Strauss ends fifty drought

The Middlesex left-hander, recalled for this tour after missing the pre-Christmas trip to Sri Lanka, had struggled to justify the selectors' faith in him after scoring only 97 runs in five innings previously in the series.

But Strauss battled through a testing first hour of the third day to reach his first fifty in eight Test innings as the tourists progressed to a 203-run lead at 118 for two at McLean Park.

Resuming 176 runs ahead on 91 for two with Strauss unbeaten on 40, the tourists began slowly as New Zealand seamers Chris Martin and Tim Southee maintained the pressure.

Kevin Pietersen, unbeaten on seven overnight, briefly broke the stranglehold on them by pulling a short ball from Martin for six to record the first boundary of the day in the third over.

Strauss recorded his first boundary of the session in the next over, but it was a fortunate one when he flashed at Southee loosely outside off stump and the ball flew worryingly close to point before racing to the boundary.

But with Pietersen taking the majority of the strike, it took Strauss another seven overs before he finally reached his half-century by driving Martin down the ground for his seventh boundary after nearly three hours at the crease.

It was his first 50 since scoring 55 in the second innings against India at Trent Bridge in July and could not have come at more timely a moment as England attempted to build a winning lead to secure a series triumph.