Mason sets up tour win for Kiwis
TOUR MATCH: Ford County Ground, final day of four: New Zealand 355 & 195-9 dec beat Essex 258 & 200 by 92 runs
Fast bowler Michael Mason put himself into the picture for the first Test at Lord's by bowling New Zealand to victory over Essex at Chelmsford.
Essex began the final day on 45-1, chasing 293 for victory, and knowing they did not have to face the spin of injured Kiwi skipper Daniel Vettori.
England opener Alastair Cook warmed up for Lord's with a patient 57.
But Mason (3-36) proved a menace and New Zealand, who next face England Lions on Thursday, won by 92 runs.
Mason also bowled well in the first innings, and his match analysis of 7-101 will have attracted the attention of the tour selectors.
The 33-year-old has only played in one Test, more than four years ago, but has featured in 21 one-day internationals.
Swing bowler Iain O'Brien also picked up three wickets in the second innings, including last man Tony Palladino, with New Zealand wrapping up victory before tea.
Essex's next-best contributor after Cook was Ryan ten Doeschate, with the Dutch all-rounder making 38 before falling to the leg-spin of Aaron Redmond.
Cook's contribution - on a wicket which offered assistance to the seam bowlers throughout - was an important one, as he had failed to reach 50 in any of his previous innings this season.
But the Black Caps took wickets regularly at the other end, despite the absence of Vettori, whose stitched finger wound in his bowling hand will also keep him out of the Lions match.
Tom Westley drove Kyle Mills aerially to cover after making only seven, and then Ravi Bopara and captain Mark Pettini departed within an over of one another for nine and nought respectively.
Bopara was slightly unlucky to nick an innocuous delivery from Jacob Oram down the leg-side, and Pettini fell to a fine inswinger from Mason, which beat his forward push and bowled him through the gate.
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You can't beat time in the middle - you get rhythm and time into your batting
Alastair Cook
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Cook kept his composure and gradually began to middle the ball but his innings ended disappointingly with a tame drive at Mason into the hands of mid-off.
When James Foster popped a catch up to gully to depart for a duck, Essex had lost five wickets for 33 runs on the way to 100-6 - and there was no coming back from there.
Cook admitted he was lucky to have been dropped on nought by Ross Taylor in the slips on Sunday evening.
He went on: "I'm very grateful I could spend a bit of time in the middle - and I hope I can use it well.
"You get rhythm and time into your batting - and you can't beat time in the middle.
"The last few games I've played, I haven't really had that."
Cook was not troubled by his right little finger injury, which was dislocated on day one at Chelmsford.
He said: "I was very lucky that it went straight back in, and the swelling has all gone now."
