Cricket: Ice-water bath for century-maker

KWEKWE - It was not exactly a reward befitting a man who had just scored his first cricket century for New Zealand, but Mark Richardson was thankful nonetheless.

The 29-year-old was doused in a bath of iced water for a minute as part of his warm-down after batting for 408 minutes for 159 not out against Zimbabwe A in the heat of Kwekwe yesterday.

Richardson's grinding innings, just his third for New Zealand, helped the team to 339 for two at stumps on the opening day of the three-day game.

The reward was physiotherapist Mark Harrison's remedy for lactic acid build-up in players' muscles, and it was also dealt out to Mathew Sinclair, who made 86.

Players lie in the ice bath for a minute, have a warm shower for three minutes and repeat the process three more times.

It did the trick for Richardson, but he still was not sold on the method.

"It's like punishment for doing well. The first time I got in there I couldn't even breathe," he said. "It's really gruelling, one of the longest minutes of my life. But you come out feeling all right."

Richardson's century was his 10th at first-class level, but because it was for New Zealand he was buzzing.

He rated the difficulty of the conditions up with when he scored 212 for New Zealand A against Sussex this year, an innings which showed he could concentrate for long periods.

Richardson admitted he struggled late in the day after braving the near-30 deg C heat of the central Zimbabwe town.

"I started getting headaches around tea time. I found I was dehydrating. I didn't eat much and all I drank was water, so it was quite tough at times."

He had his share of luck from the first over when a point-blank throw at the stumps missed when he was well short of his ground.

He was also nearly caught in the slips in the 40s.

After being dismissed twice in unlucky fashion in the tour opener in Mutare last week, Richardson thought he was due a change of luck.

"After getting bowled by one that ran along the ground and one that came back a mile in the last game, you need those little things to go for you if you're going to get a big hundred."

Richardson admitted that the bowling attack containing test bowlers recovering from injury - paceman Henry Olonga and legspinner Paul Strang - was not totally convincing, but the time at the crease was invaluable.

Strang and offspinner Gregory Lamb were the pick of the bowlers and Strang looks likely to return to the test side.

Richardson featured in two useful partnerships, 130 in 150 minutes with Matthew Horne, then 159 in 190 minutes with Sinclair, who hit 15 fours and looked certain for a century until a smart stumping by 17-year-old Tatenda Taibu.

New Zealand coach David Trist was impressed by Richardson, who is on his first tour with the national side.

"He has a game plan, he's mentally strong and against this kind of opposition you need to make sure you don't make mistakes," Trist said.

Trist was aware of keeping the heat on Zimbabwe A to send a message to the test side.

"We want to try to retain the upper hand throughout this game because several of them are going to play in the tests."

- NZPA