LONDON, May 18: New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori led a spirited Kiwi fightback on Sunday with three cheap wickets on the fourth day of the first test against England at Lord’s.

At tea England, who resumed the day at 89 for no wicket in reply to New Zealand’s 277 after 153.2 overs had been lost to rain and bad light, were 239 for six.

Vettori accounted for Kevin Pietersen (3), Paul Collingwood (6) and Tim Ambrose (0).

Collingwood and Ambrose fell to the first two deliveries of Vettori’s 10th over and the hat-trick ball just eluded Stuart Broad’s groping bat.

The slow left-armer did not bowl on either Friday or Saturday after having two stitches removed from a split on his spinning finger shortly before the match.

England skipper Michael Vaughan stood firm while the middle-order crumbled around him, playing some delightful strokes through the leg-side to reach his 19th test half-century.

Vaughan had taken his total to 61 with seven fours at the interval while Broad was on 10.

In the morning session, Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook completed their first test century opening partnership.

They had to work hard for their runs against some disciplined and intelligent bowling from Chris Martin, who extracted movement off the seam from the Nursery End.

Martin squared Cook up with a delivery coming into the left-hander from around the wicket which nipped away for wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum to take a tumbling catch in front of first slip. Strauss reached his 12th test half-century before he was lbw to Jacob Oram for 63 and Vettori captured the important wicket of Kevin Pietersen lbw pushing forward.

Ian Bell was caught by McCullum from another fine Martin delivery moving away from the right-hander for 16 and Collingwood fell to a slip catch off Vettori.

Ambrose was beaten through the air with the next ball and Broad was lucky to survive the over.

Scoreboard

New Zealand 1st Inns

J. How c Ambrose b Anderson 7

A. Redmond c Cook b Anderson 0

J. Marshall c Strauss b Broad 24

R. Taylor c Collingwood b Broad 19

B. McCullum b Panesar 97

D. Flynn b Anderson 9

J. Oram c Strauss b Sidebottom 28

D. Vettori b Sidebottom 48

K. Mills b Sidebottom 10

T. Southee b Sidebottom 1

C. Martin not out 0

EXTRAS: (B-16, LB-14, W-1, NB-3) 34

TOTAL: (all out, 86.2 overs) 277

FALL OF WKTS: 1-2, 2-18, 3-41, 4-76, 5-104, 6-203, 7-222, 8-258,

9-260, 10-277

BOWLING: Sidebottom 28.2-12-55-4, Anderson 20-5-66-3 (1NB, 1W), Broad 24-4-85-2 (2NB), Collingwood 3-1-11-0, Panesar 11-2-30-1.

England 1st innings (overnight 89-0)

A. Strauss lbw b Oram 63

A. Cook c McCullum b Martin 61

M. Vaughan not out 61

K. Pietersen lbw b Vettori 3

I. Bell c McCullum b Martin 16

P. Collingwood c Taylor b Vettori 6

T. Ambrose lbw b Vettori 0

S. Broad not out 10

EXTRAS: (NB-11, LB-7, W-1) 19

TOTAL: (for 6 wkts, 85 overs) 239

FALL OF WKTS: 1-121 2-148 3-152 4-180 5-208 6-208

BOWLING: Martin 28-8-65-2 (5NB), Mills 19-3-53-0 (6NB), Southee 12-1-48-0, Oram 13-2-33-1 (1W), Vettori 13-4-33-3.—Agencies