Black Cap tourists have England Lions in trouble on opening day

Having decided to bat first and battled cautiously to 49 without loss from 29 overs at lunch, England Lions seemed set to lay a platform for a major first innings total.

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But the tourists, playing their final match before the start of the npower Test series at Lord's next week, bounced back strongly and reduced the Lions to 89 for five before they recovered to reach 126 for five at tea.

Featuring a side including eight players with senior England experience - Michael Carberry, Adil Rashid and Graham Onions are the only players yet to feature at senior level - the Lions were hoping to undermine New Zealand's preparations.

Instead the tourists' attack, which was without injured captain Daniel Vettori and rested seamer Kyle Mills, ran through the top order to put them in control at the Rose Bowl.

Hampshire opener Carberry had earlier battled through the first session alongside captain Rob Key, hitting only four boundaries between them as New Zealand delivered 14 maiden overs during the morning session.

Just four balls after the interval, however, Key attempted to force seamer Chris Martin through mid-wicket and was given lbw in his crease.

Martin, who is expected to share the new ball with Mills at Lord's next week, followed up by dismissing Owais Shah in his next over when the Middlesex batsman edged behind pushing forward defensively.

With Key and Shah, the two other main rivals for a spot in England's top order, failing the stage was set for Essex all-rounder Ravi Bopara to really push his claims for a Test recall in front of watching coach Peter Moores and National Selector Geoff Miller.

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Watching from the stands: Peter Moores, Andy Flower and Otis Gibson

But Bopara lost his stumps five overs later after scoring just seven having got an inside edge attempting to leave seamer Tim Southee to leave England Lions' top order in tatters.

The collapse continued when Sussex wicketkeeper Matt Prior, who was aiming to further his claims for a recall of his own, played loosely outside off-stump and drove Martin straight to gully.

In the next over Carberry, who had battled for 44 overs for his determined 41, mis-timed an attempted drive off seamer Iain O'Brien straight to mid-off.

But England found some determined resistance in Luke Wright and Rashid, who forged an unbroken 37-run stand spanning 11 overs which took their side to tea without any further setbacks.