Delightful catches, and a disappointing miss

The expression on Stuart Broad's face said it all. His catch to remove Kane Williamson was instinct rather than judgment. Williamson went for a drive to a delivery that was perhaps not quite as full as he thought and it did not miss the middle of the bat by much. Broad, head slightly down as bowlers often are in their follow through, had about half a second to get his hands into position in front of his stomach - it was, at least, a good height for catch - and the ball stuck. Broad, normally one for big celebrations, just blinked.

Five wickets down, trailing by not much less than 300. A time when a captain can just attack, right? Alastair Cook, though, is out of the Andrew Strauss style of conservatism and opted for two slips and a wide fourth to BJ Watling early in the wicketkeeper's innings. James Anderson, in the middle of a probing spell, found the outside edge with Watling on 2 and, of course, where did it fly…the vacant third slip. Cook stuck to his guns and did not plug the gap, but it was a missed opportunity to turn the screw.

England's slip cordon is still not what it was when you had Strauss, Swann and Collingwood lined up there a couple of years ago. New catchers are still finding their feet (and hands) and too many chances are being missed. This time it was Jonathan Trott, at second slip, who could not hold a low catch by Watling when he was on 21.

What do Tim Southee and Stuart Broad have in common? Neither of them are batting like a No. 8. New Zealand were still some way from the follow-on when Southee joined Watling, but instead of playing for his senior batsman at the other end, Southee, not one who enjoys the short ball, decided to have a dip against Steven Finn and promptly skied a catch to Broad at long leg. Demotion, who would think, is not far away.

As the second new ball approached, it was clear the hierarchy in England's pace attack had changed again. Finn had a spell with the old ball, and a successful one at that with two wickets, but in the space of a Test-and-a-half was about to lose his partnership with Anderson. Broad was rewarded for his impressive form with a chance to resume his pairing with Anderson and the move was a success as he cleaned up New Zealand's lower order.

England may have missed a trick against Watling, but they made one against Hamish Rutherford. After seeing a delivery in Monty Panesar's first over spin and bounce from the footmarks, Cook brought Ian Bell into leg slip. Next ball, another one gripped and spun into Rutherford who prodded it around the corner where Bell sprang low to his right to hold a fantastic catch. Cook had every right to be at the centre of the celebrations.