Strong winds were a problem for the umpires

What will have changed, though, is the nervousness and uncertainty that always exists with a team is faced with a short time to bat at the end of a day should be gone.

England could only make a mess of things when they arrived at the crease with the shadows lengthening and the light deteriorating.

No one knew for sure how long play would continue and opening batsmen always hate that situation.

Tuffey's double

Up stepped Darryl Tuffey for his first over of the series and, with his second ball, he nipped one back to Trescothick to trap him lbw and, three balls later, Butcher fended off a lifter to short leg where Richardson clung on to an excellent low catch.

Hussain edged drum to slip and as Thorpe and Vaughan clung on by the skin of their teeth, the light faded sufficiently for the umpires to offer them the opportunity to scurry for safety.

I have seldom seen two batsmen head for the dressing room so swiftly.

New Zealand's innings floundered somewhat by the apparent lack of a plan.

Harris pads up - and is given out lbw

Andrew Flintoff seized on this and nabbed three wickets, including Chris Harris who, on 71, was despatched lbw in the blink of an eye by umpire Venkat.

If he watches a replay, the umpire might regret his haste because the ball landed some distance outside the leg stump and although Harris made rather a mess of it, he should not have been given out.

Hussain dropped the field back, sensing that New Zealand might try to get after the bowling in order to declare, and I wonder if, subconsciously, this might have handed the initiative to the Kiwis and put his own players in a negative, defensive frame of mind.

New Zealand lost their last five wickets for 51 and their total of 202 hardly seemed threatening.

However, if they can build a lead of 300 or so and leave themselves a day in which to bowl England out a second time, an unlikely victory is not beyond them. Certainly, the pre-lunch session of the fourth day will be crucial.