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LONDON - New Zealand can take more heart from the first cricket test draw than their hosts, say sections of the English media.
The Guardian newspaper's chief cricket correspondent, former England seamer Mike Selvey, said New Zealand claimed the first test honours at Lord's as they eye the second test starting in Manchester on Friday.
"Of the two sides it is probably the visitors who can make the journey north in the better heart," he wrote.
"Before the match they were certainly, and justifiably even in their own minds, regarded as underdogs.
"But they scrapped superbly, have a unique batsman in McCullum, whose first-innings 97 kept them in the game, a resourceful intelligent captain and superb bowler in the man of the match, Daniel Vettori, backed by industrious, focused seamers led by the underrated Chris Martin, and a fine allrounder in Oram.
"England, by contrast, failed to nail the New Zealand innings when it was on the ropes first time around, were unable to take the initiative with the bat, the top order collapsing again when the opportunity was there to push for an innings win, and, with the pitch playing more easily as has become the norm here, did not have the resource to force their way through the Kiwi defence on the last day."
Former England captain Mike Atherton, writing in The Times, said it was an impressive turnaround by the tourists after being largely written off.
"After all the apocalyptic predictions about their chances, one fully expected to see the white flag fluttering over the touring team's dressing room at Lord's," he wrote.
"... (but) New Zealand head to Manchester on level terms and can take much heart from their performance in this game.
"The consensus may be that rain and bad light helped them to secure a draw, but who is to say that, given time, they would not have established a secure bridgehead before unleashing their master spinner on England? After losing the toss in perfect bowling conditions, this was a draw they fully deserved."
Another former test player, Derek Pringle in The Telegraph, said Jacob Oram's last day century saved the tourists from likely defeat.
"Saving test matches used to involve grit, resolve and staunch use of the front pad, but not for Jacob Oram," he wrote.
"Faced with his team's possible demise at Lord's, after Brendon McCullum retired hurt, he simply assumed the outgoing batsman's persona and belted New Zealand to safety with a hedonistic hundred.
"The large amount of time taken out of this first test by the weather meant a result was always unlikely, though with the hot and cold nature of both sides you could not put the house on it.
"Without Oram's contribution, as well as a more traditionally steadfast one from debutant Daniel Flynn, the visitors might have left London for Manchester one down."
- NZPA
