Brendon McCullum fell cruelly short of a Lord's hundred once again as New Zealand hit back to reach 208-6 after day one of the first Test.

Wicketkeeper McCullum, promoted to number five for this series, hit a swift 97 before being bowled by Monty Panesar off his pads.

Bad light brought a premature end soon after but things had been much worse for the tourists as England claimed the first five wickets inside 32 overs after Michael Vaughan won the toss.

Four years ago McCullum hit 96 in the second innings of the corresponding contest and the crowd were warming to his latest eye-catching effort, which saw him score 61 runs off just 42 deliveries after tea, when left-arm spinner Panesar struck.

It was sweet revenge for Panesar, who was lofted for a straight six in his first over of the evening session - one of two big hits from McCullum which cleared the rope in his run-a-ball innings.

Jacob Oram's contribution to a 99-run stand for the sixth wicket was just 23.

Earlier James Anderson claimed three wickets and Stuart Broad two as the England pace attack exploited the helpful overhead conditions on the first morning of international cricket this summer.

Vaughan's decision to bowl was vindicated in Anderson's first over after Ryan Sidebottom had opened from the Nursery End.

Aaron Redmond, playing his first Test, steered the fifth delivery at a comfortable height to Alastair Cook at third slip and was out for a duck. His debut contrasted starkly with that of his father Rodney, one of Test cricket's statistical oddities who scored 107 and 56 in his only Test.

James Marshall relieved the pressure with a firm bottom-handed drive for four through the covers but was fortunate when he edged a simple catch off Anderson to Tim Ambrose behind the stumps only for umpire Simon Taufel to call a no-ball. Marshall was on nine at the time with the score 17.

One run later Jamie How (7) became Anderson's second victim, nicking a delivery which moved away slightly to give Ambrose a straightforward catch.

Ross Taylor turned his first ball to mid-wicket for four then did his best to gift England a third wicket when he set off for an impossible single. Marshall had given up all hope of making the striker's end but received a second let-off when Anderson missed a shy at the stumps.

Taylor continued to play as if he were in a Twenty20 match, slashing three fours before skying a hook off Broad which ended up in the hands of Paul Collingwood running back at second slip. His 19 runs had taken only 20 balls but was hardly the innings his team required in the circumstances.

The Kiwis lost Marshall, who had shown the application and technique lacking in his team mates, for 24 in 104 minutes, edging Broad to Andrew Strauss at first slip with the total on 76.

McCullum combined some commanding drives with a series of streakier efforts while debutant Daniel Flynn concentrated on defence, taking 16 balls to score his first runs.

Flynn (9) added only five more before Anderson gathered his third wicket of the innings, hitting the left-hander's leg stump.

At tea, McCullum had scored 36 but the fireworks were to follow as he struck 13 boundaries in his innings.

Anderson was the most successful of the bowlers with 3-42. Sidebottom, England's top bowler over the past year, struggled with his line and finished with 0-50.

Sporting Life / Reuters