The Hindu : Sport : McCullum props up New Zealand on opening day

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McCullum props up New Zealand on opening day

Ted Corbett

LONDON: Now here is an unlucky cricketer. Brendon McCullum, the gum-chewing, let-me-get-at-em big hitting Kiwi wicketkeeper, got out for the second time in four years within touching distance of a century at Lord’s after he had threatened to turn a first Test disaster into a triumph.

Ten minutes after he was bowled by Monty Panesar for 97 made with hurricane force off 97 balls with 13 fours and two sixes the umpires called a halt. By that time McCullum should have had his reward with a place on the pavilion honours board that he had missed when he hit 96 in 2004.

Disappointment

He made no attempt to camouflage his misery after Panesar’s routine ball slipped off the edge of his bat on the leg stump. McCallum knelt at the crease for a count of five before he dragged himself upright and left. Not only had he failed again in sight of one of the biggest rewards in cricket for the second time but he had not completed the rebuilding job that he began at 41 for three and seen all the way to 203 for six.

New Zealand is still in trouble with Jacob Oram and Daniel Vettori at the wicket and only the least waggable tail in the game to help.

But for McCullum, who is told every day that dawns that you cannot bat as he does in a Test, it would have been dead and buried.

Of course no-one wants to be a batsman at Lord’s for a May-time Test. The rain drifts down in a mist. The temperatures rival autumn’s meanest numbers and all you see as you head down St. Johns Wood are car headlights, Lowry figures in raincoats and a mass of red and gold MCC umbrellas. On Thursday, play began at 1.30 p.m. and by 2.30 we knew this match would be short-run.

Redmond fails

Only 11 balls from the start Aaron Redmond was caught low in the slips by Alastair Cook off James Anderson.

Another swift delivery close to off stump brought the wicket of Jamie How at 18. For a while Ross Taylor attempted a shot a ball and hit 19 off 20 deliveries before he skied a leg-side shot towards third man where a running backwards catch by Paul Collingwood gave Stuart Broad the wicket.

After only 70 minutes for 57 runs New Zealand batsmen found Collingwood curling the ball round their bats from the pavilion end; he was England’s fourth bowler in 17 overs.

Ryan Sidebottom switched to the Nursery End and immediately had a shout for lbw against James Marshall that was turned down correctly by umpire Steve Bucknor but which caused Sidebottom to growl so loudly that those who could not hear him could see he was annoyed.

Broad forced Marshall to edge another swift and straight arrow to Andrew Strauss at first slip. With four down for 76, McCullum produced a warning with a cover drive off Broad but Daniel Flynn needed 16 deliveries to score his first runs.

Flynn’s second four brought up 100 and reminded us that for once Sidebottom had bowled badly, wide and too short.

Fightback

At tea New Zealand was 109 for five but in the next 75 minutes McCullum slashed and burned while Oram resisted stubbornly. McCullum raced through the 80sand must have thought his name in gold paint at the top of the pavilion stairs was his by rights.

England danced a Panesar polka to see him go but in truth the man dragging his bat to the dressing room deserved more respect.

SCOREBOARD

New Zealand — 1st Innings: J. How c Ambrose b Anderson 7, A. Redmond c Cook b Anderson 0, J. Marshall c Strauss b Broad 24, R. Taylor c Collingwood b Broad 19, B. McCullum b Panesar 97, D. Flynn b Anderson 9, J. Oram (batting) 23, D. Vettori (batting) 5; Extras (b-12, lb-8, w-1, nb-3): 24; Total (for six wkts. in 52.1 overs) 208.

Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-18, 3-41, 4-76, 5-104, 6-203.

England bowling: Sidebottom 18.1-5-50-0, Anderson 12-3-42-3, Broad 15-3-70-2, Collingwood 3-1-11-0, Panesar 4-1-15-1.

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