Prior's fight and keep

            While New Zealand were held up by a stubborn sixth-wicket partnership of 101 in 42.3 overs between Matt Prior and Joe Root, the wicket of Prior the over before the new ball was due tightened New Zealand's grip on the game. At tea England, on 176 for 6, were still 267 runs behind New Zealand and some way from the follow-on target of 244.New Zealand made deep inroads in the first session of the day. Generating swing that was non-existent for England's much-vaunted attack, they claimed three lbw decisions in the session to leave England teetering on 92 for 5 at the interval, having scored only 42 runs in 29 overs in the session. Earlier Southee broke through in the third over of the morning. Having swung the ball away from the right-hand batsmen, he saw one go straight on and strike Nick Compton on the pad. While the umpire, Paul Reiffel, declined the original appeal on the grounds that the ball may well have hit the bat before hitting the pad, New Zealand were quick to call for a review that showed the ball had made first contact with the pad.Root remained at the crease but had scored just 37 from 156 balls and, like the rest of the England batsmen, had not been able to replicate Prior's fluency.The pitch had not deteriorated. It was simply that New Zealand's seamers bowled a little fuller, a little straighter and gained a little more swing than England. In short, they have bowled better. Bruce Martin, who came into this series largely unknown outside New Zealand, has generated turn that Monty Panesar, his left-arm counterpart, could not and has looked a far more threatening proposition. New Zealand, dismissed as no-hopers by some in the run-up to this series, are currently at No. 8 in the Test rankings. But they have looked the better side for significant portions of this encounter and now have an excellent opportunity to embarrass the No. 2 rated team. New Zealand have previously only beaten England at home in one Test series, in 1983-84, and away in two: in 1986 and in 1999.