CENTURIONS Nick Compton and Jonathan Trott dominated day one of the second Test for England against New Zealand at the Basin Reserve.

The second-wicket pair joined forces after a rare failure from captain Alastair Cook and shut out the Kiwis for 63 overs in a stumps total of 267 for two.

Compton (100), following up his maiden century in the drawn first Test in Dunedin, and Trott (121no) – on the way to and beyond his ninth – had barely a moment’s concern for four-and-a-half hours.

Their attacking intent alternated, and occasionally stalled altogether, opener Compton the first to his halfcentury at a marginally quicker tempo than his partner before he retreated into a sheet-anchor role.

His second 50 runs took 111 balls, eight more than his first, while Trott accelerated to reach three figures from 174 deliveries.

It was an authoritative combination nonetheless as England overcame the early loss of Cook to grind down a flagging home attack and make Brendon McCullum’s decision to bowl first look badly wide of the mark.

Compton shared his second double-century stand in successive innings, after his record 231 alongside Cook in England’s second-innings fightback at the University Oval.

Both Compton and Trott’s hundreds were chanceless, and they each reached their twin milestones in style too.

A trademark extra-cover drive off Neil Wagner did the trick for Compton with his 15th boundary, shortly after Trott had pulled the same bowler for his 14th four.

By contrast, England’s day did not begin with any great promise.

Cook, a little embarrassed perhaps to be described by his opposite number McCullum as a ‘‘genius’’ batsman second only to Don Bradman, was unable to live up to that hype as he mustered just 17.

He fell in strange circumstances too to first-change Wagner.

Cook was untroubled for 43 minutes of a sunny morning until he unaccountably pushed a length ball straight into the hands of mid-on at the start of the left-armer’s second over.

There had been good carry with the new ball for Tim Southee and Trent Boult, which made Cook’s dismissal all the more curious as he somehow misread the pace.

Compton immediately responded with a one-two demonstration of his two favourite shots in the same Wagner over.

First, he had ample time to climb into his second pulled four; then two balls later, it was that Compton extracover drive which brought another boundary.

He and Trott soon had the measure of the home attack, and it was soon abundantly clear there would be not a hint of the collapse which had put England in such trouble a week earlier.

There were precious few false shots either this time, although Compton did flirt with slips and gully when he cut first Wagner and then Boult unconvincingly for four either side of his 50.

Martin fulfilled his brief to at least slow England’s progress, and Southee too bowled accurately as Compton became noticeably becalmed – making just 14 runs in his last 77 balls before tea.

But the second session was wicketless, and the evening began with a rush of runs on this true pitch.