KEY POINTS:
England added 72 runs to their overnight total of 87 to end on 159 for three at lunch on day three of the first cricket test against New Zealand in Hamilton today.
Michael Vaughan was the only wicket to fall during the morning session after being caught by wicket keeper Brendan McCullum off the bowling of Jeetan Patel for 63.
Patel gave Andrew Strauss and Kevin Pietersen a few headaches as the tourists battled their way to the lunch break, but was unable to make another breakthrough.
Strauss, who started the day on one, made his way to 43 off 115 balls while Pietersen was on 10.
The spinners, including captain Daniel Vettori, have been the pick of the bowlers economy-wise with Vettori having gone for only 33 runs off his 21 overs and Patel returning figures of one for 38 off 17 overs.
England remain 311 short of New Zealand after the home team posted a first innings total of 470 all out off 138.3 overs.
The innings included a century from Ross Taylor (120) and half centuries from Jamie How (92), McCullum (51) and Vettori (88).
- NZPA
