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Record-breaker Cook, Lyth give England strong start

By Ed Osmond LEEDS, England (Reuters) - Alastair Cook became England's highest test run-scorer before leading his team to 163 for no wicket at tea on the second day of the second test against New Zealand at Headingley on Saturday. Cook went past Graham Gooch's record haul of 8,900 test runs for England shortly after lunch and he reached the interval on 71 not out with Adam Lyth unbeaten on 80 in his second test. Replying to New Zealand's total of 350, the pair played cautiously in the morning compared with the flamboyant stroke-play of the touring side on Thursday. Lyth steered Tim Southee to third man for his fourth boundary to raise the 50 partnership and England took lunch on 54 for no wicket. Cook drove Southee to the cover boundary to go past Gooch's record and immediately knuckled down in search of his 28th test century. Lyth struck a few crisp boundaries through the off-side and his fifty included seven fours. Cook soon followed him to a half-century, carving his ninth four over the slips, and the pair looked completely in control as New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum rotated his bowlers with no reward. Earlier, the New Zealand tail wagged merrily after resuming on 297 for eight, adding 53 runs in half an hour. Matt Henry was caught by wicketkeeper Jos Buttler off Stuart Broad for 27 before Mark Craig and Trent Boult added 40 for the last wicket with a few lusty blows. Boult, on 15, skied Broad to Lyth at cover to end the innings, leaving Craig unbeaten on 41 and giving the England pace bowler figures of five for 109. (Editing by Justin Palmer)