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Fleming leads from the front

Friday, June 11 2004

An excellent first day in the third test between England and New Zealand at Trent Bridge ended with honours just about even. Stephen Fleming led from the front with a sparkling ton, then Stephen Harmison pegged New Zealand back with two late wickets.

The visitors won the toss and elected to bat on the first day of this, the third and final test match between England and New Zealand. Mark Richardson took first strike from Matthew Hoggard at the Radcliffe Road end, driving handsomely to Michael Vaughan at mid-off who made a fine diving stop but was unable to prevent the single.

Stephen Fleming likewise got off the mark without any fuss when Stephen Harmison bowled from the Pavilion End, nudging neatly off his hip to square leg for a single, then Harmison responded with a superb ball which almost cut Richardson in two. Hoggard seemed to be struggling to find any swing, and when he drifted onto Fleming's leg stump, the New Zealand skipper pounced in a flash, cracking the ball to square leg for the first boundary of the match.

Harmison should have removed Richardson in his second over. A short ball into the ribs had Richardson jumping about on the crease, Headingley too recent a memory to be put safely to one side. The opener jabbed nervously and Strauss dived to his right to grass what looked to be a straightforward chance, despite three or four grabs at the ball.

Hoggard was denied what looked to be a reasonable shout for leg before wicket against Fleming, but at the other end Harmison continued giving Richardson the most frightful working over, striking the hapless Hawke's Bay born opener repeatedly about the body despite the slowness of the wicket.

Fleming, meanwhile, turned Harmison for four just wide of the diving Geraint Jones - a perfect catch to an old-fashioned leg slip, but alas, that is a position so seldom filled nowadays. Richardson again had an escape in the now doubled leg-trap as Harmison was threatening to take his wicket with almost every delivery.

In relief, Richardson escaped to the other end and took his frustrations out on the bowling of Matthew Hoggard. Twice in succession the wide ball was chased with gusto, twice in succession the ball evaded the diving slips to thud into the boundary boards at third man. On the final ball of Hoggard's over though, the Yorkshireman should have picked up his 100th test wicket when the seemingly regulation edge flew from a huge deflection to Jones behind the wicket, only for umpire Daryl Harper to curtail the celebrations prematurely.

Harmison gave way to Andrew Flintoff from the Pavilion End as New Zealand successfully negotiated the first hour of the contest unscathed, but the game certainly hadn't been devoid of incident as drinks were taken on 39 without loss. It was threatening to be a long and largely fruitless day in the field for England, and the perfect antidote to the medicine which New Zealand had choked on at Lord's and Headingley.

Fleming greeted the start of the second hour with a sparkling on drive from Flintoff, bowling in his now customary style around the wicket to the left-handers but erring on to the batsman's pads. The third ball was better, pitching a fraction outside off stump and holding its own, and the Kiwi skipper would have been grateful that his groping defensive push evaded the seaming ball.

Martin Saggers immediately found a little movement through the air and troubled Richardson with inswingers, but then over-optimistically pitched fuller and wider and could only watch as the ball scorched through the covers for four. Learning quickly, he immediately dragged his length back and had Richardson beaten outside off stump once more.

A glorious Fleming cover drive brought up the New Zealand half-century as the sun broke through the fluffy clouds, but again Flintoff responded well, beating him with one which seamed away just a fraction. Another quite glorious Fleming boundary came courtesy of a short-arm pull off Flintoff who was being punished every time he erred towards the batsman's pads.

Two glorious extra cover drives by Richardson off Saggers indicated that he was in great touch, at least against those bowlers of lesser pace, then Michael Vaughan gave Ashley Giles a few overs before lunch in order to throttle the scoring rate somewhat. It is a ploy likely to be repeated at length the longer the game goes on.

With exquisite timing, Fleming despatched a length ball from the returning Harmison rocketing through square leg to take the partnership into the eighties, then a single from the last ball of the over saw the visitors safely through to lunch on 82 without loss.

Giles returned straight after lunch and gifted a single to Fleming, short and wide, then he produced a couple of rip-snorters to Richardson which turned and bounced - deliveries which would have had the slow left-armer rubbing his hands with glee. Surprisingly, Giles was immediately replaced by Harmison who beat Fleming with an absolute beauty outside off stump.

The lacklustre Hoggard erred on the short side for the umpteenth time and paid the penalty as Richardson helped himself to four backward of point, but the next ball, fuller, swung back in and rapped the batsman on the pad. Fleming drove behind square to bring up his personal half-century, then a straight drive brought up the hundred partnership with the batsmen in almost total command.

Two cracking boundaries by Richardson, one a classic cover drive and the second a delightful, genuine leg-glance swelled his already burgeoning coffers and took him through to yet another half-century and in the process further dented Hoggard's figures. A huge appeal by Harmison for caught behind against Richardson from a wicked bouncer brought him back to reality, but once again the decision of the umpire went, rightly, in favour of the batsman.

Harmison drove Richardson back into his crease with repeated hostile short balls yet again, then cleverly slipped in the fuller one and rapped the batsman on the pad, only for umpire Simon Taufel to rebuff the pleading appeal. Giles too was creating problems for Fleming but enjoying no more success with his own raucous shouts for leg before.

After what seemed an eternity, Richardson finally got to grips with Harmison and punched a full length delivery through point, much to the visible relief of the batsman who looked as though he had emerged from a major battle unscathed. Andrew Flintoff replaced Harmison and the first ball to Fleming was clipped through midwicket for a couple. From the next, the New Zealand captain inexplicably padded up to one which pitched in line and appeared to straighten, but once more escaped the dreaded finger.

A tennis-ball bouncer by Flintoff was unceremoniously lumped through midwicket for four by Richardson, then a lovely square cut brought four more as play for both batsmen progressed serenely into the second half of the day with nary a sign of trouble. Giles continued to keep pressure for a couple of overs to Fleming, then a full toss was gleefully cracked through midwicket for four. As though the pressure release valve had been activated in that one moment, the next, another dreadful ball, was swatted by Fleming into the crowd for the first six of the match to take the score past 150.

Michael Vaughan brought himself on at the Pavilion End and served up the proverbial Curate's Egg, starting with three decidedly airy-fairy full-tosses, the last of which was driven handsomely by Fleming for three, then a couple of balls which found the green stuff and turned sharply. To cap it all, the last ball of the over, another weak full-toss, was driven back to Vaughan by Fleming, just shy of the England skipper's grasping fingers.

Martin Saggers was called upon and immediately looked uncomfortable, seemingly turning an ankle in his delivery stride, then Vaughan swapped Giles to the Pavilion End. He was immediately rewarded with a change of luck as Richardson (73) gave Giles the charge, failed to get to the pitch of the ball and inside-edged it straight to the England skipper at silly mid on, leaving New Zealand on 163-1.

As if to illustrate the frustrating nature of Ashley Giles and his seemingly tenuous yet perpetual residence within the England side, his first ball to Scott Styris would have had his captain pulling his hair out. A wide, looping full-toss outside off stump was all the invitation Styris required to open his account with his easiest four runs of the series.

Fleming plundered four more off Saggers through midwicket, stepping across his stumps and taking advantage of the packed 7-2 off-side field to move into the nineties, then Styris all but holed out to one from the same bowler, the ball falling just short of Giles at square leg. Styris drove Saggers square for another boundary as the signs looked progressively more ominous for England, unable to stem the flow of runs.

Improvisation brought Fleming a boundary through the vacant gulley region as Saggers came in for some serious treatment as the New Zealand captain moved within four of a hundred, then survived yet another huge, if hopeful, leg before wicket appeal. Next ball, the juicy half-volley of his dreams, unceremoniously carted over square leg for six to move to three figures in the most decisive manner possible.

Steve Harmison made his return to the attack with a probing maiden to Styris, but from the other end, a Giles half-volley was caressed through the covers for four by Fleming who was by now exuding the confident air of a man totally in control. Another Harmison maiden brought a little pain to Fleming and the afternoon session to a close with the New Zealanders more than happy with their position of 196-1.

Giles got things under way following the tea interval with a tidy enough over before Harmison, steaming in from the Pavilion End, beat Styris all ends up. Two balls later the batsman scored a moral victory, forcing through the covers to raise the 200 at a cost of just the solitary wicket.

A superb Harmison over saw Fleming twice play and miss outside off stump, then the final ball trapped Styris back in his crease and looked gone for all the world. Once again, in what was rapidly becoming a personal triumph in decision-making, Simon Taufel seemed to be vindicated by slow motion replays which indicated that the ball may have been marginally high.

Another change saw Giles switching back to the end from which he had met with his sole success. Fleming accepted the challenge by whacking the slow left-armer straight for four, but close enough to Marcus Trescothick to keep the Somerset man interested. Flintoff relieved the overworked Harmison and struck in just his second over of the spell.

Operating around the wicket, Flintoff enticed Fleming to drive at one slanting across him. The ball flew to Graham Thorpe at a widish third slip who held on, much to the obvious delight of the England players who had finally removed the New Zealand captain for 117 out of 225-2.

Styris clipped Giles through midwicket for four, then the dangerous Nathan Astle, back on one of one of his old stamping-grounds and eager to make an impression, was disappointingly allowed to get off the mark with a simple prod to square leg for a single. Drinks were taken after precisely 75 overs and right on schedule, almost unprecedented in test match cricket nowadays, thanks largely to the uncharacteristically large number of overs bowled by Giles.

Hoggard, still struggling for any semblance of swing, presented Styris with a wide half-volley, and the batsman needed no second invitation to help himself to his fourth boundary in fine style, a feat he repeated to great effect moments later to bring up the 250 in the final over before the new ball became due.

Styris nudged a single off Hoggard to progress to a well-constructed half-century, then the introduction of Martin Saggers prompted the taking of the new ball. Astle found the fence for the first time in the streakiest fashion, edging between slip and gulley, then a poor ball by Harmison, short and wide, sat up and invited the drive, an invitation Styris duly accepted.

Once again, the redoubtable Stephen Harmison bounced back immediately, cramping Nathan Astle outside off stump. The hard-hitting Astle attempted to drive the ball off the back foot but only contrived to drag the ball on to his stumps for just 15. The next ball, 272-3 became 272-4 - and Harmison was the man to do it again. Steaming in, a ball of full length rapped Craig McMillan (0) on the pad and for the first time in the day's play, Simon Taufel made a decision in favour of the bowler.

A steady over by Saggers prevented Jacob Oram from getting off the mark, then Harmison came steaming in, striving for the magical hat-trick. A wild swipe by Styris did everything except make contact with the ball before it thudded into the gauntlets of Geraint Jones, then the batsman, transfixed like a rabbit in headlights, played the same shot to the next ball and profited to the sum of four runs over slip.

Oram finally scored his first run at the eighth attempt, tucking a short ball to fine leg, then too much width from Saggers allowed Styris to plunder another boundary square on the off side. Oram played another quite extraordinary scoop to fine leg for a single off Harmison, a stroke which narrowly evaded Giles, placed around the corner for just such an event, then Styris punched straight when Harmison overpitched.

Oram clipped a back-of-a-length ball from Saggers through midwicket for a quite superb boundary as New Zealand showed little sign of playing for the next morning, even in the penultimate over. Oram's last offering of the day was another scoop-cum-pull off his hip to a short ball from Harmison, a stroke which now appears to be played compulsively and one which the big Durham paceman is likely to give him the opportunity of playing again when play resumes tomorrow morning.

Styris ended the day unbeaten on a very fine 68 and Oram on 10 as New Zealand closed on 295-4. Both sides will be reasonably happy with the situation - England will see similarities to the two previous games in the series where the visitors have squandered similar positions in their first innings, and New Zealand will be able to point to runs on the board and a chance to build upon a decent platform.

New Zealand 295-4
Fleming 117, Richardson 73, Styris 68*, Harmison 2-59


Posted by Eddie