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MANCHESTER - Some prophetic pre-series words from allrounder Jacob Oram were borne out as a familiar problem returned to haunt New Zealand's cricketers at Old Trafford.
Their second innings collapse for 114 on day three of the second test against England, after taking a first innings lead of 179, rated up with some of the worst of recent years as they lost by six wickets today.
Oram warned of such jitters in an interview with The Guardian's cricket writer Lawrence Booth during the recent Indian Premier League (IPL), but it seems the solutions are still some way off.
"For three days we compete and then it goes wrong. I don't know whether it's mental or physical, it's as if we're done halfway through a game," Oram said, recalling the 2004 series here which they lost 0-3 as an example of their halfway jitters.
"Perhaps it's because we don't win too many tests that we don't know how to seal it. Maybe we don't play enough to win."
It evoked memories of two similar collapses in recent years.
In coach John Bracewell's second test, against Pakistan in Wellington in 2003, New Zealand led by 170 on the first innings then folded for 103 at the hands of Shoaib Akhtar to lose by seven wickets.
Against Australia in Christchurch in 2005, they led by one run on the first innings before master spinner Shane Warne helped skittle them for 131 and usher in a nine-wicket win.
This time it was Monty Panesar who did the damage with six wickets on a helpful pitch.
Captain Daniel Vettori was searching for answers today, defending just 294 when it should have been nearer to 400.
"It's been a rap on us for a little bit, our third innings has let us down for a period of time whether it's bat or ball," Vettori said.
"I don't know if you can put it down to being bad frontrunners, it's just not assessing certain situations.
"We talk quite hard about just staying calm, not getting worried about outcomes and realise the more runs we put on the board the more pressure we put on England.
"Unfortunately we got caught up in losing a couple of wickets, trying to hit our way out of it and it put us in a really bad situation."
Vettori said Daniel Flynn's absence and Oram's neck injury which saw him drop down to No 7 didn't help their cause on day three, but added it wasn't an excuse for a "poor batting performance".
He defended the decision by team management not to allow Flynn to bat, even though he wanted to return despite suffering ongoing nausea from a James Anderson bouncer to the face which smashed two teeth.
"We're quite protective of him. He hasn't been in a great space for the last couple of days. He wants to bat but it's just not a good idea."
SCOREBOARD
New Zealand
First innings 381
Second innings 114
England
First innings 202
Second innings (76-1 overnight)
A Strauss c Taylor b O'Brien 106
A Cook c Marshall b Vettori 28
M Vaughan c McCullum b Martin 48
K Pietersen run out 42
I Bell not out 21
P Collingwood not out 24
Extras (9b, 10lb, 6nb) 25
Total (for 4 wkts, 88 overs) 294
Fall: 60 (Cook), 150 (Vaughan), 235 (Strauss), 248 (Pietersen).
Bowling: C Martin 13-1-45-1 (2nb), K Mills 6-0-17-0 (2nb), D Vettori 35-7-111-1 (2nb), I O'Brien 20-2-62-1, J How 1-0-4-0, J Oram 13-1-36-0.
Result: England won by six wickets, lead three-match series 1-0.
- NZPA
