The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Kiwis keep England in check

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, May 25, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Sport

Sport - Cricket

Kiwis keep England in check

Ted Corbett

— Photo: AP

CLASSY KNOCK: Ross Taylor’s superb century put his side in a good position on the second day of the Test against England.

Manchester: England could not take advantage of three minutes of madness in which New Zealand was set back by two run-outs and in the midst of this amateurish carnage, Ross Taylor completed his second Test century.

His effort lasting only two hours fifty minutes, off 130 balls with a six and 13 fours and New Zealand totalled 381. He might have been quicker but during a fifty stand with Kyle Mills, a surprisingly good batsman for a No.9, Taylor received only 22 balls out of 72 while he was in the 90s. A two-hour trip to the neighbourhood dentist gave Daniel Flynn a bad night and cost him two more teeth.

Clearly the blow on the mouth from a James Anderson bouncer had been worse than we anticipated but a trip to hospital found he did not have concussion.

Poor running

Flynn was probably not in the mood to enjoy the humour of the run-out fiasco; England thought it hilarious. First to go was Jacob Oram who scrambled his way through another short ball attack until at 38 he guided the ball to Alastair Cook at backward point where, from his knees, Cook made a direct hit that left Oram a yard short.

Three minutes later, Daniel Vettori, the captain, casually strolled to complete a second run and had both feet off the ground and his bat behind him when Monty Panesar’s throw effected his dismissal.

The expressions “he should know better” and “Panesar of all people” spring to mind but Mills had only his attractive strokes in his eyeline. By lunch at 322 for six he had raced to 46 as Taylor stuttered to his second Test hundred.

Mills passed his highest Test score of 31 and went on to fifty in 77 balls before he played on to James Anderson trying to cut at 339. Taylor cut loose with three sixes off Sidebottom and one off Anderson to reach 150 in 172 balls.

England, which has still not imposed itself on this Test series, began with Andrew Strauss and Alistair Cook batting attractively, 31 and playing in only his seventh Test, but at 33 in the tenth over Cook was lbw to the tall pace bowler Ian O’Brien. Michael Vaughan needed a dozen balls to get off the mark but after tea he and Strauss were tied down as they spent 34 overs scoring 78 before Strauss, hitting his second successive fifty in this series, was superbly caught by Brendon McCullum, again off O’Brien.

Vaughan was caught in front of the wicket off Vettori after 45 overs spent making 30 and at 141 for three everything now depended on the middle order, which had performed badly at Lord’s. England closed the day at 152 for four.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport