For the second time in this match, the New Zealanders had to rely on their tail-end batsmen to bolster their total after their top order struggled, a problem that Daniel Vettori, the New Zealand captain, acknowledged needs to be addressed before the Test series starts against England on May 15.

Essex lost Jason Gallian in the final over yesterday, but, weather permitting, there should be a really good battle today. Alastair Cook, resuming on 21, is in need of a big score to boost his confidence and Essex bat so far down that their No 9, Alex Tudor, once made 99 not out in a Test against New Zealand.

It was the touring side’s tail that spared their blushes yesterday after the team had slipped to 92 for six, with Vettori unable to bat with a cut finger. Kyle Mills added 58 with Aaron Redmond and then 45 with the last two men, finishing on 53 not out, to give New Zealand a lead of 292.

“It’s been a little sporadic but there has been some good stuff,” Vettori said yesterday. “James Marshall’s hundred [in the first innings] was outstanding, it’s what we have been crying out for from our top order. The second innings was not ideal - we had a tough time putting runs on the board.”

Vettori received two stiches for a gash to his spinning finger as he took a return throw from Brendon McCullum on Saturday and will miss the final warm-up game against England Lions at the Rose Bowl next week. “It will leave me short of practice before the Test,” he said. “Things started well for me when I bowled and coupled with three more bats that would have been ideal preparation.”

Redmond, usually an opener, did not come out until the fifth wicket fell because he had injured himself during a warm-up on Saturday. He had slid to stop the ball and somehow managed to drive his spikes into one of his knees. Redmond missed out on most of the fielding and meant he had to wait until after lunch yesterday to bat.

When he arrived, New Zealand were in crisis at 75 for five. Ross Taylor had played on to give Maurice Chambers his second first-class wicket, three years after his first, due to to a long string of injuries and McCullum, hit 35 off 29 balls, before edging Ravi Bopara’s second ball to slip.

Redmond, who is likely to make his Test debut at Lord’s, made a watchful 30 from 106 balls that pleased Vettori. “I was impressed with the way he left the ball,” Vettori said.

“He seems a very patient guy. We’re a touch aggressive as a top order and it’s great to see someone come in and graft.” It was a misjudged leave that brought his wicket as Tony Palladino got the ball to swing back in and clip off stump, but Mills twice hit James Middlebrook out of the ground to post Essex a testing target of 293.

Cook was dropped by Taylor for nought off Iain O’Brien in the fourth over. The Essex openers survived until the final over of the day when the same bowler and fielder combined to dismiss Gallian.

Scoreboard

New Zealanders: First Innings 355 (J A H Marshall 128; R N ten Doeschate 6 for 57)

Second Innings

J M How c Foster b Palladino 9

J A H Marshall c Middlebrook b Tudor 12

L R P L Taylor b Chambers 4

†B B McCullum c Gallian b Bopara 35

D R Flynn c Middlebrook b Chambers 3

J D P Oram c Palladino b Bopara 19

A J Redmond b Palladino 30

K D Mills not out 53

M J Mason c Foster b Tudor 13

I E O’Brien c Palladino b Chambers 12

*D L Vettori abs 0

Extras (lb 3, w 1, nb 1) 5

Total (67.4 overs) 195

Fall of wickets: 1-14, 2-22, 3-51, 4-63, 5-75, 6-92, 7-150, 8-176, 9-195.

Bowling: Tudor 9-2-46-2; Palladino 16-7-36-2; Chambers 12.4-4-37-3; Bopara 11-5-20-2; ten Doeschate 6-2-15-0; Middlebrook 13-4-38-0.

Essex: First Innings

J E R Gallian lbw b Mason 9

A N Cook c McCullum b Mason 15

T Westley c McCullum b Mills 20

R S Bopara c sub b O’Brien 66

*M L Pettini b O’Brien 29

R N ten Doeschate c Flynn b Vettori 1

†J S Foster b Mason 13

J D Middlebrook b O’Brien 5

A J Tudor c McCullum b Mason 41

A P Palladino not out 30

M A Chambers c Taylor b Mills 7

Extras (b 4, lb 16, nb 2) 22

Total (90.4 overs) 258

Fall of wickets: 1-19, 2-24, 3-85, 4-154, 5-155, 6-155, 7-169, 8-188, 9-241.

Bowling: Mills 21.4-8-40-2; Mason 21-7-65-4; O’Brien 17-3-46-3; Oram 14-4-47-0; Marshall 5-0-14-0; Vettori 11-4-23-1; Flynn 1-0-3-0.

Second Innings

A N Cook not out 21

J E R Gallian c How b O’Brien 22

Extras (lb 2) 2

Total (1 wkt, 12.1 overs) 45

Fall of wicket: 1-45.

Bowling: Mason 4-2-9-0; O’Brien 4.1-0-19-1; Mills 4-0-15-0.

Umpires: P Willey and T J Urben.