Prior left impressed by Root’s discipline and resolve

Alastair Cook’s tourists came up short collectively against the swinging ball as they were bowled out for 204 by Trent Boult (6-68) and Tim Southee.

Brendon McCullum chose not to enforce the follow-on, but instead augment a lead of 239 – and the Kiwi captain was perhaps wishing he had done otherwise after his team stumbled, too, to 35-3 at stumps on day three.

England, therefore, still went into the opening session on the penultimate day hoping to escape New Zealand unbeaten and with a share of the series, or even an unlikely victory.

Matt Prior, whose 73 was the dominant force in a century stand with Yorkshire’s Joe Root after England faltered to 72-5, insisted his team-mates had it in them to put things right.

“I know it feels like the world’s over, but it’s not really,” he said.

“We’ve got some very good cricketers who can put in match-winning, or match-saving performances.”

England certainly did neither at the first time of asking.

“We came in (Sunday morning) with a plan, and that certainly wasn’t it,” added Prior.

“There’s no obvious reason.

“It’s not like everyone feels like they’re a walking wicket at the moment.

“We’ve had a couple of bad days, and it’s certainly something we need to address – and we will do.

“We’re going to get another chance in the second innings.

“That, in a funny way, is a good thing. You get straight back on the horse, and guys are going to have to stick their hands up.”

England have found trouble on tour several times over the past two winters and, although they were unable to extricate themselves against Pakistan last year, they famously did so in India before Christmas.

“The thing I love about this team is we might do it the hard way, but we fight – and we keep fighting,” added Prior.

“We’ve shown that in Dunedin, in Nagpur. These are memories we’ll pull on and use, and know we have the skill and ability to get something out of this game still.”

Prior was encouraged for the long term, as well as the immediate, by Root, who was unfazed by a perilous situation and went on to bat more than four hours for a painstaking 45.

“I think the way Rooty played was fantastic. To have the control and discipline and belief in his own ability to hang around for that amount of time.

“New Zealand were on top and were pretty chatty. He took it all in his stride and showed an awesome amount of temperament to get us into a comeback position.

“Unfortunately, I got out at a horrendous time – and the rest is history.”

Root remained content to block and tire the Kiwis all the way to and beyond the second new ball – a moment Prior was not around to witness, having squirted a drive to point off Neil Wagner to end his 130-ball stay. Root was still not for moving, but received minimal support thereafter.

Broad clubbed Boult for two off-side fours and a six pulled over midwicket in one over, only to spear the very next ball into the hands of cover.

Then Boult had Steven Finn edging to slip, and James Anderson behind, leaving Root with only Monty Panesar for help.

The young Yorkshireman had little option but to try to hit England’s way out of trouble, and was bowled aiming across the line at Southee, bringing an end to 176 balls and more than four hours of resistance, which had accrued just 45 runs.

Root and Yorkshire team-mate Jonny Bairstow are an especially inexperienced middle-order pair, just above Prior at No 7, thanks to the absence of the injured Kevin Pietersen.

“Kev’s a big player and any team that loses a big player will miss them,” said Prior.

“But we have every faith in every player in the XI going out to represent England and it’s now up to us to stick our hands up and perform well for the rest of this Test match.”

Boult, who thoroughly deserved his success, acknowledged his team too had shown batting frailty yesterday, but he still had plenty of room for optimism that New Zealand could go on to win a home series against England for only the second time.

“We need to push on, 30-3 wasn’t in the plan, but to have a 280-run lead is a pretty good position.

“There were a couple of signs of a bit of up-and-down (bounce) going on, so that’s pretty exciting to see from a bowling point of view.

“We’ll look forward to day five, but (today) is a big day as well.”

It was perhaps even more so for England, behind in this match from day one when Cook put the Kiwis in and then had to watch them pile up 250-1 by the close.

Prior takes issue with anyone prepared to argue Cook should have done any different, given the green tinges on the drop-in surface at start of play.

“Every single person in this room, looking at that wicket on the first morning, would have bowled,” he said. “It’s very easy to say, with hindsight, ‘Oh no, you should have batted’.

“They batted well and we haven’t batted well enough. The toss is irrelevant right now.”

In any case, Prior had great faith in his captain – first out, for just four, in England’s first innings – to prove his mettle at the second attempt.

“Cooky is pretty unflappable,” Prior added.