Kiwis set Essex final day chase
TOUR MATCH
Chelmsford, day three of four (close): Essex 258 & 45-1 v New Zealand 355 & 195-9

Essex will need a further 248 on the final day against New Zealand.

Kyle Mills had a good day with bat and ball for the tourists, taking the final Essex wicket to claim 2-40 as the Kiwis secured a first innings lead of 97.

New Zealand then slumped and when Jacob Oram became Ravi Bopara's second wicket they were 92-6, 189 ahead, with injured skipper Daniel Vettori unable to bat.

But Mills hit five fours and two sixes in an unbeaten 51 as the Kiwis set a target of 293 and Essex reached 45-1.

In addition to skipper Daniel Vettori's finger injury, which required two stitches on Saturday and prevented him from playing both in the remainder of this match, New Zealand had to re-shuffle their openers.

Aaron Redmond had to wait to bat after being off the field on Saturday with a hand injury, so first-innings centurion James Marshall was promoted to open with Jamie How.

It was How who departed first, Tony Palladino producing a good one which shaped away short of a length and was edged behind.

Marshall fell in the next over, smartly caught low in the gully by James Middlebrook after cutting firmly at Alex Tudor.

Ross Taylor made only four but was defeated by low bounce and edged onto leg-stump, a first wicket for three years for Maurice Chambers.

Brendon McCullum made a typically robust 35, advancing down the wicket boldly against the seamers, but shortly before lunch Bopara swung one to take the edge just outside off-stump and Jason Gallian pouched the chance at slip.

Daniel Flynn cut tamely to gully and Palladino held an oustanding one-handed diving catch at mid-on to dismiss Oram.

Redmond, who had attempted to bat before Oram but was sent back by the umpires who insisted he had not served suitable time, was dropped by Middlebrook off his own bowling on 20.

Meanwhile, Vettori confirmed he would not play in the final warm-up against England Lions at the Rose Bowl starting on Thursday.

"But I'm confident of being ready for the first Test match," (on 15 May) he said.

"I just caught a ball thrown at the stumps. I backed it up and I took it awkwardly and gashed across the side of my left index finger.

"It's something I've never really seen in cricket before - all the balls I've caught it's never happened, and unfortunately it's happened out there. "I've never seen it happen to anyone else in cricket - and the number of times guys catch cricket balls, it's amazing. But I'll just get on with it as best as I can.

"I think gripping the ball is going to be the problem, getting used to it again and trying not to open it up constantly - so I'll try to give it as much of a rest as possible before that first Test."

Regarding the team's form ahead of the Test at Lord's he said: "There's been some really good stuff. I think James Marshall's batting in the first innings was outstanding.

"I think Ian O'Brien and Michael Mason did a really good job with the ball - and little snippets, Kyle Mills' batting, have been good.

"But the scorecard we've got in the second innings is not ideal.

"Once again, we've had a tough time putting runs on the board - but we hope we've got enough here to force a win."