Mills destroys England top order

By Greg Stutchbury

HAMILTON, New Zealand (Reuters) - Kyle Mills ripped the top off England's batting to give New Zealand the sniff of victory at lunch on the final day of the first test on Sunday.

Mills took four wickets to destroy England's possible run chase for 300 to achieve victory, with the visitors struggling at 36 for four at the break.

Ian Bell was on four and Paul Collingwood yet to score, with Mills having figures of four for nine off seven overs.

England had been set the target in a minimum of 81 overs after New Zealand declared their second innings on 177 for nine early in the session.

Alastair Cook and Michael Vaughan began the run chase briskly with Cook edging two boundaries from Chris Martin in the first over, before he did not get to the pitch of the ball and nicked a catch through to Brendon McCullum off Mills for 13.

Vaughan, whose only boundary came from a top edge over the slips, followed five runs later when he was trapped in front by Mills for six and England were in dire trouble at 24 for two.

Andrew Strauss was then dismissed for two just one run later when he nicked a catch behind to a diving McCullum, who just held on to the ball.

Kevin Pietersen was the next to fall when he did not play a shot to a Mills delivery and was struck on the top flap of his back pad and given out leg before by umpire Steve Davis for six.