First Test, Lord's
New Zealand 277 v England 89-0 (close of play, day three)

Persistent drizzle on day three of the Lord's Test left England frustrated as they were denied the chance to gain a stranglehold over New Zealand.

Play was confined to a 40-minute spell in the morning session, as England reached 89-0 with more composed batting from Alastair Cook and Andrew Strauss.

They were replying to New Zealand's 277 and will struggle to force a result now with only two days remaining.

Cook just had time to record his second first-class half-century of the season.

Play began only 25 minutes late, and the packed crowd were hopeful that there would only be minimal further interruption from the weather.

With so much play already lost over the first two days, Cook and Strauss needed to build a solid platform with the hope that England would only need to bat once in the match.

Chris Martin and Kyle Mills barely troubled the two left-handers, and the best shot was Cook's back-foot force through the covers off Mills.

The ball raced to the fence to bring up the Essex man's half-century off 79 balls, and he was unbeaten on 53 at stumps.

Strauss, who hit one clever flicked boundary off Martin for four, was on 31.

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