Cricket-Lords Test-Final Day
Oram celebrates his century
The final day of the First Test, played on the hallowed turf of Lords in St Johns Wood, London – just down the road from where Adam once shared a flat.
Mike Atherton writes in the Times:-
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 the end of the first npower Test match. Instead, as the gloom descended on Lord’s for the final time, necessitating an early cull to proceedings just past 5 o’clock, the New Zealand flag was blowing gaily in the breeze above a dressing-room that will have been at first relieved to escape the tension that threatened to envelop them just after lunch, then buoyed by the final ease with which they survived the day.
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.
Atherton discusses various aspects of the game and concludes thusly:-
After four days of rain, bad light and general frustration, this game approached its denouement 24 minutes after lunch, when McCullum, the fastest gun in the West, was forced to retire hurt.
In Oram and Flynn, New Zealand had two left-handers at the crease, one who was short of confidence and visibly uncertain whenever Ryan Sidebottom had the ball in his hand, the other, Flynn, who was playing his first Test match, with all the attendant nerves that was bound to bring.
Moreover, Panesar, confidence buoyed by the dismissal of Ross Taylor in his first over, had decent areas of rough at the Pavilion End to aim into and England’s seam bowlers were enjoying a changed ball that had begun to swing.
At this point, New Zealand were 120 for four, effectively 78 for four (or five if McCullum could not bat again), and there were still 65 overs remaining in the day. Game on.
Two hours later, when Oram had his off stump pegged back by a beauty from Sidebottom with the second new ball, the score was 252 for five, the lead 210 and the match safe. It was hardly a partnership of equals, as Oram did the lion’s share of the scoring, but in the context of New Zealand’s health on this tour, it was a vital one.
Flynn’s contribution — 29 not out in a little less than three hours of dogged resistance — should not be underestimated. If anything it was his calmness, rather than Oram’s seniority, that took the eye early in the partnership when things looked wobbly.
Apart from one or two hairy moments against Panesar at the start, Flynn never looked anything other than secure, defending late and close to his body as English conditions demand. New Zealand have found a young player in which to invest.
It was Oram’s strokeplay, though, that finally eased the pressure and deflated England. Uncertain and acquiescent to Sidebottom at the start, he finished with a flurry of strokes, his best a glorious straight six off Panesar into the members’ pavilion.
It was, as much as anything, a symbolic stroke for a team who, over five difficult days, refused to bend their knee before supposedly superior opponents.
Keeping Stock has a good post on this day here
