CRICKET:STUART BROAD lifted the gloom surrounding England's dismal fielding errors by delivering another promising display to vindicate the decision to change their line-up for the second Test.
The 21-year-old Nottinghamshire seamer was called up alongside Jimmy Anderson for the Basin Reserve after England chose to drop senior seamers Steve Harmison and Matthew Hoggard in the aftermath of the desperate opening Test defeat in Hamilton.
Anderson rewarded England's faith in the younger pair with a five-wicket haul during New Zealand's first innings and Broad followed up with an equally encouraging performance as England pushed for victory on the fourth day.
Broad finished with two for 38 from his 16 overs as New Zealand, chasing an unlikely 438 for victory, finished on 242 for six having lost Jacob Oram one ball before the umpires called a halt to the day 15 minutes early because of bad light. He claimed two wickets in an over and generally dealt with the wind-swept conditions impressively as the tourists chipped away at New Zealand's top order as they sought to claim the victory which would set up a series decider in Napier next week.
Bowling with the help of the gale behind him, Broad struck in his ninth over to induce opener Matthew Bell into edging behind after he had forged a useful 51-run stand with Stephen Fleming, who was playing his final Test at his home ground before his retirement from international cricket.
Five balls later he ended Fleming's dreams of marking his farewell with a match-winning century when the former New Zealand captain shouldered arms at a delivery which slanted across him and clipped his off-stump for 31.
The only blight on Broad's performance was another warning for running on the pitch, this time from umpire Rudi Koertzen in his 15th over, having received two previous warnings in his only previous Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo. He needs two more official warnings before he runs the risk of being removed from the attack, but Broad is aware of the problem, stressing: "It's when I try to bowl too close to the stumps I get close to the danger area but if I stay a touch wider I don't seem to have much trouble.
"I've been working on it in the nets and it's something I'm aware of because a few umpires have warned me to keep off the wicket.
"It's never really occurred at county level. I heard a few murmurs early in my one-day international career, but it's not something that is going to weigh me down or play on my mind."
With left-arm seamer Ryan Sidebottom also claiming three for 72, including Oram with the fifth delivery with the new ball, and Anderson ending the determined innings from Mathew Sinclair it was a satisfying day for the tourists.
Yet their day of being buffeted by the gales could have been so much shorter had their catching and general fielding been anything like near the standards they set at Hamilton.
Five catches and a stumping were missed with the most notable one being Kevin Pietersen dropping Ross Taylor, who went on to top score with 55, on 26 at mid-off after he mis-timed a drive down the ground.
Oram was the most fortunate batsman having been beaten by left-arm spinner Monty Panesar on 13 only for wicketkeeper Tim Ambrose to fluff a regulation stumping while he was dropped by Ian Bell at short leg off the same bowler on 14.
Ambrose had also missed a catch standing up to the stumps to Paul Collingwood and with several other players mis-fielding in the outfield, which included a return to the wicketkeeper from substitute fielder Graeme Swann which flew for four overthrows, it was not England's most distinguished day in the field.
"I don't think the fielding was down to nerves," insisted Broad, one of the culprits in the outfield. "The guys were very focused on the game in hand - I think it was just down to human error.
"Our fielding in Hamilton was fantastic and we took a few blinders there but we've put a few down here and that's just the way cricket goes sometimes."
Having missed chances galore during the day, at least England made amends with a late wicket to break up a threatening 69-run stand between Oram and Brendon McCullum shortly before the close.
Allowed to take the new ball despite gloomy light by the umpires, Sidebottom made the most of the opportunity by inducing Oram into driving straight to Pietersen in the gully and this time he took a far more challenging catch.
Just one ball later the day was halted 15 minutes prematurely and Taylor admitted: "It was very disappointing to lose that wicket.
"It would have been good to finish with only five down, but that's the umpire's call and we were inside so I couldn't really tell how dark it really was."
Overnight: New Zealand 198 (R L Taylor 53, D L Vettori 50 no; J M Anderson 5-73). England 342 (T R Ambrose 102, P D Collingwood 65; M R Gillespie 4-79) and 277-9 (A N Cook 60, P D Collingwood 59).
ENGLAND: Second Innings
M S Panesar c Taylor b Martin 10
J M Anderson not out 12
Extras b6 lb5 nb5 pens 0 16
Total (97.4 overs) 293
Fall of wickets: 1-21, 2-127, 3-129, 4-160, 5-219, 6-231, 7-259, 8-260, 9-277.
Bowling: Martin 24.4-4-77-2; Mills 23-5-59-2; Oram 20-9-44-3; Gillespie 15-1-63-2; Vettori 15-2-39-0.
NEW ZEALAND: Second Innings
J M How c Bell b Sidebottom 8
M D Bell c Ambrose b Broad 29
S P Fleming b Broad 31
M S Sinclair c Bell b Anderson 39
R L Taylor lbw b Sidebottom 55
J D P Oram c Pietersen b Sidebottom 30
B B McCullum not out 43
D L Vettori not out 0
Extras lb6 w1 pens 0 7
Total 6 wkts (81 overs) 242
Fall of wickets: 1-18, 2-69,3-70, 4-151, 5-173, 6-242.
To Bat: K D Mills, M R Gillespie, C S Martin.
Bowling: Sidebottom 23-8-72-3; Anderson 13-1-54-1; Broad 16-5-38-2; Collingwood 9-2-20-0; Panesar 19-1-49-0; Pietersen 1-0-3-0-16.
