Vaughan 'feels sorry' for batters on poor Lord's pitch

Michael Vaughan said he "feels sorry" for batters over the state of the Lord's pitch after 33 wickets fell on the opening two days of the first Test between England and New Zealand.

The visitors closed the second day on 36-3 in pursuit of 254, leaving Ben Stokes' side seven wickets from victory.

But while England will be confident of securing a morale-boosting win after their Ashes debacle in Australia over the winter, a number of former players have criticised the surface at the home of cricket.

Sixteen wickets fell on a rain-shortened first day, with a further 17 in 79 overs on day two as batters struggled to deal with the variable bounce and considerable lateral movement off the pitch.

"It's not a test for the bowlers, because it has been too easy. This isn't a fair balance between bat and ball," former England captain Vaughan told BBC Test Match Special.

"The MCC [Marylebone Cricket Club] know this pitch isn't up to standard.

"I feel sorry for the batters. This is the best place to play cricket. I feel very fortunate that I didn't have to bat on many pitches like this."

New Zealand still need another 218 runs to win and unless conditions change dramatically, that looks a daunting task.