Tea England162 for 1 (Compton 73*, Trott 68*) v New Zealand
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Brendon McCullum must be ruing his luck - ruing his good luck, that is. He won the toss in Cape Town in January, chose to bat and saw New Zealand demolished for 45. He won it again in Wellington against England today, had a bowl instead and by tea could not avoid the realisation that he had blundered once more. Far better to lose the toss and make the best of it.
Nick Compton and Jonathan Trott did not give McCullum much hope of reprieve. They might not be the most extravagant pairing in the world, in fact they might wear down a crowd as much as they wear down an opposing attack, but they progressed in an orderly fashion that must have filled McCullum with foreboding. By tea, both were well beyond respective half-centuries and England looked bent upon batting for two days.
By batting first against South Africa in Cape Town, McCullum had wanted to make a statement in his first Test in charge, only for New Zealand to be destroyed by Vernon Philander. In Wellington, it felt more as if he wanted a concession, an acceptance that New Zealand's batting dared not be risked on the first morning against England's pace attack.
But the skies were becoming bluer by the minute, the breeze of the Cook Strait was light and northerly and a drought in Wellington has left the city with only 20 days' rain. (Don't panic, it is going to pour down later in the match, apparently). The pitch looked firm and true and not a ball deviated for the pace bowlers. At one point a Paradise Duck waddled onto the square to take a look, and all the signs were that paradise was more likely to belong to England.
Compton, in particular, looked in confident mood after his breakthrough hundred in Dunedin. There he had again displayed masses of resolution, a batsman of character trying to prove his mettle. Here he revealed a more expansive side of his batting character until England became becalmed in mid-afternoon. New Zealand want sedate batting surfaces to protect their batting and they could suffer the consequences.
The world was engrossed by white smoke rising over Rome, and the election of a new Pope, so much so that the crowd at the Basin Reserve broke into applause when a spectator appeared in Pope fancy dress. As England's score built steadily, it seemed that McCullum, too, like those in Rome, would be expected to contemplate cardinal sins.
Alastair Cook was the one England batsman to fall on an otherwise satisfying morning for England. McCullum had hailed Cook as second only to Don Bradman ahead of the Wellington Test, and his record, in statistical terms, does bear comparison with all but Bradman, but even The Don made an error or two.
Both New Zealand new-ball bowlers, Tim Southee and Trent Boult skimmed deliveries past Cook's outside edge before he was dismissed on 17. There was a suggestion that a fullish delivery from Neil Wagner stopped in the pitch a little, but Cook's balance was awry, a failing of old, as he pushed a simple catch to short midwicket. He looked askance at the pitch and later could also be expected to look askance at the laptop replay.
New Zealand's quicks, thwarted by England in Dunedin after leading by 293 on first innings, would have been forgiven for a secret sigh of anguish that they were back in the field so quickly after bowling 114 overs between them in the second innings in Dunedin in a forlorn attempt to force victory. Wagner, who could be expected to bowl into the wind, must have kept a wary eye on the flags, fearing that the breeze would stiffen at any moment.
England's statistics in Dunedin did not look pretty. Their first-innings 167 was their lowest first innings score since 2009, but the likelihood is that such failings will be well behind them by the time this innings is over.
Compton pulled Boult and Wagner with aplomb and also relaxed into some pleasing drives - not previously a feature of his Test career. He was also to the fore as England rattled up 40 from six overs immediately after lunch against the left-armers Wagner and Boult. Wagner resorted to bowling wide of off stump, as they had in Dunedin, but this time Compton chased the width with relish. Boult dropped one short and a top-edged hook flew safely to long leg.
Then, one suspects, Trott had a word and any over-excitability disappeared. Trott was unruffled, just getting on with the job. As England slowed in mid-afternoon, most activity came from Trott's facial expressions, furious chewing and rictus grins. Bruce Martin turned one past Trott's outside edge, just once, and that was enough to win deep respect for the rest of the session, 16 overs for 23 by tea. The nearest New Zealand came to a wicket was when Compton, on 65, inside-edged onto his pad and Martin's appeal was transformed into a cry of frustration.
Compton and Trott lay strong platform
This article
Compton and Trott lay strong platform
can be opened in url
http://naturalherbmedic.blogspot.com/2013/03/compton-and-trott-lay-strong-platform.html
Compton and Trott lay strong platform
