylor dominated the England bowlers throughout his innings and faced just 176 deliveries in total with 17 boundaries and five sixes.

Realising Flynn was not going to bat, Taylor went on the attack late in his innings and his last two scoring strokes were sixes off James Anderson and Ryan Sidebottom, one a top-edged hook over fine leg and the second a pull over midwicket.

England’s bowling lacked penetration, despite Anderson’s occasional hostility on a bouncy pitch, and their fielding was equally erratic as they twice conceded five runs to overthrows.

Taylor, in his seventh Test after having made his maiden century against England in March, put on 89 from 119 balls with number nine Mills, whose Test best 57 frustrated England.

Vaughan’s side toiled following two early wickets in the day when New Zealand’s overnight batsman Jacob Oram and captain Daniel Vettori were run out within three balls in the same over.

Taylor played the ball towards backward point and the batsmen set off for a quick single before hesitation allowed Cook an opportunity to eye a run out. His direct throw at the stumps was enough to dismiss Oram, who ran lethargically.

The big-hitting Oram, who scored a century in the drawn first Test at Lord’s, put on 113 with Taylor in just 145 deliveries.

Vettori lasted two balls before departing bizarrely.

After playing a leg glance, he sprinted back for a second run and although he was over the batting crease by about 12 inches both feet and his bat were in mid-air when wicket-keeper Tim Ambrose broke the stumps after Panesar’s throw.

Scoreboard

NEW ZEALAND (1st Innings, overnight 202-4):

J.M. How c Ambrose b Anderson 64

A.J. Redmond b Sidebottom 28

J.A.H. Marshall lbw b Sidebottom 0

L.R.P.L. Taylor not out 154

B.B. McCullum c Collingwood b Panesar 11

D.R. Flynn absent hurt 4

J.D.P. Oram run out 38

D.L. Vettori run out 1

K.D. Mills b Anderson 57

I.E. O’Brien c Bell b Anderson 5

C.S. Martin b Anderson 0

EXTRAS (B-4, LB-11, W-3, NB-1) 19

TOTAL (all out, 90.3 overs) 381

FALL OF WKTS: 1-80, 2-86, 3-102, 4-123, 5-249, 6-250, 7-339, 8-368, 9-381.

BOWLING: Sidebottom 27-6-86-2 (1nb, 1w); Anderson 20.3-0-118-4 (2w); Panesar 22-1-101-1; Broad 20-3-60-0; Collingwood 1-0-1-0.

ENGLAND (1st Innings):

A.J. Strauss not out 17

A.N. Cook lbw b O’Brien 19

M.P. Vaughan not out 4

EXTRAS (B-1, NB-1) 2

TOTAL (for one wkt, 15 overs) 42

FALL OF WKT: 1-33.

TO BAT: K.P. Pietersen, I.R. Bell, P.D. Collingwood, T.R. Ambrose, S.C.J. Broad, R.J. Sidebottom, M.S. Panesar, J.M. Anderson.

BOWLING (to-date): Martin 7-2-18-0; Mills 3-0-15-0 (1nb); O’Brien 4-2-8-1; Vettori 1-1-0-0.—Reuters