Cricket: Batsmen in scramble to keep afloat

By RICHARD BOOCK

New Zealand were not so much reasserting their authority as scrambling for safety during the opening stanzas of the Boxing Day test against Zimbabwe.

Depending on who you talked to, this was the test in which New Zealand were supposed to be putting the agonies of South Africa behind them, with the minnows Zimbabwe providing an ideal appetiser before Pakistan arrived with the main course later in the season.

But no one told Zimbabwe.

Even without the injured Paul Strang, Grant Flower and Dirk Viljoen, and with Heath Streak and Alistair Campbell recovering from the flu, the tourists were able to make life difficult for New Zealand, who were 190 for four at stumps last night, thanks to some more stout defiance from Mark Richardson.

Until Richardson's innings of 75 began to blossom, the best moment for New Zealand (who included two spinners at the expense of James Franklin after discovering a grassless Basin Reserve pitch) was when captain Stephen Fleming won the toss and elected to bat, guaranteeing his slow bowlers last use of the barren surface.

Everything, it seemed, was in New Zealand's favour. The pitch provided the familiar blend of slow pace and bounce; the much-hassled batsmen were up against a diluted bowling attack, and the bowlers were to be confronted by a batting line-up which was missing the considerable influence of Grant Flower.

The only other thing they needed was a formidable first innings total.

Instead they lost their first three wickets to some poor cricket and slumped to 67 for three not long after lunch, and might have been facing further ignominy if it were not for Richardson's ability to graft through a highly charged middle session, and Nathan Astle's stubborn resistance at the other end.

According to smoke signals during the week, this test was supposed to double as the Last Chance Saloon for Astle, but the right-hander drank deeply enough when he arrived in the middle, hanging around for 174 balls while scoring 56, and consolidating the innings during a partnership with Richardson worth 78.

It was a battling innings from Astle, who seemed to have made a couple of small alterations to his stance as he laboured for more than three-and-half hours, looking more settled in his work, and less troubled by the slow rate of scoring.

Richardson, on the other hand, struggled for timing throughout, aiming massive drives and slashing cuts without finding the middle of the bat, but again showing impressive composure and the ability to make a genuine contribution, despite not being in great touch.

The day started well enough for New Zealand at the toss, but any hopes that the top-order would rebound from the problems in South Africa were shattered in just over one session as Zimbabwe made the better start to the test.

Matt Horne, playing in his comeback test after missing the South African series with a broken hand, perished to an indescribably horrible slash when the total was five; a crease-bound Matt Sinclair was trapped in front by Bryan Strang eight overs later, and then Stephen Fleming was left hopelessly stranded by a yes-no-sorry call from Richardson just after lunch

Richardson played the ball into the legside and initially called for a run before changing his mind, bringing back memories of that old E. W. Swanton quote about English batsman Dennis Compton, that "a call from Compton was merely an invitation to negotiate."

The Otago left-hander looked almost as distraught as Fleming after the mix-up and immediately launched into three square slashes, the first of which was dropped by Campbell, the second of which was almost caught by Douglas Marillier, and the third of which cleared everyone for four.

He eventually dug in for the long haul with Astle and, although dropped again by Campbell when he was 73, seemed to be within reach of his maiden test century before he was run out - this time after being called for a quick single.

New Zealand's hopes of a sizeable total and applying pressure to Zimbabwe through their spinners rest mainly with Astle and Craig McMillan, who was unbeaten on 20.