Timely fifty from Strauss

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, facing a battle to save his place in England's Test line-up, responded by hitting his first fifty in eight innings and his highest score in 11 innings after scoring an unbeaten 71 by lunch on the third day at McLean Park.

His efforts during nearly four hours at the crease helped England secure a 252-run lead on 167 for three after they resumed the third morning with an already commanding 176-run lead on 91 for two.

The tourists found scoring difficult during the early stages of the day, with seamers Chris Martin and Tim Southee maintaining tight lines and lengths. Kevin Pietersen, unbeaten on seven overnight, briefly broke their stranglehold by pulling a short ball from Martin for six to record the first boundary of the day in the third over.

Strauss struck his first boundary of the session in the next over, but it was a fortunate one after 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 fifty since scoring 55 in the second innings against India at Trent Bridge in July and kept him on course to claim his first century in his last 31 Test innings.

Just six overs after reaching the landmark, he lost Pietersen, who was caught low down at first slip by Ross Taylor - filling in for Stephen Fleming, who was off the field ill - off captain Daniel Vettori.

But Strauss found a willing ally in Ian Bell, another player facing huge pressure to make a big contribution in this innings, and they took the tourists to lunch without any further loss.