The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : First Test drawn; Century for Oram

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First Test drawn; Century for Oram

Ted Corbett

LONDON: Brendon McCullum, the lower-middle-order batsman promoted to hit a run-a-ball 97 in the first innings, made a single mistake at Lord’s as New Zealand saved the first Test – and it threatened to cost his side dear until the giant all-rounder Jacob Oram came to its rescue with a century made at Grand Prix speeds.

McCullum hurt

McCullum had scored 11, after half an hour when young Stuart Broad forced enough life from this batsman’s pitch to get the ball elbow high.

Crucially, McCullum was not wearing an arm guard, and he was struck fair and square on the funny bone, went down on one knee — and signalled for the physio as he fell — and had to be escorted from the pitch.

An X-ray showed no break but the sallow look beneath his tan told how much pain he was in.By the time McCullum was hurt New Zealand had already lost four wickets.

Aaron Redmond was caught at slip in the first half of James Anderson’s 90-minute spell. Anderson could not repeat that sharply moving ball and by the end of his overs he was being hit around freely.

Ryan Sidebottom found that a change of ball gave him extra nip and he had James Marshall lbw at 52.

Interesting combo

Jamie How was joined by Ross Taylor which made for an appropriate partnership since Taylor does not know the meaning of the word “how” or “why” and certainly not “if”.

He does not do defensive, nor patient, nor ever say “I’ll just hang in here”; he sees the ball he hits it.

Nothing wrong with that if you are Viv Richards or Don Bradman; Taylor is neither, which meant he was out, growing impatient with Monty Panesar and lbw.

At lunch New Zealand was 113 for three, or 71 ahead, but How, with 68 in 44 overs, was caught at third slip by Alastair Cook off Broad with only two more added and when McCullum left it was England’s game.

At this point, more than at any other, England missed Andrew Flintoff’s power to open up the middle order and so expose the short stubby tail that is the characteristic of this Kiwi bird.

Instead Daniel Flynn, in his first Test, and Oram, put on 132. Michael Vaughan had to call up Kevin Pietersen’s under-practised off-spin, and the game stagnated.

Oram went to his fifth Test fifty out of 88 in only 67 balls and his hundred came in only two hours with two sixes, 15 hits to the fence and a couple of chances.

He stands 6ft 6in and dwarfs the 23-year-old left-hander Flynn who appears to be smaller than England’s wicketkeeper Tim Ambrose.

Naturally Flynn is “Errol”, after the post war movie hero. Soon after Oram was bowled and McCullum, returning to play freely, was out for 24, our old friend bad light brought the umpires together, the players shook hands and the game was declared a draw.

Fair enough although if more than 280 overs had been possible in the five days there would have been a completely different result.

The forecast is for rain at Old Trafford later in the week and it now appears that the New Zealanders, everyone’s underdogs at the start, may escape this three-Test series with their dignity intact.

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