For Seddon Park, read Dead'un Park, but even on a tortoise of a pitch England could lose the first Test of this series against the odds. 383 runs behind at the start of the third day, after an uncharacteristic moment of carelessness by Alastair Cook had increased New Zealand's chances, they faced a great deal of hard work over the weekend.

England have disappointed so far as much as anything because they have started yet another overseas Test series underprepared. It stood out a mile by the time that New Zealand had completed their eighth highest total against England that the two bowlers in their attack who have had only two matches since Christmas were the weak links. Matthew Hoggard was hit for five runs an over and Stephen Harmison could summon neither the fire nor the pace to trouble even the New Zealand tailenders.

Monty Panesar, who bowled for the Lions in India to prepare himself for the challenge here, again bowled with good control, if less variety than his New Zealand counterpart Daniel Vettori. But it was Kevin Pietersen who finally broke the largest stand of the New Zealand innings while Ryan Sidebottom and Paul Collingwood, well seasoned after the one-day series, bowled tidily to share the other wickets on a chastening second day for Michael Vaughan and his team.

New Zealand have so far taken their opportunity exceptionally well. After Ross Taylor had completed an imposing maiden Test hundred and Daniel Vettori had only narrowly missed his third century in Tests, they bowled well enough to make Michael Vaughan and Cook work hard. They still promised their third hundred partnership in England's last three Tests, until Cook top edged a pull at a ball from Chris Martin that was not short enough for the shot. Hoping to protect Andrew Strauss, Hoggard came out as night watchman with four overs left but Martin, who had himself been castled first ball, was too good for him.

By adding a further 188 for their last four wickets on the second day, and batting for a further 48 overs and three balls, New Zealand succeeded in increasing the wear on the pitch in the bowlers' follow throughs, thus creating possibilities for Vettori and his distinctly promising off-spinning partner, Jeetan Patel. Vaughan and Cook had played and missed against the accurate Martin and Kyle Mills while the ball was new, much more than New Zealand's openers had against Sidebottom and Hoggard at the start of the game.

But it was Vettori who made them look seriously uncomfortable at times as he varied his pace with familiar skill. Vaughan showed his skill too. He seemed at first to have some preconceived plan to play the left-arm spinner off the pitch by going onto the back foot even to good length balls but after two narrow squeaks he proved flexible enough to adjust in mid innings. He looked much more secure when he got forward, although Vettori missed a trick by not posting a second man close in front of the wicket. There promised to be a crucial duel on the third day.

Once England had failed to take wickets with the new ball they were in trouble. It is hard to imagine an Australian team setting such ambivalent fields as Vaughan did in the first hour when, for all the exceptional comfort of the batting conditions, the prime consideration should have been to break the Taylor/Vettori partnership before it had settled. Both, in fact, scored at a healthy rate regardless of the fact that Vaughan limited Sidebottom and Hoggard, armed with a virtually new ball, to two slips and a gully.

Taylor, with his big backlift and considerable strength, hit some resounding off and straight drives against Hoggard but he also sliced an outswinger in the air just out of Cook's reach in the gully. Vettori's innings might also have been nipped in the bud had Collingwood been given a second slip. To their great credit, however, Taylor and Vettori took such control that it was only when Taylor attempted to sweep Pietersen's second ball for six that England broke through. Vettori himself eventually dinked an off-cutter to slip.

The wise money remained on a draw despite Martin's two wickets late on the second evening. The seven higher New Zealand totals against England have all been in games that were eventually drawn. Whether the Hamilton groundstaff have produced their docile pitch to try to ensure a five day game or simply to give an inexperienced home side its best chance of avoiding defeat, it is a pity because there is plenty of evidence that it is perfectly possible to produce a pitch on this square with the kind of pace and even bounce that makes for a more exciting spectacle.

In lamenting Harmison's innocuousness it is also possible to sympathise with him because he gets so few pitches which suit him. In his new role Geoff Miller owes it to Harmison and the other England fast bowlers to persuade the ECB and the Test groundsmen to give them more help in the first part of the coming home season. Against South Africa, with Dale Steyn and Mornie Morkel in the side, it might be a case of asking Hamilton's groundsman for the secret.

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