By Jamie Lillywhite

Cook gradually found his touch after a scratchy start to his innings

England established a lead of 421 over New Zealand after ending day three of the second Test on 277-9.

Resuming 148 ahead at 4-0, they lost Michael Vaughan in the sixth over but Alastair Cook, dropped on five, shared 131 in 192 balls with Andrew Strauss.

Cook edged for 60, Strauss (44) fell in the next over and Kevin Pietersen (17) was run out at the non-striker's end.

Ian Bell (41) put on 59 with Paul Collingwood who compiled a gritty 59 after being dropped on nought.

Interview: England batsman Alastair Cook

On a gloriously warm day with cloudless blue skies it was a question of how many risks England were prepared to take, given rumours of possible showers in store on Sunday.

New Zealand's cause was not helped when Cook was dropped by a diving Brendon McCullum with England 160 ahead.

In the same over, Kyle Mills seamed one away to catch Vaughan's edge and dismiss the skipper for 13.

Strauss hit a four first ball but had to battle for his 44

Strauss, seeking to justify his return to the side, glanced his opening delivery neatly for four and the fifty partnership with Cook arrived from 79 balls.

Daniel Vettori opted for seam for the vast majority of the morning session, waiting until 10 minutes before lunch before he came into the attack for the first spin of the day.

There was little turn for the left-armer and his first ball was a long-hop which Strauss gleefully punched through the covers.

Both left-handers scrapped through some difficult moments when fluency was a problem.

In his 26th Test, Cook finally hit his first international six, but it came off a top edge that flew straight over the keeper's head.

The Essex opener kept his composure and completed fifty from the final ball of the session, with a single which took the lead to exactly 250.

Despite England's dominant position, runs came slowly in the afternoon and wickets began to fall.

Cook edged low to Stephen Fleming at first slip and Strauss was denied a much-needed 12th Test fifty when adjudged lbw shuffling across to one from Jacob Oram that may have pitched a fraction outside leg-stump.

Collingwood has a reprieve when his lofted drive is dropped

The stage was set for Pietersen and he quickly obliged with some cavalier strokes, stepping down the wicket to whip through mid-wicket and then a straight drive with only one hand on the bat.

But on 17 he succumbed in the cruellest of fashions, a deflection into the stumps by bowler Chris Martin leaving him stranded out of his crease.

Collingwood might have gone without scoring, having stepped down the wicket to Vettori and mis-timing his lofted shot, only for Mark Gillespie to tip the ball over the ropes after an ungainly dive running back from mid-off.

After that the match rather drifted along, Bell playing a neat and tidy innings, as he so often does, but then falling in rather tame fashion when well set - as he also often does - to be caught at point nine short of fifty.

First-innings centurion Tim Ambrose clipped one stylish boundary off his toes when the new ball was taken but was then bowled through the gate by one that nipped back from Oram.

Stuart Broad edged behind trying to force the pace and Ryan Sidebottom fended to gully before Collingwood added quick late runs with Monty Panesar.

The number six picked up three fours in an over off Mills as he completed his second fifty of the match.

Collingwood was lbw to Gillespie to prompt an early close, but it remains to be seen if England will continue with their final two batsmen on Sunday.

Whatever the Kiwis are eventually set, it will be some way beyond the highest winning score at the Basin Reserve, the 277 made by Pakistan in 2003.