KEY POINTS:
New Zealand has finished at 282-6 stumps on day one of the first cricket test against England in Hamilton.
The young brigade of Jamie How, Ross Taylor and Brendon McCullum all made half-centuries with Taylor finishing unbeaten on 54.
Jamie How provided the days top innings before falling eight runs short of his first test century.
Despite his loss, the Black Caps added 108 runs in the final session with McCullum in especially belligerent mood striking 51 off 55 balls with two sixes and five boundaries.
His dismissal in the second-to-last over before stumps put a damper on an otherwise good day for New Zealand.
Earlier, resuming after lunch on 87 for one, New Zealand lost the wickets of Stephen Fleming (41) and Mathew Sinclair (8) in the middle session.
Jamie How was unbeaten on 90 and Ross Taylor 16 at tea.
New Zealand made good progress despite losing opener Matthew Bell in the first session.
Bell played a loose attacking shot to fast bowler Steve Harmison only to offer a sharp chance which was accepted in the gully by Alastair Cook.
New Zealand took a cautious approach after winning the toss and opting to bat first on a pitch providing few difficulties for the batsmen.
They had to wait eight overs for their first boundary when How top edged a hook shot off a short ball from Matthew Hoggard just wide of Ryan Sidebottom at fine leg.
Bell greeted the introduction of Harmison into the attack with a flourishing cover drive off the back foot for four, only to fall victim to the same bowler soon after.
How was solid, part from one edge which fell just short of gully, while Fleming eased into his work by flicking Harmison behind square leg for four before later getting the same reward with a qualify off drive off Hoggard.
England fielder Ian Bell was helped from the field midway through the session nursing a sore forearm.
Fielding at silly mid on, Bell had no time to react and was struck by a solid pull shot from his New Zealand namesake. He was taken to a nearby hospital for X-rays.
New Zealand's decision to include Jeetan Patel in their 11 marked the first occasion the home team have taken two spinners into a test since they played South Africa in Cape Town in 2006.
Patel got the nod ahead of Wellington seam bowlers Mark Gillespie and Grant Elliot.
England wicketkeeper Tim Ambrose was chosen to make his test debut.
The New Zealand players wore black armbands as a mark of respect for former Australian cricketer, Norm O'Neill, who died this week.
He was the father of current New Zealand batting coach Mark O'Neill.
New Zealand
Daniel Vettori (captain), Matthew Bell, Jamie How, Stephen Fleming, Ross Taylor, Mathew Sinclair, Jacob Oram, Brendon McCullum, Kyle Mills, Jeetan Patel, Chris Martin. Mark Gillespie (12th man).
England
Michael Vaughan (captain), Alastair Cook, Andrew Strauss, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell, Paul Collingwood, Tim Ambrose, Ryan Sidebottom, Matthew Hoggard, Steve Harmison, Monty Panesar. James Anderson (12th man).
Umpires: Steve Davis (Australia), Daryl Harper (Australia). Third umpire: Brent Bowden (NZ).
- NZPA
