The Hindu : Gritty Harris saves the day for the Kiwis

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Mar 31, 2002

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Sport - Cricket

Gritty Harris saves the day for the Kiwis

Auckland March 30. Chris Harris made the most of his recall to Test cricket with a determined half-century to stabilise the New Zealand first innings after a disastrous start to the third and final Test against England at Eden Park here on Saturday.

Harris, in his first Test in three years, played a gritty innings to help the Kiwis claw back from 19 for four to 151 for five in 54 overs when play was abandoned for the day at 5:39 p.m. local time because of bad light.

It was the Canterbury left-hander's fifth half-century in Tests and when bad light intervened he was unbeaten on 55 in 202 minutes with wicketkeeper Adam Parore, playing his farewell Test and the third-most (78) Tests by a New Zealander, on 19.

Harris was promoted to number four in the order as part of a couple of team changes aimed at squaring the series after the Kiwis lost the opening Christchurch Test by 98 runs.

Harris, who had a Test average of 19.4 from 19 matches going into the Test, took 37 minutes to get off the mark but grew in confidence and anchored partnerships with Craig McMillan and Parore. Harris, who has played 203 one-day internationals, looked to have finished his Test career at the start of this season but has averaged 95.7 in the domestic first-class competition earning his Test recall.

England fast bowler Andy Caddick was irresistible in the morning session and claimed his 200th Test wicket. The New Zealand-born Caddick captured four for 28 to have the Kiwis at 86 for five at lunch. He has now taken 19 wickets in the current series.

He trapped McMillan for 41 two balls before lunch to become the ninth Englishman to take 200 wickets in Tests. Ian Botham is the most prolific wicket-taker in Tests for England with 383.

Captain Stephen Fleming correctly called the toss ahead of England counterpart Nasser Hussain for the third time in the series and chose to bat on a drop-in pitch in humid conditions. The decision backfired early as New Zealand lost the wickets of Mark Richardson, Fleming, Lou Vincent and Nathan Astle inside the first nine overs.

Under cloudy skies, the Kiwis were in trouble from the outset with Caddick and Matthew Hoggard getting appreciable movement off the pitch. Caddick clipped the top of Richardson's off-stump in the fifth over of the day for five leaving the Kiwis at 12 for one.

Fleming, promoted to number three in the order following the elevation of Vincent as opener, lasted nine balls before he became a victim of Hoggard for five. Hoggard had a big shout for lbw on Fleming, which was turned down by New Zealand umpire Doug Cowie, and the next ball he played to Mark Ramprakash at short-leg.

Vincent was deceived by Caddick's swing and was bowled between bat and pad for 10 leaving the Kiwis tottering at 17 for three off 8.1 overs. Caddick removed Christchurch Test double-centurion Astle for two to a breath-taking diving left-handed catch by Graham Thorpe centimetres off the ground at third slip.

All the England players raced to embrace Thorpe on his fantastic catch as Astle temporarily stood his ground before walking back to the pavilion with the home side at 19 for four.

But McMillan and Harris, playing his first Test since India at Ahmedabad in 1999, counter-punched with their 67-run partnership for the fifth wicket. But as light rain was falling in the over before lunch McMillan fell to Caddick, who sunk to his knees upon claiming his Test wicket milestone.

— AFP

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