Cricket: Second test evenly poised

By MARK GEENTY

LEEDS - Scott Styris got a welcome distraction from his batting crisis as he added two big England names to his select group of test cricket scalps when New Zealand needed him most here today.

The all-rounder with the knack of taking the key wickets at crucial times got New Zealand back in the second test after what he labelled "one of our worst bowling performances" on day three.

Styris removed captain Michael Vaughan and centurymaker Marcus Trescothick in the space of nine balls as England stuttered to 284 for four at stumps.

They were still 161 behind New Zealand who posted an above-par 409 in their first innings thanks to Brendon McCullum's second consecutive test half-century.

Styris' wickets reversed a horror opening stanza when Trescothick and Andrew Strauss added 153 for the first wicket on a Headingley pitch playing more and more tricks and a result either way still a chance.

"It's still doing a bit and we had a poor day with the ball in hand, probably the poorest I've seen from us which is a little hard to understand," Styris told NZPA after a stern and lengthy team debrief with coach John Bracewell.

"We got over-anxious, we saw how much it was doing and thought we should be rolling them for 100.

"We were under the pump a little bit and was nice to get us back into it, and even get our noses in front again."

Vaughan, who the previous day had left the field early to be at the birth of his first child, scored just 13 before Styris got some movement and he offered Stephen Fleming a simple chance at slip.

Then Trescothick, who scored his sixth test century and first against New Zealand, attempted a drive at one which shot along the ground and went via bottom edge onto stumps.

Trescothick was fed too many full and straight deliveries and was severe on Chris Martin, hitting 19 fours in his rollicking 132 off 206 balls which delighted the boisterous 14,000-strong Saturday crowd.

Styris had just 12 wickets from 13 tests going into this match, but his victims included the names Brian Lara, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Gary Kirsten -- a handy lineup in anyone's book.

"It is a good list but I think they underestimate me. It has to be that, otherwise such good players wouldn't be getting out to me and my little medium pace pies."

Of more importance to Styris is to get back in form with the bat, after his 21 in the first innings to go with nought and four in the first test.

He averaged 46.36 going into the series but has found some technical faults creeping in, and sought out New Zealand great Martin Crowe in the commentary box for some advice.

"There's a couple of areas I'm being exposed, but that's the beauty of the game, we all have periods like that.

"I'll fight back. I had a good chat with Martin Crowe this morning. His big thing was not to lose belief, and I know I've got the game to succeed against any attack on any wicket."

Spinner Daniel Vettori was again the most likely New Zealand bowler, finding an edge from Trescothick on 52 which McCullum just missed.

Vettori broke the opening stand in the 38th over when Strauss skied a sweep on 62, then trapped Mark Butcher leg before wicket to one which turned and bounced.

Chris Cairns got the ball to rear alarmingly and was unlucky to go wicketless.

He showed his frustration when umpire Steve Bucknor no-balled him for a fifth time, and his lengthy remonstration for what he thought was a fair ball earned him a chat with match referee Clive Lloyd but no punishment.

New Zealand added 58 to their overnight score in 19 overs, with McCullum's 54 backed up by Vettori's 35 off 55 balls before speedster Stephen Harmison ended things with his third consecutive five-wicket bag.

England trails by 161 runs with six first innings wickets in hand and two days to play.

New Zealand first innings (351-6 overnight)

M Richardson b Saggers 13

M Papps lbw b Flintoff 86

S Fleming c Vaughan b Harmison 97

N Astle c Butcher b Saggers 2

S Styris c Jones b Harmison 21

J Oram c Thorpe b Flintoff 39

C Cairns c Strauss b Harmison 41

B McCullum b Hoggard 54

D Vettori b Harmison 35

D Tuffey lbw b Hoggard 0

C Martin not out 0

Extras (5b, 14lb, 2w) 21

Total (143.2 overs) 409

Fall: 33 (Richardson), 202 (Papps), 215 (Fleming), 215 (Astle), 263 (Styris), 293 (Oram), 355 (Cairns), 409 (McCullum), 409 (Tuffey), 409 (Vettori).

Bowling: M Hoggard 27-6-93-2, S Harmison 36.2-8-74-4 (1w), A Flintoff 27-7-64-2, M Saggers 30-6-86-2 (1w), M Trescothick 2-0-3-0, A Giles 19-1-67-0, M Vaughan 2-0-3-0.

England first innings

M Trescothick b Styris 132

A Strauss c Tuffey b Vettori 62

M Butcher lbw b Vettori 4

M Vaughan c Fleming b Styris 13

G Thorpe not out 7

A Flintoff not out 4

Extras (10b, 6lb, 1w, 9nb) 26

Total (for 4 wkts, 65 overs) 248


Fall: 153 (Strauss), 174 (Butcher), 229 (Vaughan), 240 (Trescothick).

Bowling: D Tuffey 11-3-34-0, C Martin 15-3-65-0 (2nb, 1w), S Styris 7-2-16-2 (1nb), C Cairns 15-2-57-0 (6nb), D Vettori 17-0-60-2.

- NZPA