England battle light on day two

Date released: 16 May 2008

Batsmen: Andrew Strauss (24) & Alastair Cook (43)
Bowlers: Jacob Oram (Pavilion End)
& Chris Martin (Nursery End)

Ryan Sidebottom collects four wickets as England finally dismiss the Kiwi tail. Alastair Cook and Andrew Strauss open for England, reaching a steady 68-0, between several breaks for bad light.

There are still a few tickets available for tomorrow's play. They'll be sold at the North Gate from 9am - £60-65 for adults; £20 for under 16s. Arrive early to avoid disappointment!

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England 1st innings

6:40pm: That's it. Even Bucknor and Taufel leave the field and that's the close for today's play. Eng 68-0 CLOSE.

See you tomorrow folks.

6:39pm: If there's any more play today it'll be a big surprise - but the umpires are still, resolutely standing out on the field.

6:26pm: Still no play. Whilst we're waiting, why not send us an email? Let us know what you think about the match, the new England kit or, if you've got tickets for the weekend, tell us what you're most looking forward to: communications@mcc.org.uk

Buy the new adidas England Test shirt 6:11pm: One of the talking points of the day has been the new adidas England kits. They were launched at Lord's back in April. It must be said, they're very white, a stark contrast from the 'traditional' creamy, off-white of old.

6:10pm: 6 o'clock comes and goes. The umpires are still out there but no sign of them calling the players onto the field.

5:43pm: Head Groundsman Mick Hunt is on the pitch, chatting to the umpires during this interval. Mick's wearing his jeans today, which tells you all you need to know about how cool it is - given his penchant for shorts in (almost) all weather.

All too familiar: Steve Bucknor consults his light meter 5:40pm: The respite is short-lived though - the light is offered and Cook and Strauss head back to the dressing room.

5:38pm: Bucknor's light-meter is out of his pocket again but disappears back inside his white coat, to loud cheers from the Lord's crowd.

5:29pm: Edged by Cook and in the air... but it runs to the boundary, right through the gap where a third slip would be.

Cook knew nothing about it until it hit the rope.

5:23pm: Strauss isn't having it all his own way. Martin finds his line at last and has Strauss playing and missing.

5:20pm: Strauss is starting to pick it well now - he powers Martin to the boundary.

5:19pm: Martin's back in the attack, from the Nursery End this time.

5:18pm: Whack! Strauss absolutely thumps that one through the off side for four. Oram's disappointed.

5:15pm: Fifty up for England (and the fifty partnership, obviously) with a well-run two.

5:11pm: Cook opens the face of the bat and pushes at one from Southee and gets four runs.

The next ball is clipped off the leg side for four more. And the next is a long chase for Vettori - so long, that Cook and Strauss run four anyway!

5:08pm: Vettori has a mid-over chat to Oram who hasn't quite found his length yet. It almost bears immediate fruit as Oram has Cook swinging at one that moved away from him.

5:06pm: Strauss and Cook are rotating the strike well - keeping the Kiwi bowlers on their toes.

4:59pm: Jacob Oram comes into the attack to replace Martin. Cook dabs at his first ball and a quick bit of fielding has Strauss at full tilt to make his ground.

4:57pm: Hurrah! The players are coming out again!

4:56pm: The covers are off and Steve Bucknor is putting the bails back on - some hope of play at last?

4:36pm: Ho-hum. Not even the rather thrilling site of the Lord's hover-cover to enjoy now. The field is still empty of players.

At least you're enjoying this text service - or Matthew A is anyway - thanks for your comments Matthew.

4:24pm: Cook and Strauss have hardly set the world alight so far but they've batted sensibly and have never looked seriously troubled.

They look even less troubled now, practicing their strokes in the England dressing room.

4:18pm: We're in for another enforced break folks. We are now receiving your emails at last, so do send in your comments, questions or opinions to communications@mcc.org.uk.

4:16pm: Steve Bucknor looks far from happy. The light-meter is still out and now it's raining! Bucknor removes the bails and the famous Lord's hover-cover is coming out.

4:14pm: Tea has been taken. The umpires are on the field again followed shortly afterwards by the players, hopefully.

A reminder of the match situation: England trail by 251 runs at the moment on 26-0.

3:57pm: It's getting gloomy again and the batsmen trudge off to take an early tea. Eng 26-0 TEA

3:56pm: Karen C emails in to ask if we can put the batsmen's individual scores alongside their names. Great idea Karen - ask and it shall be done! As you can now see, it's Alastair Cook doing the bulk of England's scoring so far.

3:52pm: The loudest ripple of applause in England's innings as the batsmen are offered the light... and reject it!

Tim Southee comes into the attack in the first bowling change.

Cook gets a loose one from Mills and plays a great pull shot 3:45pm: Short from Mills and pulled away by Cook - but New Zealand have a man out there and it's only another single.

3:39pm: Do send us your comments on the match though and this, new, live text update service on Lords.org. Like it, loathe it? Have any suggestions? We'd love to hear them.

3:37pm: You're not missing anything with the match whilst we've been distracted by emails. Cook and Strauss are rotating the strike from time-to-time with quick singles but it's a bit of a chess match at the moment.

3:32pm: Ah, rather carelessly we've been using the wrong email address. If you've been sending in comments and having them rejected, it's because that email address should be communications@mcc.org.uk - sorry about that!

3:23pm: It's a bit of an umpire convention in the middle now. No players on the field but Steve Bucknor and Simon taufel, joined by their colleagues, are taking regular light-meter readings... and taufel is beckoning the players back on again.

3:16pm: Take this opportunity to send us your views: communications@mcc.org.uk - what do you think of the match so far?

Are England in the ascendency or could the conditions and the light help the Kiwi bowlers too?

Cook and Vettori leave the field due to bad light 3:14pm: Bucknor and taufel have a quick chat - the light is offered and the players are heading back to the dressing rooms.

Frustrating times for the spectators but the England batsmen would never hear the last of it from their skipper if they got themselves out in bad light.

3:13pm: The light-meters are out again - but Cook and Strauss are still batting.

3:09pm: Good soft hands from Cook and he sends it just wide of James Marshall at third slip - four runs.

3:02pm: Martin darts one in at Cook and hits him on the thigh. A half-hearted appeal but Cook is off for a stroll around the square with a sore thigh that one hit just where there was no padding.

2:58pm: The bails are off... but it's a straight drive from Cook that has Strauss making sure his bat is grounded.

2:57pm: A wide one from Mills and Cook's eyes bulge. England are off the mark with a boundary.

2:54pm: A maiden over to start with for Martin. It'll be Kyle Mills partnering him from the Nursery End.

2:49pm: It's Andrew Strauss - as he strides out from the famous Long Room alongside Cook.

Chris Martin will open the bowling for New Zealand with Strauss facing.

2:47pm: Who'll open the batting for England? Alastair Cook is a given but will he be partnered by Michael Vaughan or Andrew Strauss?

73% of you think Vaughan should bat at number three in the vote on the Lords.org homepage.

New Zealand 1st innings

2:42pm: It's Sidebottom getting most of the applause. After a difficult opening day for him, his four wickets make him the outstanding bowler.

New Zealand won't be too disappointed - having been 19-2 and 41-3 on Thursday they will have aimed for 300. 277 was a decent recovery after a bad start.

2:41pm: There's the final wicket! Vettori doesn't pick it at all and Sidebottom takes middle and off stump. NZ 277 all out

2:36pm: Cheers around the Ground this time as the umpires beckon the players back onto the field.

2:23pm: The umpires offer the light and the Black Caps happily trot off again, to jeers from the Lord's crowd.

2:22pm: Anderson's line is better and after letting Vettori have a single he has Mills playing a missing.

Worryingly, Steve Bucknor has the light-meter out again.

2:19pm: Sidebottom is trying to force it now and bowling wide down the off side. Mills is happy to just watch those go by all day.

Left-hander Sidebottom switches to bowling over the wicket, trying to angle it in at the right-handed Mills.

2:14pm: 14:14 on the 24 hour clock and another boundary from Vettori makes it 14 off the over too.

2:12pm: Slapstick comedy from Pietersen and Broad on in the field as they perform a bizarre circus-esque performance, tumbling over one another trying to save a boundary... and the ball still hits the rope.

Vettori's on 41 - can he get enough of the strike to get his fifty?

2:06pm: Five slips and a short-leg... England aren't expecting Chris Martin to hang around for long.

Southee's stumps are broken by Sidebottom 2:05pm: The players are back on again and Sidebottom has Southee out. The tail-ender swings at the first ball after the break and his stumps are in a mess. NZ 260-9

1:38pm: The players trot out after lunch... but are barely on the pitch for a few moments before the umpires offer the light and the Kiwis eagerly scurry off again.

12:59pm: Vettori thinks for a while but opts to run a single - exposing Southee to Broad's pace. Southee's safe for now though, running a quick single himself.

And that's lunch.

12:56pm: A wicket maiden from Sidebottom and he is looking deadly at the moment. He's almost doing too much with the new ball, the swing darting too far to leg-side.

12:54pm: Four balls of this new ball over: one wicket and three appeals as Sidebottom is emploring Steve Bucknor - first for LBW and then for an edge, caught by Ambrose... but Southee survives.

Kyle Mills loses his off stump to Sidebottom 12:52pm: No question this time! Sidebottom skittles Mills' off stump, knocking it flat! NZ 258-8

12:51pm: First delivery with the new ball and Sidebottom hits Mills on the bads. A ripple of hope runs around the Ground but Steve Bucknor is shaking his head.

12:50pm: Finally, it's time for the new ball and hopefully a much needed boost to the England attack. It is Sidebottom who comes on from the Nursery End.

12:48pm: It's Ryan Sidebottom swinging his arms and stretching now - getting ready for the new ball perhaps?

12:40pm: Mills and Vettori are finding the gaps in the field now and picking up ones and twos. It's a frustrating spell for England.

12:35pm: Broad beats the bat and Mills is looking at the pitch but that beat him all ends up.

12:31pm: Paul Collingwood is swinging his arms around in the slip-cordon. It looks like the Durham man may be tossed the ball soon.

12:28pm: At the 80 over mark England can take the new ball. Broad is bowling the 74th over of the match.

12:22pm: Vettori hits it straight to Panesar and takes on his arm. A great pick up and throw from Monty but he misses the stumps.

12:17pm: Vettori's swinging the bat again and clubs it for four.

12:16pm: Mills has timed that one well off Panesar and gives Alastair Cook a long run to the boundary as the batsmen run three.

12:09pm: Panesar is skipping, dancing and appealing in his second over of the day as he strikes Mills on the pad - once again Simon taufel is unmoved.

12:01pm: If it was baseball that'd be strike one against Vettori as he swung wildly at that one from Broad - and missed.

Monty Panesar comes on from the Nursery End.

11:58am: Broad thinks he's caught Vettori's glove now and is half way to hugging Ambrose before realising Simon taufel is shaking his head.

It's thigh pad this time and Vettori is not out.

11:56am: Stuart Broad comes into the attack in place of Anderson.

11:55am: There are cries of "Catch it!" in the slips as Sidebottom thinks he's caught Mills' glove.

Steve Bucknor is unmoved and replays show it was his jumper not his glove.

11:51am: A short one from Anderson has Ambrose leaping to the full-extent of his short frame - to barely reach it. Andrew Strauss thinks quickly to stop the ball hitting the fielding helmet, which would have cost England five penalty runs.

Vettori concentrates on this one 11:50am: A bit of width from Anderson and Vettori swings the bat at it to get the first, official boundary of the day.

New Zealand need a big innings from their skipper now.

11:48am: Warm applause for Sidebottom as he takes his place back on the boundary. He'll already be feeling a great deal better about today, with a wicket to his name.

11:47am: Three slips and a gully and Ian Bell is strapping on the shin pads to go at short-leg. Michael Vaughan is cranking up the pressure.

11:44am: Bingo! Breakthrough for England! Sidebottom pitches one up to Oram, it catches the edge and Andrew Strauss snares the catch in the slips after a little juggle. NZ 222-7

11:39am: Some movement from Anderson now and it brushes Oram's thigh pad, forcing Tim Ambrose into a good, diving stop.

11:31am: Ouch - one on the right shoulder for Oram and he misjudges what he thought was a bouncer from Anderson.

11:28am: Another maiden over for Sidebottom and it's all a bit tentative this morning. The New Zealand batsmen are hardly being gung-ho but the England bowlers haven't seriously threatened them, yet.

11:18am: Sidebottom's starting to find his swinging delivery again and is already looking more like the bowler that terrorised New Zealand on England's tour there.

11:10am: The ball visits the boundary for the first time today but it's byes. A wild one from Sidebottom beats Ambrose's dispairing dive and it's four to the total.

11:09am: First bit of excitement of the day - some needlessly risky running from the Black Caps threatens a run out - but Oram's giant strides see him safely home.

11:08am: Sidebottom stays on at the Nursery End and will be hoping for a better day today with the ball after being overshadowed by Anderson and Broad yesterday.

11:04am: First run of the day. Vettori clips one off his hip and the Kiwis run an easy single.

11:03am: It is indeed Anderson coming on the Pavilion End, to bowl at Vettori to start with.

11:02am: A lively one from Sidebottom has Oram ducking out of the way and Ambrose fielding high-up.

James Anderson is the fielder doing the most intensive warm-up, surely he's the man to bowl from the Pavilion End?

A nice maiden from Sidebottom.

11:01am: First ball of the day from Sidebottom, bowling the rest of his over from the Nursery End, with three slips and a gully.

An easy leave for Oram to start the day.

• Day one's match updates

10:58am: The England team are in the field, Oram and Vettori too, both swinging their bats to warm-up.

10:56am: Ryan Sidebottom and James Anderson opened the attack for England yesterday - after Sidebottom struggled and Stuart Broad thrived, will there be a change of plan today? Sidebottom has five balls of an over to complete today but will he stay in the attack?

10:54am: The countdown timer is running on the Sky TV coverage - we're moments away from the start of play on day two.

10:45am: Daniel Vettori is, arguably, the best number eight in world cricket today. With a Test high score of 137* he's clearly no mug with the bat.

He's scored a half-century at Lord's too. His 54 in a Test Match here in 1999 helped the Kiwis to a nine-wicket win.

Vettori is the only survivor from those line-ups to today's match. He played alongside the likes of Chris Cairns, Nathan Astle and Dion Nash - and against Alec Stewart, Mark Butcher and Aftab Habib... remember him?

Habib batted at six in two Tests during New Zealand's tour of England in '99. He scored only 26 runs in three innings and was promptly dropped. He's now coaching Hong Kong's national team, apparently.

10:35am: Twenty five minutes to go - the flags are fluttering in a consistent, gentle breeze towards the Pavilion End, but still no sign of the dreaded rain. What do the weather forecasters know anyway?

10:19am: The match is finely poised. England bowled well yesterday but Brendan McCullum pulled the Black Caps back into the match.

With Daniel Vettori and Jacob Oram at the crease there's still danger for England but... get one of them out and they're into the New Zealand tail. It should be an interesting morning.

10:03am: The Ground is already filling up nicely, the John Barnes Outswingers are in fine fettle, with their brass jazz behind the Pavilion already drawing appreciative applause - we're looking good for another great day's cricket.

9:55am: Even the velvet voice on the Lord's 'Prospects of Play' phone line says the outlook for an 11am start is good and they're normally circumspect at best.

Fingers crossed it doesn't rain between now and 11am!

9:48am: There are still a few tickets left for today's play. If you're at a loose end today get yourself to Lord's. Yesterday's play saw over 200 runs and six wickets, if today is half as exciting you'll have a great day out.

9:30am: The gates at Lord's are open again on Friday. Despite some threatening clouds it's a dry morning at HQ and the prospects of a prompt start at 11am appear good.

The England players are out warming-up on the Nursery Ground so conditions underfoot are clearly not treacherous.