England's cautious batters let New Zealand back into the game & More News Here

New Zealand continued to fight back against England at Lord’s on Friday to put themselves in a position of strength in the First Test.

After an enthralling opening day which saw 17 wickets fall, Kane Williamson’s side managed to limit their first innings deficit to single figures, and then set about building a lead, with Daryl Mitchell and Tom Blundell coming to the fore.

Sportsmail’s David Lloyd provides his insight on the day’s play at Lord’s. 

Daryl Mitchell flourished with the bat on the second day at Lord’s for New Zealand

Tom Blundell also shone as the pair made England toil in the final two sessions of the day

LEES’ UNUSUAL APPROACH IS HAMPERING HIM

Much debate after day one about Alex Lees. I spoke to two eminent left-handed batsmen who couldn’t understand why he was stepping about a metre out of his crease and a foot outside off-stump. 

It just negates the shot all left-handers crave – the cut to any sort of width. He also gave Trent Boult three stumps to aim at from over the wicket…

BATTING BLOCKATHON LET NEW ZEALAND OFF THE HOOK

One more point from the England first innings. Once Zak Crawley was out Lees and Ollie Pope went into a massive blockathon and that just won’t work under this new regime. 

The scoring rate dropped to below 30 runs per hundred balls and that’s just not the dynamism that Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum want. It let New Zealand back into the game.

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Alex Lees batted cautiously on Thursday, which is unlikely to work under Ben Stokes

Ollie Pope also blocked a lot of balls before being dismissed cheaply by Kyle Jamieson

NO EXCUSE FOR DISMAL OVER RATE

All that fuss about expensive tickets and then they only bowl 76 overs on the first day. 

I know there were justifiable delays like the concussion incident with Jack Leach and the tribute to Shane Warne but there really is no excuse. 

There’s a procession of people keep wandering on to the field. Dress it up however you like but it just won’t do…

There was a lot of standing around on the opening day, with only 76 overs being bowled

KEOWN’S TOTTI TALE

Great start to day two by chipping in to the talkSPORT breakfast show with Natalie Sawyer. 

The Romford Pele, Ray Parlour, was on and talk quickly turned to football. Ray recalled when Arsenal were playing Roma in Europe. Martin Keown had to man-mark Francesco Totti and both ended up getting sent off. 

Keown apologised but the manager said: ‘Don’t worry. You did your job. He’s a much better player than you…’

BUSY BUNCH AT THE BREAK

England were bowled out in the first half an hour of day two and suddenly in the change of innings there were 10 groundstaff fussing around the pitch, complete with all sorts of tools including two buckets, two shovels, two yard brushes, a sledgehammer and a besom brush. 

Plus ‘Stumpy’ from Sky who realigns all the cameras in the stumps. What a busy bunch!

England were dismissed inside the opening half hour on Friday having made just 141

KANE’S CALMNESS PROVES HIS CLASS

I watched Kane Williamson closely at the start of his innings. All his movements were deliberate as he tried to create a calmness around himself. 

He was cutting out the noise from the England team and the crowd. I know he didn’t get many again but he’s world-class and it’s an attitude some of England’s frenetic batsmen should take on board.

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Kane Williamson looked clam at the crease, despite falling cheaply once again

PARKINSON THE PRIDE OF LANCASHIRE

Lancashire haven’t produced many leg-spinners and I reckon I played with the last of them before Matt Parkinson in Tommy Greenhough. 

He took 16 wickets in four Tests, did Tommy, and was a wonderful character. I travelled all over the country with him in his Ford Anglia before he retired and became a milkman. 

So who knows where Parky will end up but good on him for finally making his Test debut….