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Akhtar crushes NZ top order

Friday, December 26 2003

Shoaib Akhtar produced a quality spell of fast bowling to send the NZ top order packing in quick succession but Mark Richardson held firm and batted throughout the day.

Stephen Fleming won the toss and chose to bat first in very overcast conditions. It didn't take long for the first break through with Vincent being clean bowled by Akhtar for 0 in the 2nd over.

The players then went off for rain for a couple of hours. The first ball back saw Stephen Fleming plum lbw for 0 to reduce New Zealand to 1-2 off 3 overs.

Richard Jones then came to the crease on debut because of Chris Cairns being forced out by injury and he looked good early on but was bowled by Abdul Razzaq for 16.

Scott Styris was next in and he looked to be positive in attacking the bowling and was successful to some degree before he played one loose shot too many and became Shoaib's 3rd wicket in being caught behind by Moin Khan for 36.

Craig McMillan then joined Mark Richardson who was playing his normal fighting role in becoming the rock of the NZ batting lineup that he's held for many seasons now. Craig McMillan was beginning to find his confidence when Asoka de Silva gave him out lbw to Shabbir Ahmed when the replay clearly showed an inside edge onto pad.

With 6 overs left in the days play Robbie Hart was brought in ahead of Jacob Oram and he was lucky to survive with Hart being given not out for a delivery that caught his glove and was taken behind the wicket. In the same over Akhtar pulled up and was unavailable to bowl the final over of the day because of injury.

New Zealand finished the day on 151/5 with Richardson 53 not out and Robbie Hart 3 not out

Score Summary

New Zealand - 151/5 (M Richardson 53*, S Styris, 36, C McMillan, 26, S Akhtar 3/14, S Ahmed 1/31, A Razzaq 1/50)

Posted by James