New Zealand, led by another big knock by Peter Fulton, strengthened their grip on Monday on the deciding third cricket Test against England in Auckland.

With Fulton unbeaten on 91 and skipper Brendon McCullum 44 not out, the Black Caps reached 4-176 in their second innings at lunch on the fourth day at Eden Park.

The home side began the day at 3-35 and the 141 runs they accumulated in a dominant session took their overall lead to 415.

Fulton and McCullum upped the tempo when they came together at 4-82 and their 94-run partnership has taken just 81 balls.

Fulton has hit 17 boundaries, including four sixes.

The opener is on the threshold of becoming the fourth New Zealander to score centuries in each innings of a Test after his earlier 136.

Fulton showed a preference for the on-drive, which brought him five boundaries in the session.

He also produced two fine shots over mid-wicket to the rope in one Stuart Broad over.

Fulton did have a life on 31 when facing Broad, but Jimmy Anderson put down a tough chance at mid-wicket.

He went on to be particularly severe on spinner Monty Panesar, lofting three sixes.

The first came in an over in which he took 14 runs on the way to bringing up his half-century and New Zealand’s 100.

McCullum wasn’t sluggish either, hitting four fours and two sixes. He and Fulton took 17 off one Panesar over.

The one wicket to fall was that of Dean Brownlie, dismissed for 28 in Panesar’s first over of the morning, with Ian Bell taking a great running catch from mid-on.

Brownlie and Fulton put on a 74-run stand, having come together late on Sunday with the home side in strife at 3-8.