Cricket: A case of play it again as NZ slump

By RICHARD BOOCK

PORT ELIZABETH - Sadly, the only thing the New Zealand cricketers have managed to outplay at the start of the second cricket test against South Africa has been the St George's Park brass band, and to be honest, that has more to do with the standard of the music than the quality of the cricket.

Hard as they tried, the New Zealand batsmen, Mathew Sinclair apart, were unable to answer their coach's plea for a strong beginning to the first innings, and have effectively left the team's fate in the hands of a patched-up and inexperienced bowling combination.

Unless the New Zealand attack, which as expected includes Kerry Walmsley instead of Daryl Tuffey, can perform miracles on a pitch which seems to be flattening, South Africa are poised to apply huge pressure to the tourists in terms of a first-innings lead, and place themselves in an unassailable position.

After the first test at Bloemfontein, when New Zealand self-destructed for 229 in the first innings and lost any chance of gaining the initiative, coach David Trist made a point of emphasising the need for a stable base to this showdown, but instead, watched from the dressing-room as the foundations fell all around him.

Opening batsmen Mark Richardson and Craig Spearman asked umpire Rudi Koertzen to silence the band during the early overs, but neither batsmen made it to the luncheon gong, while Stephen Fleming and Nathan Astle departed in the second session, and Craig McMillan, New Zealand's last specialist batsman, top-edged a hook soon after tea.

At that stage New Zealand had effectively already switched into salvage mode, eventually reaching 206 for seven at stumps, although Sinclair was still waging a lone battle in the Port Elizabeth heat, reaching 88 not out at the close.

The 25-year-old right-hander demonstrated impressive composure while bringing up his first test 50 since making 214 on debut, and by stumps had struck 15 fours in a 267-minute effort, with many of the boundaries in the area between cover and backward point.

Sinclair shared in the only partnership of any substance for New Zealand, adding 71 for the fifth wicket with McMillan, who was brilliantly caught by a diving Makhaya Ntini at deep backward square leg after losing control of an attempted hook off Shaun Pollock.

McMillan was on 39 at the time and would probably have been upset at the manner of his dismissal because the hook is probably not his strongest shot.

"Looking at the way Sinclair batted, if just one of the other guys had occupied the crease with similar diligence then things would probably have been much different," Trist said afterwards.

"There was a bit of assistance in the pitch early on, and I thought South Africa would have been a tad disappointed with the way they used it. But their bowlers tightened up after lunch and more discipline was required from our batters."

It was not like Bloemfontein, however, when New Zealand perished to a procession of injudicious shots, McMillan aside.

Fleming fell to a smart caught-and-bowled by Pollock, but the balance of the top order were defeated playing defensively. Richardson was bowled for the second time in three test innings, Spearman fended Allan Donald to short square leg, and Astle placed himself in the umpire's hands after not offering a shot to a ball which might have been going over the top.

Sinclair brought up his century shortly after the start of play on the second day.

Midway through the morning session he was 117, Shayne O'Connor was 14 and New Zealand were battling back with a score of 251-7.