New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming said the umpires should have allowed more play on day three of the Auckland Test.

Fleming, who celebrated his 29th birthday on Monday, said: "I would've liked to seen more cricket - the bottom line is we're in the entertainment business.

"We should be careful about getting too precious about areas that are going to cause concern."

Play did not get underway until after 1pm local time, and in all only 28 overs were played.

Click here for Auckland scorecard: England 12-3 v New Zealand 202 all out

The main playing area had been dry for some time, but the umpires were concerned about an area of the outfield tucked up under the main stand which had no sun on it and stayed damp.

Both camps, however, insist a result is still a live possibility after a dramatic day at Eden Park which wickets tumbled on both sides.

And Fleming added: "It's a difficult wicket to bat on. It's going to get more difficult. We've seen variable bounce already."

England coach Duncan Fletcher said: "It's a good game of cricket. There are still a lot of overs to be bowled and a lot of cricket left."