Cricket: Richardson grins and bears it after century letdown

1.00pm - By MARK GEENTY

LONDON - For a man who'd just been knocked to the canvas, Mark Richardson dusted himself off and put in a press conference showing worthy of a cricketing Oscar at Lord's today.

Just minutes after being halted for 93, an agonising reach away from his fourth test century, Richardson was back to his beaming self and explained away his bitter disappointment with his usual self-deprecating humour.

Despite a world class test average of 46.32 from 31 tests, Richardson has found the big scores hard to come by and again had to settle for his seventh score of 80-100.

The reason?

"I've been fairly criticised about my conversion rate. I set my goals of scoring more hundreds over the last year. I put it down to the fact it takes me so long to score my runs," he said.

"That's the reason I don't think I get more hundreds. You face 300 balls to get a hundred one of them's likely to get you out isn't it?"

Indeed Richardson did more than enough graft for three figures on a useful first day pitch and a testing examination from England's four pacemen including a painful blow on the hip from speedster Stephen Harmison.

He faced 266 balls, batted a tick over six hours and hit 17 fours, many of them with the cover drive which for so long hasn't been part of his repertoire.

"Sometimes I wish I was Adam Gilchrist," he said when asked if he revelled in his dour role.

Richardson was also diplomatic about the leg before wicket decision from Australian umpire Darrell Hair after replays showed he got an inside edge.

"I don't know if I'm allowed to comment on that one. I would have preferred to hit the ball in the middle of the bat.

"I'm pleased I had some success but I know when I wake up I'll be very disappointed."

Richardson watched from the other end as his cohorts Nathan Astle and Jacob Oram blazed away, both combining with him for century stands.

Astle cracked 11 fours in his 64 while Oram was 64 not out at stumps, having hit 10 fours, five of them in an assault on left-arm spinner Ashley Giles.

Richardson admitted Oram's hitting made him a touch envious.

"He was standing there whacking fours, he wasn't getting too many ones to give me a chance. I wanted a bit of Giles too but he just happened to be at that end."

- NZPA