Strauss, Bell tons give England the edge
Posted on Mar 24, 2008 at 10:21 | Updated Mar 24, 2008 at 12:36
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Tags: cricket, england, new zealnd
Napier: Andrew Strauss and Ian Bell centuries put England firmly in command of the third cricket Test against New Zealand on Monday as they ended day three with a 501-run second innings lead.
Strauss remained unbeaten on a career-best 173 with England at 416 for five. He had earlier shared in a 187-run stand for the fourth wicket with Bell who was out for 110.
In this series-deciding third and final encounter New Zealand will again face a world record fourth innings target after being asked to chase 438 in the second Test in Wellington and falling 126 runs short.
New Zealand won the first Test in Hamilton by 189 runs.
Strauss, who was handed a lifeline by being selected for this England squad after missing the previous series against Sri Lanka, had failed to excite in his early outings in New Zealand.
In his first five Test innings he only averaged 19.4, before coming right to produce his 11th Test century and first in 16 Tests.
Bell scored his seventh Test hundred ending a 12-match lull. England resumed the day at 91 for two and the only wicket to fall in the first session was first innings centurion Kevin Pietersen who was neatly caught by Ross Taylor at slip.
Pietersen went to turn Daniel Vettori down the leg side only to have the ball deflect off the back of the bat for Taylor to pick up diving to his right.
Strauss, meanwhile, continued undaunted by his first innings duck and after arriving at the crease in the first over of England's second innings with the early dismissal of captain Michael Vaughan.
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