First Test, Lord's
New Zealand 208-6 v England (close of play, day one)

Brendon McCullum hit 97 to help New Zealand reach 208-6 after a truncated first day of the opening Test against England at Lord's.

McCullum rode his luck to smash 13 fours and two sixes and shared 99 in 20 overs with Jacob Oram (23 not out).

When play began at 1.20pm following morning rain, England won a key toss and James Anderson duly removed both openers within the first eight overs.

Monty Panesar bowled McCullum off the pad before bad light ended proceedings.

McCullum, who made 96 in his last Test at Lord's in 2004, typified a bold approach from many of the New Zealand batsman, but was the only one to prosper on a day short on overs but not on incident.

Witnessing the overcast drizzly skies that prevented a prompt start, England captain Michael Vaughan and his batting colleagues were no doubt relieved to see the coin come down in their favour.

Anderson was given the Pavilion End and a well-directed burst, plus the inexperience of the New Zealand top-order against the infamous Lord's slope, soon brought him reward.

In his first over he put one in the much-fabled right area and Redmond, unsure whether to play, fished and was neatly caught low at third slip by Alastair Cook.

Marshall was caught behind in similar fashion, only for umpire Simon Taufel to signal that Anderson had marginally overstepped.

But in Anderson's fourth over it was Jamie How who was the victim of more seam movement as Tim Ambrose took a simple catch behind the stumps.

Billed as the team's senior batsman following Stephen Fleming's retirement, he appeared to be still in Twenty20 mode as he attempted a series of rash strokes.

His first delivery produced the shot of the day, an exquisitely timed clip through mid-wicket, but he should have been run out when he charged down to the bowler's end for a single only to see partner Marshall there with him.

Anderson threw wildly wide of the stumps, unaware that he had time to walk with the ball and take the bails off himself.

Taylor continued to chance his arm, before a reckless hook at Broad flew off the top edge to Paul Collingwood at second slip.

Having taken three wickets with back of a length deliveries, England pitched the ball up to encourage swing, and although several balls flew to the boundary as the Kiwis maintained a positive approach.

Marshall, whose last Test innings was an undistinguished 10 against minnows Zimbabwe in August 2005, prodded at a good one from Broad and Andrew Strauss held a comfortable catch at first slip.

Anderson was brought back 20 minutes before tea, and he removed another debutant, Daniel Flynn, who after two neat flicks for four had his leg-stump knocked back when the ball brushed his thigh pad.

Sidebottom, unable to find his usual consistent combination of swing and accuracy, tried his luck from both sides of the wicket and both ends, but had one of his frustrating days, typified by McCullum's drive down the ground, which brought up the 50 stand in 70 balls.

Panesar had looked likely to be a bit-part player in conditions he would not have readily chosen to bowl in.

He was convinced he had dislodged McCullum on 73 with a quicker one that caught pad first as the batsman pushed forward, but languid official Steve Bucknor was unimpressed.

To compound his misery, the left-arm spinner was then launched for a huge straight six by McCullum that landed under the media centre at the Nursery End.

The stunning shots cotninued with an extra cover drive for six off Broad but three short of his third Test century he was deceived in the flight by Panesar, who duly celebrated as only he can.

Left-handers Jacob Oram and Daniel Vettori were finding runs rather more difficult to come by, and keen to protect a position they would gladly have taken at the tea interval, they happily took the offer of bad light.