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New Zealand Make Hay In The Sun

Friday, May 14 2004

New Zealand Make Hay In The Sun...

Michael Papps lead the way for the visitors with a splendid 126 from 248 balls to lead a New Zealand X1 to 297/2 on Day 1 of the Four Day match against Kent at Canterbury, for the home side a second string bowling attack toiled for most of the day before England Under 19 fast bowler David Stiff took two quick wickets to peg the visitors back.

New Zealand arrived at Canterbury for their final warm up game before the first Npower Test starting next week minus captain Stephen Fleming, explosive hitting all rounder Jacob Oram and Kyle Mills.

Meanwhile for the home side wholesale changes were made to the bowling department with Rob Ferley, Min Patel, Amjad Khan and David Stiff coming in for Martin Saggers, Mohammad Sami, James Treadwell and Andrew Symonds, however the solid batting line-up so desperate for match practice after all the early season rain has been left intact.

Kent entered the game looking to protect their unbeaten record against New Zealand which currently stands at 3 wins and 6 draws out of the 9 games played.

The New Zealand team today lead by Chris Cairns in Fleming absent won the toss and elected to bat on a beautiful sunny morning in Canterbury and his openers didn't disappoint him, as they looked untroubled throughout the morning session, however the openers (Mark Richardson & Michael Papps) batsman didn't look at all interested in ever accelerating the scoring never getting above 2.5 runs an over even with the help of David Stiff continuance of his no-ball problem bowling eight in his first spell.

Lunch Day 1: New Zealand 87/0

During the first half of the afternoon session the batsman's game plans didn't change and were quite contented to continue in the same vain as the morning at one stage the slightly more aggressive Michael Papps shut up shop and both batsman's strike rates dropped to around 28/29 runs per 100 balls.

However mid afternoon shortly after Papps reached 50 the shackles were released and raced from 125/0 in the 47th over to 164/0 in the 54th with nearly all the runs coming from Papps bat and David Stiff's front foot taking his total to 14 no-balls from just 12 overs and with the whole bowling attack going at just a shade over two an over, Stiff was going at 5.2.

Mark Richardson reached his 50 about 45 minutes before Tea, both batsman looking comfortable progressed nicely and with the last over before Tea Michael Papps reached a thoroughly deserved century from 207 balls including 15 fours. Papps however looked like nerves could get the better off him getting stuck in the nervous 90?s for a long period.

Kent now are in a seriously dangerous position as a major platform has been established and with the big hitting middle order of C Carins, N Astle, S Styris and C McMillan still to come the Kent batsman could well be facing a massive first innings target, but the pitch is certainly a batters one and the Kent team bats right down to 9.

Tea Day 1: New Zealand 203/0 (65 Overs) - Papps 106*, Richardson 74*

After Tea both batsman continued to accumulate at a steady rate and it was only when David Stiff was thrown the ball at first change that Kent finally got their first victim the century-maker Michael Papps was finally dismissed for a splendid 126 (248) when he fell LBW to a full pitched delivery.

Shortly after Stiff was again in the thick of things as he sent the stubborn Mark Richardson packing with a super delivery that saw the stumps rearranged for a solid 92 (227) and was very unlucky not to have gone onto get a thoroughly well deserved century.

Stiff however didn't have the best of sessions again as the no-ball problem that has blighted him this season went onto bowl a further six to take his total for the innings so far too twenty (20) and the overall extras to 33.

That though was the end of the celebrations for the day for Kent as Astle 32* (56) and Styris 14* (41) sorry the tourist through to the close of play with an undefeated 44 for the 3rd wicket and will begin again tomorrow, where the weather forecast is a fine and sunny day.

Stumps Day 1: New Zealanders 297/2 (92 Overs) - Papps 126, Richardson 92; Stiff 2/79

Teams

Kent: D Fulton, G Jones, R Key, E Smith, M Walker, M Carberry, R Ferley, M Patel, A Khan, D Stiff and A Sheriyar

New Zealand: C Cairns, M Richardson, B McCullum, M Papps, N Astle, S Styris, C McMillan, D Vettori, D Tuffey, S Bond and C Martin

Posted by James