England's fate in Pietersen's hands

Kevin Pietersen returned to his former home ground to claim a crucial half-century and prevent a post-lunch collapse gaining pace in the final npower Test against New Zealand.

The South African-born batsman spent four of his formative years qualifying for England with Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge before an acrimonious move to Hampshire three years ago.

But playing in front of his former crowd, Pietersen claimed his first Test fifty at Trent Bridge to help rescue England from a desperate situation on the opening day of the final Test.

Put into bat in swing-friendly conditions, England lost three wickets in just 13 balls and slumped to 86 for five until Pietersen delivered a defiant half-century and guided them to a more respectable 180 for five at tea.

He showed signs of his usual authority at the crease, but today was more of a determined than flamboyant innings and he took 57 balls before he registered the first of seven boundaries in his unbeaten 71.

Essex left-hander Alastair Cook made just six before seamer Kyle Mills swung the ball into him and took out his leg stump off an inside edge in the sixth over.

New batsman Michael Vaughan endured a shaky start and was beaten by the first four balls he faced from Mills before he settled down by getting off the mark with a superbly-timed front foot cover drive for four off Chris Martin. But after progressing to 16 off just 22 balls, the England captain had his off-stump uprooted by seamer Iain O'Brien.

It left England on a perilous 44 for two and facing yet another sub-standard first innings batting display having gone 11 successive Tests without posting a total in excess of 400.

Andrew Strauss teamed up successfully with Pietersen to forge a 40-run stand but fell only six balls after lunch chasing a wide delivery from Mills which he edged to Ross Taylor at slip.

Ian Bell followed just six balls later when he shuffled across his stumps facing O'Brien and was hit in line for a duck while Paul Collingwood suffered the same fate when he edged Mills to slip. But Pietersen prevented England capitulating completely during an unbroken 94-run stand with Tim Ambrose, who was unbeaten on 36 at tea.