By Richard Boock
WELLINGTON - Chris Harris was at his ambiguous best in the third cricket test yesterday.
The more he bats the more he proves both why he should be in this New Zealand side, and then again, why he probably should not.
The popular 29-year-old yesterday battled a bout of vomit-inducing dehydration, the intensity of the South African pace attack and his own technical deficiencies to lead New Zealand out of a near-terminal collapse on the first day of the final test at the Basin Reserve.
The Kiwis were teetering on the edge of another batting debacle at 58 for four before Harris and rookie Gary Stead added 145 for the fifth wicket to help their side through to 211 for six at stumps last night.
Harris' unbeaten 66 - including his fourth test 50 - was founded on 212 minutes of grim survival as a pace attack led by Steve Elworthy probed and explored his do-it-yourself approach to batting without being able to land the fatal blow.
Elworthy sent back Nathan Astle and Roger Twose during a lively spell just after lunch, and returned with the new ball to take another two wickets, including that of Stead who, after bringing up his maiden test 50 in 152 minutes, was spectacularly caught in the gully by Shaun Pollock only two overs out from stumps.
The tall South African opening bowler had played in only one test before this one, snaring a solitary wicket in his debut at Nottingham last year, but must now fancy his chances of grabbing his first five-wicket bag after ending the day with four for 58.
Just what criteria the New Zealanders use to decide whether to bat or bowl first these days is not altogether clear, but on the evidence of yesterday's choice there is a faint chance an old crone and a fake crystal ball might be involved.
After winning his third consecutive toss yesterday morning, Dion Nash flew in the face of popular opinion and decided to offer any advantage in the pitch to the South Africans, who were apparently keen to bowl first as it was.
Matt Horne did not survive the new ball and Bryan Young played unnecessarily at Jacques Kallis, but Twose and Astle - the latter of whom was dropped by Paul Adams at point when he was on two - somehow managed to make it through to lunch.
Elworthy struck soon after the resumption, outwitting Astle with a superb, swinging yorker, before removing Twose, who has taken to batting with what looks like a life-jacket stuffed up his shirt these days. He now strikes a passing resemblance to the Michelin tyre man, and seems to have all the mobility of that Stars Wars robot, R2D2.
He attempted to take one short-pitched delivery from Elworthy on his well-padded body, was struck full on the elbow instead, and was out in the same over, flirting with a ball he probably did not need to play.
It was left to Harris and Stead to rebuild the innings and the Canterbury pair responded with genuine resolve, if not much style, grafting their way through 52 overs, with the 100-stand arriving in 138 minutes.
Harris was attacked mercilessly by the short-pitched ball, and looked vulnerable every time the line was into his body, but refused to be intimidated and brought up his 50 in 156 minutes (including seven boundaries).
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