They were also able to step across their wicket and turn full-pitched deliveries on off-stump through the largely vacant leg-side field.

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He picked up two quick boundaries, both off Kallis, but then attempted something a bit too inventive off the same bowler - trying to play a ball outside off-stump through the on-side.

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Cook and Bell were still together when the 200 came up in the 39th over and Cook whipped a length delivery on off-stump through mid-on to move to 99, reaching 100 from 122 balls.

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Alastair Cook again seemed out of sorts and was feeling for the ball outside off-stump, a hesitant prod fizzing off the inside edge through a large gap between bat and pad to uproot his leg stump.

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But impeccable judgement outside off-stump and a slice or two of luck saw him through those tentative beginnings.

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The Kiwis could not cope with the swinging ball and Aaron Redmond was first to fall when he tried to flick through mid-wicket, missed the swinging ball and had his off-stump taken out.

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He drove the first ball of a new spell from Finn straight to backward point but Shakib continued to keep the scoreboard moving with some particularly stylish shots through the offside, before making no contact with an attempted sweep on middle stump.

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