First Test, Christchurch, day one: England 1st innings 163-6 (55 overs) v New Zealand

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Mark Ramprakash was on the wrong end of a dubious umpiring decision as England's troubles continued at the Jade Stadium.

The Surrey batsman, making his 50th Test appearance, was given out caught behind for 31 after a fifth wicket stand of 56 with skipper Nasser Hussain.

The decision was given by Sri Lankan Asoka De Silva, one of Test cricket's eight elite umpires, but TV replays showed the ball came off Ramprakash's thigh.

The wicket went to medium pacer Nathan Astle, who followed up by trapping Andrew Flintoff lbw for a duck.

Hussain remained unbeaten on 67, the 20th half century of his Test career, but he was lucky to survive on 52, when opposite number Stephen Fleming dropped a relatively easy chance as he moved to his left at first slip.

Nightmare start

England's worst fears had been realised at the start of play with a disastrous start on a green pitch, which promised plenty of assistance for the seam bowlers.

So it proved as they found themselves nought for two after the opening over, bowled by Cairns.

Michael Vaughan led a mini-recovery with a positive 27 before becoming Cairns' third victim of the morning.

England maintained a healthy scoring rate as debutant Ian Butler proved expensive, but a wild stroke by Graham Thorpe to a ball from Chris Drum cost him his wicket just before lunch for 17.

Both captains were eager to win the toss but Hussain was out of luck as so often in the past and England were soon up against it.

Trescothick played and missed at the first two balls from Cairns before finally getting an edge and wicket-keeper Adam Parore took a straightforward catch.

Butcher lasted two balls as he failed to get on top of a rising delivery and debutant Ian Butler took the catch running forward at mid-off.

Drum proved less formidable in his opening over, with Vaughan pulling the second ball over backward square leg for six and Hussain opening his account with a four through mid-wicket.

The ball continued to seam around, however, and it was a case of picking up runs whenever an opportunity came along.

Vaughan goes

Vaughan's excellent footwork enabled him to keep the scoreboard ticking over with ones and twos and he hoisted Cairns away for his second six.

Another short one resulted in similar medicine as Vaughan pulled the ball away for four, but a chastened Cairns then found the perfect length and away movement to put England back in trouble.

His exit from the attack made life easier for Hussain and Thorpe, however, and they were content to keep the scoreboard ticking over and wait for the occasional bad ball.

Thorpe clipped Butler for six as the 20-year-old's first five overs in Test cricket cost him 26 but Drum was more consistent from the other end.

He was finally rewarded with Thorpe's wicket, bringing Ramprakash to the middle at number six and he was soon off the mark with a stylish cover drive for four as Drum's nagging accuracy deserted him.

Hussain chopped the first ball after lunch for four to third man and followed that by drilling Butler through cover and then pulling him through mid-wicket for another boundary.

But he was given plenty to think about by Nathan Astle's medium pace swing bowling, becalmed for three overs on 49 before finally reaching his fifty.

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New Zealand: S Fleming (Capt), M Richardson, M Horne, L Vincent, N Astle, C Cairns, C McMillan, A Parore, D Vettori, C Drum, I Butler.

England: N Hussain (capt), M Trescothick, M Vaughan, M Butcher, G Thorpe, M Ramprakash, A Flintoff, A Giles, J Foster, A Caddick, M Hoggard.

Umpires: A de Silva (SrL), B Bowden (NZ).

Test Match Special has live coverage of the first Test between New Zealand and England from 21.30 GMT Tuesday on BBC Radio 4, 198 LW and Five Live Sports Extra.