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Chief destroyer Ryan Sidebottom has warned New Zealand's best batsman to expect a more aggressive approach when they meet again.
The left-armer was responsible for cleaning up New Zealand's tail in the first innings with innings-best figures of 4-55. However, it was the way he and the rest of his attack bowled to Brendon McCullum that grated on him and he has promised a more aggressive approach.
"He's a good player and he took the momentum away from us," Sidebottom said of McCullum's first innings 97, scored from the unfamiliar position of No 5. "But we weren't as aggressive as we could have been.
"We're not going to go out and just bowl bouncers at him but the odd bouncer but, any batsman, they don't really like it in general. It stops them moving their feet well."
There is a pay-off though. McCullum is probably more adept than most at dispatching short-pitched bowling into spectators.
"As a unit, we just weren't aggressive to McCullum. We let him play a lot of front-foot shots. He's quite good at hooking and pulling but no batsman likes it and it gets them off their play."
Sidebottom, 30, remains a constant thorn in the side of New Zealand though he did say "I was bitterly disappointed with my performance [on the first day]".
Still, ahead of the second innings, Sidebottom has now stripped New Zealand of 28 wickets in three-and-a-half tests at a cost of 16.6 each. He made someone as stoic as Jacob Oram, whom he claimed in the first innings, say he was the best seamer he had faced in recent times and "I'm pretty keen not to face him again".
But he will, you can guarantee it.
What you cannot guarantee in England in May is decent weather. The heat wave that enveloped the United Kingdom this month disappeared just in time for the opening test of the 'summer'.
On day two, when there was not even a sliver of blue overhead and the thermostat stalled at 15, umpires Steve Bucknor and Simon Taufel offered the light no less than five times.
It was hardly a surprise that the struggling New Zealanders gleefully accepted on each occasion but there were a few eyebrows raised when England, sailing along at a carefree 68-0 chose to retreat to the safety of the pavilion.
Oram admitted it had been a godsend for his side as they struggled to find any rhythm as the England openers made hay while the sun didn't shine.
