New Zealand's comfortable first innings progress put England's hours of toil at the crease into stark perspective at Old Trafford yesterday and left the home side facing yet another Test salvage operation.
Guarded about a pitch which had demonstrated variable bounce and pace on the opening day of the third Test as England battled to 108 for six, they clearly decided that further caution was necessary if they were to progress to a total of around 200.
Cajoled and encouraged by the determined and resolute batting of Mark Ramprakash, England did just that by finally being dismissed for 199 - the 13th time in the last 24 Tests they have failed to reach 300 in the first innings. What England, and few other people in the 13,062 crowd had recognised, was that the minefield which greeted both teams on the previous day had flattened to such an extent that New Zealand were able to begin their innings without the fears and apprehension which was a feature of their opponents' efforts.
Happy in the knowledge there was little evidence of anything untoward, New Zealand progressed at a steady rate and finished just 71 runs adrift on 128 for 2 after important innings from captain Stephen Fleming and opener Matthew Horne.
From the moment Andrew Caddick and Dean Headley came steaming in with the new ball, New Zealand adopted a positive stance with Horne blazing seven boundaries before falling for 39 in the 15th over of their reply.
Horne, New Zealand's Lord's centurion, was fortunate to get off the mark after receiving a brutal, lifting delivery from Caddick in the third over of the innings which he edged straight to Graham Thorpe at first slip only to surprise the Surrey man and the chance was missed.
An early breakthrough could have made all the difference, but instead New Zealand - and Horne in particular - played with great confidence and punished a wayward four-over opening spell from Headley which cost 21 runs.
Caddick broke the 46-run partnership with a superb in-swinging yorker which penetrated Horne's defence, only for Fleming to arrive at the crease with an even greater purpose to bat England out of the match as soon as possible.
Fleming played the innings of the match so far, punishing anything which was over-pitched with his trademark straight drives which brought three of his five boundaries in his superb 38 before Peter Such won an appeal for leg before just six overs from the close.
Such, who claimed eight wickets on his Test debut at this venue against Australia six years ago, had played a prominent part in enabling England to progress from their overnight 108 for 5 to 199 all out - even if he did fail to register anything on the scoreboard.
Ramprakash and Headley had resumed their overnight partnership and it took New Zealand 17 overs to part them when Chris Harris, brought into the side ahead of Geoff Allott in an attempt to exploit the turning surface, finally struck by dismissing Headley.
Headley had been the far more aggressive of the two England batsmen, reaching 18 off 52 balls while it took Ramprakash 115 balls to progress to the same mark.
Chris Read also departed after playing on to a ball which cut back sharply off the seam.
Caddick contributed a further 12 before falling victim to an unnecessary run-out when he pushed into the covers and Ramprakash called for a second run.
After 72 minutes of defiance, Such fell edging Daniel Vettori to Matthew Bell at short leg to claim the unenviable record of the second longest duck in Test history which is only eclipsed by Allott's 101 minute effort against South Africa in Auckland during the winter.
Tufnell helped his Middlesex colleague add a further 16 for the final wicket before being caught at second slip by Nathan Astle off Dion Nash to leave Ramprakash unbeaten on 69.
