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Brendon McCullum gave critics of his batting promotion something to chew over but was still left feeling hollow after his fighting knock only delayed England's victory charge in the third cricket test.
McCullum batted a tick over three hours for 71 on a gloomy third day at Trent Bridge, and was in sight of stumps before England paceman James Anderson sneaked one through his defences for his eighth wicket of the match.
It left New Zealand entering the fourth day still 64 runs behind the hosts with five wickets in hand after following on when they folded for 123, a hefty deficit of 241.
McCullum copped much of the criticism from England's cricket writers for New Zealand's day two collapse against a devastating spell of swing bowling from Anderson.
The regular wicketkeeper shifted up to No 3 after his back injury, apparently suffered during sprint training at Northampton last week, forced him to relinquish the gloves to debutant Gareth Hopkins. It meant a second shift in position this tour after he was promoted to No 5 for the first test at Lord's from the familiarity of No 7.
When McCullum had his off stump uprooted by Anderson for nine in the first innings, attempting an on-drive against the swing, the knives were out.
"McCullum is a spectacular striker of a cricket ball but he is a destructive No 6 or 7, not a No 3," wrote the Daily Telegraph's Derek Pringle. "You might be able to hit your way out of trouble in a 50-over match, but test matches mostly require a bit of patience and technique."
Former England test captain Mike Atherton, in the Times, said the "gradual eclipse" of McCullum after his 97 in the drawn first test was the key to the hosts' series dominance.
He'd scored 11 and nought in the second test defeat at Old Trafford.
"The ball [in the first innings] that defeated him would have beaten most, but he played it loosely and with no regard to the possibility of late swing, betraying the instincts of a man more accustomed to the middle order."
McCullum strode out at 21 for one, with New Zealand facing an innings defeat inside three days. He shelved his attacking instincts, survived several close leg-before-wicket shouts and reminded all of his fighting qualities.
He reached his half-century off a sedate 103 balls while young Daniel Flynn, after nasty facial injuries from Old Trafford and a three-ball duck here, followed his lead.
The pair added 94 for the fourth wicket, Flynn showing courage to bat 152 minutes for his highest test score of 49 before Sidebottom nicked him out, three overs before the close.
McCullum chopped on to his stumps seven overs before Flynn, ending a 126-ball knock with nine fours.
"Hugely disappointing. I thought we put together a pretty good partnership," McCullum said. "It's not the way I normally play, but in saying that, it was something I had to do. It was disappointing to get out because I was hoping there might be a little bit more reward for the application I was trying to show."
He was guarded about whether he'd be seen at No 3 again in a test, saying he did his best.
He had special praise for Flynn, too. "He's a tough character and ... came back from a horrific injury in a short space of time."
- NZPA
