Cricket: Fleming refuses to blame test pitch

By RICHARD BOOCK

Stephen Fleming refused to condemn the Eden Park pitch yesterday as the first cricket test sped towards an unseemly finish.

The New Zealand skipper baulked at suggestions that the surface was poor, preferring to describe it as "interesting" and a huge challenge for the batsmen, after the match claimed 25 victims in the first two days.

Although the test seems unlikely to last much longer, it will still probably form the backdrop for two notable milestones, while Fleming managed to get among the records himself yesterday, becoming only the sixth New Zealander to score 3000 test runs.

However, most of the attention was on Australian spin-king Shane Warne and local left-armer Daniel Vettori yesterday, both of whom are set to play a key role for their sides in the short time remaining.

Vettori seems likely to reach his record first, needing one more test wicket to become the youngest spin-bowler in the world to 100, and the 10th New Zealander to achieve the feat.

The 21-year-old Northern Districts spinner exploited the conditions to take five wickets in Australia's first innings, and took three more in the second yesterday as Australia struggled to 114 for five.

Pakistan off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq, who was 22 years and 324 days old when he reached 100 test wickets, is the record-holder.

Warne will also march into the record books with his next wicket, which will equal Dennis Lillee's Australian record of 355, and on this Eden Park pitch is heavily favoured to extend the mark by the end of the test.

Fleming said there was no question of the pitch deteriorating - "It hasn't got any tougher because it was very hard to start with" - and suggested the bowlers might prefer it to the batsmen.

But he said it was far too early to make an overall comment.

"It's a pretty interesting wicket," Fleming said.

"It gets the test going forward and I guess it's entertaining to watch, but as a batsman it's certainly a difficult proposition.

"There's a lot of turn, sure, but I think the bowlers are just as keen on the loopy bounce they get. That's really made life hard for the batsmen."