First Test, Lord's
New Zealand 277 & 296-6 v England 319 (close of play, day five - match drawn)

Jacob Oram hit a resilient 101 as New Zealand frustrated England to secure a draw in the first Test at Lord's.

The all-rounder's 120-ball 101 featured 15 fours and two sixes, helping the tourists towards a 227-run lead when poor light ended play earlier than expected.

Oram came in when Brendon McCullum was forced to retire hurt with his side in trouble with four wickets down.

With England aiming for an unlikely win after three rain-affected days, Jamie How (68) and then Oram stood firm.

The second Test in the three-match series starts at Old Trafford on Friday.

The hosts will be disappointed not to have forced a result having taken four wickets before lunch on the final day but there could be few arguments about the quality of Oram's century, his first against England and his fifth in Test cricket.

Many, however, will point to the manner in which Kiwi openers How and Aaron Redmond came through a potentially pivotal final hour of play on day four.

Amid deteriorating light and faced by an England attack desperate for wickets to set up final-day victory push, the pair batted with guile and composure not only to emerge unscathed but also to reduce England's lead from 42 runs to just two.

But, having arguably overcome their most testing challenge and also overturned the deficit, the partnership was swiftly broken.

In the absence of swing on a cold morning in St John's Wood, the England quicks instead probed for movement off the seam.

Only five overs had passed when James Anderson generated some extra bounce outside off stump, found Redmond's outside edge and presented Andrew Strauss with a straightforward catch at first slip.

England had expressed concern about the shape of the new ball and, with the first delivery after the umpires had swapped it for one of a similar age, Sidebottom found in-swing and trapped James Marshall with a ball seemingly destined for leg stump.

Ahead of play, New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori had spoken of his side's plan to bat all day and they could hardly have made a worse start.

But How, with only one previous Test 50 from his previous 16 innings, led the reconstruction mission with a graceful 68.

He flashed Stuart Broad over gulley to bring up his 98-ball half-century and then opened his shoulders to dispatch Anderson for a pair of sumptuously timed boundaries through the covers and square-leg.

The 27-year-old drove Broad and swept Monty Panesar for fours but at the other end Ross Taylor, who produced a bizarre one-day style knock in the first innings, was in less glittering form.

He had already seen an attempted leave clip the toe of his bat and fly between second and third slip when Strauss put down the most simple of chances to spare him again.

Ironically, upon falling lbw to Panesar, Taylor was perhaps unfortunate because the he appeared to get an inside edge onto his pad.

The number four was, however, caught at slip in the process so, either way, he was rightly heading back to the pavilion.

Key to England's chances of forcing a result was likely to be the dismissal of Brendon McCullum.

New Zealand's star batsman made a run-a-ball 97 in the first innings and signalled his intent by planting Panesar back over his head for four in the 37th over.

Shortly before lunch, Panesar appeared to be winning his duel with McCullum - coaxing a leading edge that fell short of cover, completely deceiving him the very next ball and then having a vociferous leg-before appeal rejected.

McCullum stood firm but England would not have to wait long for a breakthrough.

In his second over after the interval, Broad angled a superb delivery into How that straightened off the seam, caught a leading edge and was snapped up by the agile Alastair Cook at third slip.

Four overs later the same bowler sent down a straight, short-pitched delivery which smashed into McCullum's forearm.

Sporting a visible lunch, the wicketkeeper-batsman was taken to hospital for an x-ray and although no break was found it was not decided if or when he might return with the bat.

That left Daniel Flynn and Oram to lead the fight, which by now had turned into one of survival.

With their primary objective to spend valuable time at the crease, the pair batted with caution but were by no means afraid to open up, Oram slog-weeping Panesar over midwicket for six.

Another opportunity went begging for England when Oram edged Sidebottom high between second and third slips, but the all-rounder brought up the 50 stand and then his a 67-ball half-century as New Zealand reached tea with a 157-run lead.

With news that McCullum would be fit to resume his innings at the fall of a wicket filtering through, Oram was able to adopt an even more carefree approach and he lashed Broad for three fours and Panesar for one.

He was dropped by Ian Bell off Panesar at short leg but, such was the power of the shot, it would have been a remarkable dismissal.

Oram's bludgeoning form continued as he clubbed Kevin Pietersen for a huge six over long off before bringing up his first century against England with an unstoppable cover drive off Sidebottom for four.

Sidebottom exacted revenge by bowling Oram with the new ball but by then the damage was done.

McCullum returned to add a quickfire 13 to his 11 but was caught behind off Anderson, and it was not long before the captain shook hands.

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