Cricket: So torpid both teams look like losers

West Indian batsman Brian Lara stands in disbelief as New Zealand wicket keeper Brendon McCullum celebrates the loss of his wicket for 5 runs. Picture / Kenny Rodger

The big question swirling around Eden Park yesterday was not so much who was going to win the opening test match, but who was going to lose it.

By the time stumps were drawn on the second day of a still torpid first test, both the West Indies and New Zealand had squandered positions of relative strength.

The Black Caps claimed an almost negligible credit of 18 runs before stumbling through to stumps at 98 for four in their second innings, a lead of 116 with six wickets intact.

The situation was fast approaching a crisis last night, and with Nathan Astle in doubt after being struck on the head on Thursday and the remainder of the batting order looking distinctly fragile, it wouldn't take much to create a full state of emergency this morning.

Astle, crowned by fast-bowler Fidel Edwards in the fifth one-dayer, received a repeat dose while batting on Thursday and underwent an MRI scan yesterday before being confined to the team hotel with concussion-like symptoms.

The New Zealand No 5 will still be allowed to bat when he wants because the injury was caused by an external blow, but he is likely to be monitored carefully this morning after he complained of feeling nauseous and unwell.

Whatever happens on that front, the match has so far proved a terrible advertisement for test cricket, and seems likely to be won by the side who can at least put together a couple of decent back-to-back sessions today.

The chances of it being New Zealand will depend heavily on the efforts of not-out batsmen Stephen Fleming (19) and nightwatchman James Franklin (3), not to mention the struggling Astle and the late assistance of Brendon McCullum.

The impending salvage operation was made necessary after New Zealand's new-look top order came up short for the second time in a row, raising fresh doubts over coach John Bracewell's selection policies.

Hamish Marshall, who fell to a rank full toss in the first innings, perished to an innocuous Ian Bradshaw half-volley, Jamie How lasted just over an hour before top-edging the same bowler, and Edwards went through the defences of Peter Fulton soon after.

But worse was to come for New Zealand when first innings century-maker Scott Styris appeared to lose the plot after becoming the fourth New Zealander (after Fleming and Astle) to be sconed in the head by Edwards.

The New Zealand right-hander lashed the next delivery for four, sprayed the bowler with a mouthful of verbals and then departed in his next over, superbly caught on the deep square leg boundary by man of the moment Bradshaw.

It was a frightful dismissal, as ham-fisted as his previous innings was professional, and brought to mind Craig McMillan's mental blank at Brisbane last summer, when he became involved in a slanging match with Adam Gilchrist, and then departed to the next delivery.

And quite apart from all that, it provided the tourists with a massive and timely boost to their morale.

Resuming yesterday morning at 51 for three, the West Indies lost Brian Lara to the first ball he received from Shane Bond, and skipper Shiv Chanderpaul to a catch down the leg-side, leaving them in all sorts of trouble at 90 for five.

But as New Zealand's bowling spluttered in fits and starts, the tourists fought back to a position of stability through the efforts of first Ramnaresh Sarwan and Dwayne Bravo - who both posted half-centuries - and the highly dangerous Dwayne Smith, who smote a quick 38.

However, as has been the theme throughout the match, no sooner were the West Indies looking comfortable than they were plunged into another drama, working their way through to 237 for six before being bowled out for 257.

* Chris Gayle was last night summoned to a disciplinary hearing over his conduct during the first day's play.

The West Indian opener was adjudged not out by umpire Rudi Koertzen on Thursday afternoon, when television replays confirmed a Shane Bond missile had speared into his glove when on 23, and ballooned out to Jamie How at gully.

As Bond and teammates roared for the decision, Gayle backed away from the wicket and rubbed his arm, as if to suggest the ball had struck his forearm guard and not his glove.

Scoreboard at stumps, day two

New Zealand
First innings 275

West Indies
First innings (overnight 51-3)

C. Gayle c McCullum b Styris 25
D. Ganga c How b Martin 20
I. Bradshaw c How b Styris 0
R. Sarwan c Franklin b Bond 62
B. Lara c sub (Cachopa) b Bond 5
S. Chanderpaul c McCullum b Franklin 13
D. Bravo c Bond b Martin 59
D. Smith c McCullum b Martin 38
D. Ramdin c and b Vettori 9
F. Edwards c McCullum b Vettori 1
J. Taylor not out 4
Extras (7lb, 13nb, 1w) 21
Total (71.2 overs) 257

Fall: 1/47 (Ganga), 2/48 (Bradshaw), 3/49 (Gayle), 4/60 (Lara), 5/90 (Chanderpaul), 6/179 (Sarwan), 7/237 (Smith), 8/248 (Bravo), 9/252 (Ramdin).

Bowling: S. Bond 19-4-57-2 (3nb), J. Franklin 21-4-83-1 (6nb, 1w), C. Martin 17-1-80-3 (3nb), S. Styris 7-1-23-2, D. Vettori 7.2-3-7-2 (1nb).

New Zealand
Second innings

H. Marshall c Ganga b Bradshaw 1
J. How c Ramdin b Bradshaw 3P. Fulton b Edwards 28
S. Fleming not out 19
S. Styris c Bradshaw b Edwards 5
J. Franklin not out 3
Extras (1lb, 3nb, 1w) 5
Total (for 4 wkts, 34 overs) 98

Fall: 1/11 (Marshall), 2/66 (How), 3/73 (Fulton), 4/88 (Styris).

Bowling: F. Edwards 10-3-27-2 (3nb), I. Bradshaw 13-2-34-2 (1w), J. Taylor 1-0-6-0, C. Gayle 4-0-15-0, D. Smith 6-2-15-0.