Andrew Strauss made an unbeaten 173 and Ian Bell 110 as England ground down New Zealand to close in on a series clinching victory on the third day of the third Test on Monday. Strauss and Bell shared a 187-run partnership which emphasized the dominance of England’s batsmen who had given its team a total of 416 for five and an unapproachable lead of 501 at stumps with two days remaining. Their centuries were dissimilar in style but equally important as England ruthlessly consolidated a 85-run lead it held after the first innings and the 176-run advantage it had built by the end of the second day. Strauss set himself as the anchor of the innings and provided the stability that allowed Bell and later Paul Collingwood (22) and Tim Ambrose (28) to attack the bowlers and build on England’s mammoth lead.Brief scores: England 253 and 416-5 (Strauss 173, Bell 110; Vettori 3-153) vs New Zealand 168.
