After a solid test series against England at home, New Zealand's latest two batting efforts have placed their progress under scrutiny.

New Zealand's batting is sometimes like watching the opening credits to the cartoon Danger Mouse. A fuse is lit on a big black bomb which, at some point, you know is going to explode.

To paraphrase Mark Twain, reports of apathy towards the New Zealand cricketers are always exaggerated.

If you compiled a New Zealand XI of players-who-never-took-themselves-too-seriously, Tony Blain would surely be skipper.

All week I've been hearing about the positives but life, in my book, does not work that way. You can be as good as you like for 90 per cent of your life but if you make one big stuff-up, it will define you.

Constant rain has seen the opening day of the second test between New Zealand and England abandoned without a ball bowled.

Dejected captain Brendon McCullum says it's "pretty tough to explain" why the Black Caps folded for just 68 in the first Test against England at Lord's.

New Zealand's innings disintegrated for 68 in one hour and 54 minutes, losing the first Test against England at Lord's by 170 runs after being set 239 for victory.

Tim Southee knows how to steal a scene. He chose Lord's to secure his first test 10-wicket bag.

The cricketing duel between NZ and England extended throughout the third day but the 123-run third wicket partnership between Trott and Root did its best to break a series deadlock.

The contrast between the two captains leading into tonight's England-New Zealand test series could not have been more marked.

As a member of the Lord's ground staff 11 years ago, Ross Taylor is as qualified as anyone in the New Zealand squad to discuss how to best deal with playing at the spiritual home of cricket.

A five-wicket bag from Neil Wagner has taken New Zealand to a 107-run victory against Derbyshire in the opening match of their England tour.