England Have Their Own Worries

Rutherford 77x

England have begun their final warm up to the defence of the Ashes, in rather embarrassing fashion.

A series of five Tests against New Zealand - three away and two at home - finally got underway at the University Oval in Dunedin yesterday, after the first day was abandoned.

New Zealand welcomed back abandoned skipper Ross Taylor, in his new role as disgruntled number four. The Kiwis sported new openers in Peter Fulton, who came back to Test cricket with an average of 20 and debutante, Hamish Rutherford, son of the unfortunate Ken, a man whose Test career started with a pair against the West Indies at their deadliest and 12 runs in his first seven Test innings. The other newbie to Test cricket was 32 year old Bruce Martin, a left arm spinners with 115 first class matches behind him.

England, missing only Graeme Swan, were at full strength in what shaped as a lop-sided contest. The Kiwis have won only one series against anyone other than Bangladesh and Zimbabwe in eleven seasons and that was a pre-Darren Sammy West Indies in 2006. England are #2 in the cricket world and New Zealand a very distant #8.

I like the cut of Brendan McCullum's jib. Winning the toss with his restructured side - which included a slide down the order for him at a much more suitable No 6 - he sent the tourists in and had them all out by tea. Kevin Pietersen, Nick Compton and Joe Root lasted 16 balls between them. Pietersen got a big inswinger from Neil Wagner which moved so late the batsmen had no hope.

Jonathan Trott tried his hardest, batting for three hours in what looked to be trying conditions before getting only the top edge to an attempted sweep off Martin. There was brief defiance from Ian Bell and Matt Prior but had it not been for 47 put on by Steve Finn and James Anderson, England's total would have looked diabolical instead of disastrous. Wagner and Martin shared the spoils but Trent Boult and Tim Southee were just as good.

A bad day for Pietersen

New Zealand started their first innings in pursuit of very little, against the second best new ball attack in world cricket and in conditions that were ideal for them. In an extended last session, England's shameful day of cricket was made complete as Fulton and Rutherford the entire 42 overs, remaining intact and with a century opening stand to boot. Alastair Cook tried everything and none of it worked, as Rutherford in particular took to the Englishmen with relish, ending the day just twenty three short of a debut hundred. He had his luck but few centuries are without chances. Broad dropped a hard return catch and then Pietersen's earlier duck loomed even larger in his mind when he dropped a sitter at point, also from Broad. Moving to his left, the ball struck Pietersen on his right thigh without a hand bothering it.

It was a day that certainly looked like two versus eight but you wouldn't have accurately guessed which was which from the play.