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A soggy day at Headingley

Friday, June 4 2004

Just 19 overs were possible as rain and bad light first postponed and then interrupted the first day of the second test match between England and New Zealand at Headingley, Leeds today. After the second interruption, play was eventually abandoned for the day with New Zealand on 41 for the loss of Mark Richardson.

Michael Vaughan won the toss and had no hesitation in asking New Zealand to bat first on a grey, Headingley day under leaden, Yorkshire skies. With Simon Jones having to drop out of the squad for the rest of the series to be replaced by Martin Saggers, the final choice for England was Giles or Collingwood - and it was the spinner who retained his place following a useful performance at Lord's.

New Zealand were without Craig McMillan who recently suffered a second broken finger in quick succession, but would have been lifted by the news that Stephen Fleming was fit to play following the ear infection which threatened his participation in the match. Michael Papps came in for just his fourth appearance as the New Zealand resources were pared to the bone.

Play eventually got under way a couple of hours late following overnight rain which had saturated the outfield, the players having taken lunch early. Matthew Hoggard was given the new ball, probing on or around off stump but he was unable to find any real swing in his first over, a steady maiden to Mark Richardson.

Steve Harmison's first ball to the diminutive Papps was neatly turned to the soggy square leg boundary, but his second, a hostile delivery to the same batsman lifted, left him and all but found the edge. Papps benefited from a leg-side ball from Hoggard, again finding the fence at square leg.

Richardson opened his account in fortuitous manner, a thick outside edge dropping wide of a diving Thorpe at third slip and going through the vacant third-man region. In a surprise move prompted by total lack of movement either in the air or off the seam, Hoggard was removed from the attack after just three overs, giving way to Andrew Flintoff. By and large, it had been a distinctly unspectacular start by the England seamers who just weren't making either batsman play enough.

Harmison suddenly found his line to Papps, troubling him a couple of times with deliveries which were squirted out to point. On the third occasion, the edge went to Butcher at a wide fourth slip, only for the Surrey man to spurn the awkward chance. An excellent maiden from Harmison had Papps in a lot of trouble on more than one occasion, and in his next over the big Durham paceman had Richardson playing uncertainly.

A couple of largely ineffective overs by Flintoff saw him replaced by Hoggard who showed a few signs of extracting a little swing out of the heavy atmospheric conditions, but by and large New Zealand were having few major problems. After the opening hour, the visitors had progressed to 33 without loss.

Enter Martin Saggers, exit Mark Richardson. With his first delivery in test cricket in England, the Kent seamer produced an absolute beauty to the barnacle-like Richardson - swinging, full, pitching on off stump before going on through the gate to hit the top of middle and leave New Zealand on 33-1.

Five minutes later, it should have been 33-2. A tremendous ball by Hoggard to Papps was edged straight to Graham Thorpe at third slip, only for the most straightforward of chances to be unceremoniously dumped onto the turf. Fleming got off the mark with a couple to midwicket, but with the ball having suddenly started to zip around, batting was not looking the easiest job in the world. Much to the relief of the Kiwi batsmen, the drizzle fell a little heavier and the players sought the sanctuary of the pavilion.

After what seemed like an eternity but was in fact even longer, the players took to the field again at approximately 4.45 pm with Martin Saggers, extracting prodigious swing, bowling to six slips, but even that field was insufficient to prevent an edge from Papps going to the boundary.

Hoggard resumed from the Kirkstall Lane End, yet the Headingley expert, Leeds born, was benefitting far less from the conditions in comparison to his southern compatriot, bowling a little too short in all likelihood. One maiden over later, much to the frustration of the England players and supporters alike, umpire Steve Bucknor offered the light to the batsmen - and they were off like a shot, never to be seen again. With the weather forecast set fair for tomorrow, it had been a good toss to lose.

New Zealand 41-1
Papps 24*, Fleming 3*

Posted by Eddie