Morale-boosting win for Kiwis

Alastair Cook spent time at the crease but his dismissal spelt the end © Getty Images

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The absence of captain Daniel Vettori did not seem to affect New Zealand too much as they wrapped up an unexpectedly comfortable 92-run victory over Essex at Chelmsford.

The tourists began the final day as marginal second favourites in what appeared to be a tight contest.

But three wickets in the morning session, followed by the prize scalp of Alastair Cook after lunch precipitated an easy win in their penultimate warm-up match before the first Test against England at Lord’s.

The principal destroyer was once again Michael Mason, who took the key wicket of Cook, along with Essex skipper Mark Pettini and James Foster, to take his match haul to 7-101, enhancing his chances of a Test recall four years after his one and only cap.

A stubborn first half-century of the summer from Cook (57) was the only consolation for the hosts, who descended from a start-of-play 45 for one to 200 all out, in pursuit of 293.

It must have been heartening for the Black Caps to learn that their all-seam bowling attack could break a strong county top order without the services of the injured Vettori as captain or premier spinner.

Vettori was absent with a split finger in his bowling hand, and is also likely to miss this week’s match against England Lions.

Cook began the final day with 21 to his name and needed almost an hour to top his previous season’s best of 27.

He and second-wicket partner Tom Westley were breaking no speed limits, in necessarily watchful mode in warm and humid conditions.

The ball continued to swing, as it had all match, but New Zealand also appeared to be playing a waiting game with a line generally too wide of off stump to present an imminent threat.

Cook, dropped on nought in the slips on the third day, has one more LV County Championship match in which to get more runs under his belt before the first Test on May 15.

Six wickets in the match for Iain O'Brien create a welcome conundrum for the Kiwis selectors © Getty Images

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He was also central to Essex’s hopes here as wickets began to fall at the other end.

Westley drove Kyle Mills to cover, and then Ravi Bopara and Pettini went within an over of each another for the addition of one run.

Bopara was unlucky to nick an innocuous delivery from Jacob Oram down the leg side, and Pettini fell for the second time in the match to a very good inswinger from Mason, beating a forward push to bowl him through the gate.

Cook had two anxious moments in the 40s, umpire Peter Willey twice deciding in his favour, one a borderline run-out call after a direct hit from mid-off.

Then Mason went up for a big caught-behind appeal. The opener kept his composure and gradually began to middle the ball - saving his best shot to bring up a 114-ball fifty with a cover-drive off Mason, his fifth four.

His innings never came close to fluency, however, and ended disappointingly with a tame drive at Mason.

It could yet prove a summer launchpad for Cook - but as far as Essex were concerned, with his departure went a last realistic chance of inflicting defeat on the tourists.

When James Foster popped a catch up to gully to go second ball for a second duck of the innings to follow Pettini’s, his team had lost five wickets for 33 runs on the way to 100 for six.

Ryan ten Doeschate and James Middlebrook salvaged some respectability in a 58-run seventh-wicket stand.

But it was stretching a point to suggest they were involved in anything much more than damage limitation, and Iain O’Brien saved a good one for Middlebrook which came back between bat and pad to clip the top of middle and leg stump.

Ten Doeschate then got too greedy against part-time leg-spinner Aaron Redmond and skied a catch into the leg side which was collected by wicketkeeper and stand-in skipper Brendon McCullum.

From that point, the game was up.