James Anderson took his 300th Test wicket and then ended a bold counter-attack by New Zealand’s Ross Taylor as England fought back in the first Test at Lord’s.
Friday’s second day ended with New Zealand 4-153 in reply to England’s first innings 232, a deficit of 79 runs.
Anderson took the first three wickets to fall, reducing the Black Caps to 2-7 before dismissing Taylor for a scintillating 66.
“I’m quite happy I’ve got it out of way the early and can move on now and think about something else,” Anderson told reporters after stumps.
The 30-year-old, in his 81st match at this level, did not have long to wait for his 299th Test wicket after taking the new ball.
One ball after Hamish Rutherford had cover-driven him for four, Anderson squared him up with an outswinger and England captain Alastair Cook, diving to his right, held an excellent low catch at first slip.
Anderson struck again when Peter Fulton, the tourists other opener, nicked a good length ball low to second slip Graeme Swann as the Lancashire seamer became only the fourth England bowler after Fred Trueman, Bob Willis and Ian Botham to take 300 Test wickets.
New Zealand were now in dire straits, with Anderson’s purple patch yielding two wickets for no runs in 17 balls.
Taylor, however, responded with the innings of the match so far, stroking 13 boundaries – only eight fewer than England managed in their entire innings.
However, a partnership of 93 with Kane Williamson (44 not out) ended when Taylor was lbw to Anderson to leave the tourists 3-100.
“I think the way they batted they were timid but at seven for two the momentum was back with them,” said Taylor.
“I didn’t intend to counter-attack, I just wanted to be positive and play as straight as possible. When you have that positive intent the looser balls come into your area.”
New Zealand lost their fourth wicket when fast bowler Steven Finn, on his Middlesex home ground, had Dean Brownlie lbw for 23 following a review of Australian umpire Steve Davis’s original not out decision.
Kiwi captain Brendon McCullum was one not out when the umpires finally decided the light was no longer playable and drew stumps.
Taylor’s was the first fifty of the match following an England innings where Jonny Bairstow top-scored with 41.
Tim Southee, who removed Joe Root and Prior with successive deliveries, led New Zealand’s attack with four for 58 after England resumed on 4-160.
Southee made the breakthrough after an hour with a bad ball that Root, on 40, obligingly glanced down the legside to wicket-keeper BJ Watling.
Prior had frustrated New Zealand with an unbeaten hundred that ensured a draw and a 0-0 result in a three-match series when the teams last met in Auckland in March.
But he was lbw first ball to Southee.
Stuart Broad survived the hat-trick but was soon plumb lbw for nought to left-arm seamer Neil Wagner.
Bairstow was last man out, caught and bowled by Southee.