- Scorecard

England [Images], tied down by accurate New Zealand [Images] spin bowling, crawled to 286 for six at the close on the third day of the first Test on Friday.

The touring side trailed their hosts by 184 runs with two days to play.

Paul Collingwood [Images] was unbeaten on 41 with debutant Tim Ambrose on 23 at the close after Michael Vaughan [Images] (63), Andrew Strauss [Images] (43), Ian Bell [Images] (25) and Kevin Pietersen [Images] (42) were dismissed during the day.

England scored at barely two runs per over as New Zealand bowled a tight line and length with spinners Daniel Vettori [Images] and Jeetan Patel extracting prodigious turn and steep bounce from the pitch.

Vettori finished with figures of two for 60 off 38 overs and Jacob Oram [Images] conceded only 18 runs from 16 overs. Of the 93 overs bowled in the day, 34 were maidens.

England resumed after tea on 215 for five with Pietersen on 36 and Collingwood yet to score.

The naturally aggressive Pietersen, who smashed his third ball for six, was tied down by the New Zealand bowlers and exhibited signs of frustration at his inability to push the scoring along.

RETURN CATCH

He was eventually dismissed when a Vettori delivery ballooned off his pad from his bat and the New Zealand captain took a diving return catch.

Pietersen's 42 came off 131 balls, a strike rate of 32.06 which was less than half his career record of 64.68 runs per 100 balls.

Collingwood, who took 25 deliveries to get off the mark, guided England past the follow-on mark of 270, but was also lucky to be at the crease after Brendon McCullum missed a clear stumping chance when a ball from Patel reared sharply and hit his shoulder.

Earlier, England captain Vaughan scored his 18th test half century before he was well caught by McCullum off Patel and Strauss lasted just three balls after lunch when he was bowled by Vettori.

Bell, who survived two confident lbw appeals from Vettori and shouldered arms to several deliveries from Patel that spun back sharply and passed over his stumps, was bowled by Kyle Mills for 25 shortly before tea.