England regain initiative

Fascinating, simply fascinating. You can keep your Twenty20 bashathons; nothing beats a good Test match for excitement and twists and turns. When I went to bed last night, giving up on England just after lunch for the second night, New Zealand were 110 for two and well on their way to overhauling England's modest effort of 253. By this morning, England were in command of the game.

From 110 for two, it became 119 for five and then 168 all out. England headed steadily towards 91 for two by the close, a healthy lead opening up, although you have to assume England will need to get past 250 to be sure of winning this. There is plenty of time left in the game and the pitch does not appear dangerous. The collapses in both innings have been caused by a mixture of fine bowling and dim batting.

Ryan Sidebottom collected England's first seven-for since Stephen Harmison in Jamaica four years ago and racked up his 50th wicket in his thirteenth Test. He has got to the landmark as quickly as Michael Holding, Imran Khan, Ray Lindwall and Harmison, among others, but some way slower than Charlie Turner, who got there in six matches in the 19th century.

Sidebottom has become invaluable to England's chances, having been recalled to the side only last summer after a six-year wait. He combines control with aggressive pace and, now allied with a reliable wicketkeeper, his swing will get him lots of wickets in the right conditions. The only worry is that England will bowl him into the ground: he bowled unchanged for the entire afternoon session yesterday, which is surely not ideal.