Cricket: Papps leads fightback

By RICHARD BOOCK

You get the feeling that Michael Papps would be an automatic finalist in any Survivor competition.

The rookie New Zealand right-hander appears to have a knack of emerging from near ruinous situations with only minor grazes, and was at it again yesterday as New Zealand fought for parity in the opening test against South Africa.

Close to being played out of the game by Gary Kirsten, whose 21st test century lifted South Africa's first innings to 459, New Zealand were 102 for two at stumps, needing a further 158 to avoid the follow-on.

Central to their resistance yesterday was Papps, who had to endure two shoulder injuries and a head injury before being picked for New Zealand, and survived another accident zone while scoring an unbeaten half-century on debut.

As gritty as a Waikato back-road, Papps was hit on the helmet early, dropped at slip by Graeme Smith and was almost caught from an attempted leave, before settling down to underpin New Zealand's resistance.

He will resume this morning with Scott Styris on a pitch that is beginning to play unevenly, representing almost certain death to batsmen who loiter on the back foot.

Strong on the off-drive and quick on the hook-shot, Papps brought up his half-century and his team's 100 with a thick-edge to the third-man boundary just before stumps, becoming the 22nd New Zealander to score 50 on debut.

South Africa would have been hoping to knock over a couple more before the end of the day, particularly after chipping out Mark Richardson in the 13th over, but were clearly rattled by what seemed a harsh ruling from Zimbabwean umpire Russell Tiffin.

Tiffin issued a formal warning to Andre Nel for running on the pitch, after Nel had bowled just two balls in his first spell. Umpires usually favour a quiet word to the bowler first, and issuing a formal warning only if the infringing continues.

Smith remonstrated with Tiffin, but the damage had been done; Nel was forced to bowl around the wicket and quickly gave up six boundaries to Papps and Stephen Fleming.

Fleming fell later when he went back to spin bowler Paul Adams and was trapped in front.

Batting had not seemed so complicated at the start of the day as Kirsten resumed on 31 and marched towards his second century against New Zealand.


He was superb on the cut and sure against the spinners before eventually falling for 137.

However, New Zealand contributed to their own predicament with some fielding lapses, including two dropped catches from Fleming and Chris Cairns which allowed the tourists to score about 50 runs more than they should have.