New Zealand past

            Trott, called into the attack when Cook had exhausted all other options, dismissed Bendon McCullum just as it seemed the New Zealand captain was putting the game beyond England. Pushing the ball wide of off stump, Trott gained just enough swing to draw McCullum into a drive only to find the outside edge and see Matt Prior, standing up to the stumps, claim his second excellent catch of the day. It was just the fourth wicket of Trott's 41-Test career and may yet turn out to be the most important.England claimed three wickets in the morning session. Bowling with more discipline than the previous day, England conceded just 62 runs and, having been looking down the barrel of a huge total when New Zealand reached stumps on the first day on 250 for one, reduced New Zealand to a less daunting 297 for 4. The wicket just about sustained England's ever diminishing hopes of winning the series. McCullum, batting aggressively and scoring with a freedom that none of his top-order colleagues could replicate, had once again made a mockery of England's attempts to bowl short at him by pulling and cutting with power. He also unsettled Monty Panesar's length by skipping down the pitch to drive and, when the bowler compensated, sitting on the back foot and cutting. Had he spent another hour at the crease and this game may well have been put beyond England.New Zealand were not finished, though. Tim Southee pulled Broad for successive sixes and thrashed three fours, two drives and a cut, off Steven Finn as the bowler struggled with his length. The seventh-wicket partnership had added 41 runs in 8.2 overs at tea.Whether New Zealand had already struck the decisive blow in this series remains to be seen. By the time Trott struck, McCullum had added 68 runs for the fifth wicket with Dean Brownlie and steered his side away from a position from where England were threatening to claw their way back into the game.