Cricket was the last thing on the players' minds

The next ball was lashed to the cover boundary and before the over was out he had flirted with another short delivery, which somehow evaded edge and wicket-keeper on its way to the boundary.

It couldn't last for long and, sure enough, Ramprakash aimed a crooked off-side punch off Butler soon after and under-edged into his stumps.

All the way back to the dressing-room he should his head disbelievingly.

From a position of 221 for four, England were soon 223 for seven as Hussain and Andrew Flintoff followed in the space of two overs.

Hussain was wrongly given out, caught off his wrist guard, for 66 but Flintoff, as with Ashley Giles shortly after, played almost absent-mindedly.

Attempting a bread-and-butter nudge to fine leg, Flintoff spooned to mid-off, and Giles, after being caught-behind off a Butler no-ball, guided the same bowler to gully.

Proud

It would not have been unreasonable for the England players to ask themselves what they were doing playing sport at such a time.

The answer, of course, is that the pain and disruption would have been immeasurably worse had they stopped.

As Ian Botham put it during the tea interval, "It's a sad day but you have to get on with it. I'm sure it's what Ben and his family would want."

Certainly Ben would have been proud to have played James Foster's carve over extra cover for six off Chris Drum.

Hollioake had so recently been a member of the touring squad

And another plucky little innings from the wicket-keeper duly helped add 42 runs for the last two wickets.

With the follow-on target being 150 less than England's score because of the loss of the opening day to rain, Matthew Hoggard and Andrew Caddick now had something to aim for.

Even if England failed to dismiss New Zealand for less than 131, they had every chance of gaining a crucial first-innings lead.

Stephen Fleming's decision to give his rookie bowlers the best bowling conditions on the second day, has also promised his batsman the worst of the batting conditions on the last.

But having lost their first wicket for 16, New Zealand showed spirit of their own to reach to 70 for one by the close.

A compelling Test match could yet have any number of twists and turns to come but, for all that, the backdrop of sorrow and grief is certain to remain.