1999 England v New Zealand TEST SERIES REVIEW
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00:00After England's early exit from the World Cup, the series against New Zealand took on added significance and there were changes.
00:08David Lloyd stood down as coach and Alex Stewart was replaced as captain by Nasser Hussain.
00:13The England side had a new look too, with recalls for Phil Tufnell and Andy Caddick,
00:18a first home cap for the young Surrey fast bowler Alex Tudor,
00:21and debuts for Aftab Habib of Leicester and the 20-year-old Nottinghamshire keeper Chris Reid.
00:27I was very nervous walking into the ground, or driving into the ground,
00:30and entering the dressing room on that first day and seeing the people flood into the seats.
00:36The butterflies wouldn't leave me alone, but then we got out onto the practice ground
00:41and I prepared in the same way I would for any other game and everything went fine.
00:46And when I took the first ball down the leg side on that first day,
00:50my nerves not quite disappeared, but they subsided.
00:55With vociferous crowd support, Edgbaston had been a happy hunting ground for England in recent years,
00:59but World Cup semi-finalists, New Zealand, were determined that they would be no pushovers.
01:04They won the toss and chose to bat, but it was a very unhappy return to his home ground for Roger Tooze,
01:10who succumbed to only the third ball of the match.
01:13Andy Caddick removed Matt Horne fairly soon afterwards and then Alex Tudor entered the fray.
01:18The first over I was nervous, but after that I was alright.
01:21I got a wicket and sadly one went down in the second slip.
01:25I've heard a lot of people say I didn't bowl as well as I could have, which is most probably true,
01:30but if I take that second wicket, then you're into the low order batsmen,
01:34so I couldn't end up with four.
01:37Nathan Astle provided Chris Reid with his first test victim,
01:40but it came from a slightly unlikely source, Mark Butcher.
01:44That wouldn't have been how I would have imagined it in my dreams,
01:47but I was very grateful to snap it up.
01:49When Andy Caddick dismissed the dangerous Chris Cairns and Craig McMillan in quick succession,
01:53New Zealand were tottering at 104 for 6.
01:59Brilliantly done!
02:01It's one of those weeks where you're not too certain what's going to happen.
02:04The fact that we got them down to a few wickets quite early on was even better for us,
02:10but you're still looking to knock them over pretty quickly,
02:14but Adam Pirori played a great knock there and got New Zealand back in it.
02:17And Pirori, a little bit of width, a little bit of bounce,
02:20and a shot with more control.
02:26It's gone nice and fine from Pirori, and that will be his 50.
02:32Tremendous effort from the New Zealand wicketkeeper batsmen.
02:36Ultimately, the breakthrough was achieved not by the seamers, but by Tufnell,
02:40and with Pirori last out for a fighting 73, the New Zealand total reached 226.
02:46Brilliantly done. Mullally, at long last.
02:49Could raise a smile instead of a look of frustration.
02:53If England thought they'd done well,
02:55things were rapidly put into stark perspective by a disastrous start.
02:59Allott, Dool, Cairns and Nash wreaked havoc
03:02as England collapsed to 45 for 7 in 24 overs.
03:08That's out. That's gone straight to Nathan Astle at second slip.
03:14Oh, what an absolute rip-snorter.
03:17Tell you what, that's as good a ball as you'll ever see.
03:22He's gone as well. Pitch further up and gets the reward for it.
03:27Aftab Habib in his first match is dismissed for one,
03:32and England are on the canvas here. They're 40 for 6.
03:36Edged again, and this time it's Gulley that takes the catch.
03:39Caddick and Tudor found themselves back in action much sooner than they'd hoped,
03:44but clearly enjoyed the challenge.
03:46It's one of those things, I've always gone out with the intention
03:49of the ball's moving around a bit, it's no good hanging around.
03:52Might as well put it back to ball and make sure you get a score.
03:55The magic ball will come along if you're blocking it,
03:58or just playing for runs.
04:00As far as I was concerned, it was a good match.
04:04As far as I was concerned, me and Tudor discussed in the middle,
04:07just to get on with the game.
04:09That'll be four runs.
04:12Yeah, we were in a sticky situation.
04:15We were 40-odd for 7, I think it was.
04:18Myself and Andrew added 17 important runs in the end.
04:22We both were enjoying it.
04:24We were just saying, there's a lot of Jeffers going on now,
04:27a lot of good balls, so if there's any width to throw the kitchen sink at it.
04:32It paid off.
04:34I felt it was probably low order batsmen that were going to get the runs
04:38because they've got an attitude where they don't really care.
04:41They felt relaxed and everything went really well.
04:46But when Caddick was caught behind off Nash for 33, the end came swiftly,
04:50leaving England with a first innings deficit of exactly 100.
04:54Perhaps surprisingly, the mood in the England dressing room remained upbeat.
04:59I think it was positive.
05:01Obviously we knew we hadn't...
05:03100 deficit was a lot of runs,
05:06but we saw the way the ball was swinging around and moving,
05:09and we knew with our attack that we could do the same
05:12if not bowl them out for less, as it turned out we did.
05:15And England couldn't have had a better start,
05:18as Paul Roger-Tews completed a pair by falling LBW
05:21to the very first ball of the innings.
05:23And that was just the start, as Wickets fell in a cascade,
05:27with debutant Reid in the thick of the action.
05:30Steve Buckner eventually puts up his finger.
05:36Edged and gone.
05:38Andy Caddick on his way in.
05:40That's through to the keeper, fingers up again.
05:43That's the wicket that Ian Botham was talking about just a few seconds ago.
05:49That's out, brilliantly caught, beautifully done by Andy Caddick.
05:56Well done.
05:57The Yorker gets through, Andy Caddick has his fifth wicket of the innings.
06:02And 52-8, Simon Dool clearly decided
06:05that attack was the best form of defence.
06:11Club straight down the ground, that's unorthodox,
06:13but it's very effective.
06:15And it's four more.
06:18But when Reid stumped Dool off Tufnell
06:20to secure his sixth dismissal of the innings,
06:22New Zealand were all out for 107,
06:24leaving England 208 to win.
06:26In the context of the match, it looked like a daunting prospect.
06:30What England desperately needed was a good start.
06:33Oh, well, well.
06:34Geoff Allott has dismissed Alex Stewart.
06:37It's the Yorker.
06:38Stewart's dismissal meant that an astonishing 21 wickets
06:41had fallen in the day,
06:42and England decided it was time for a night watchman.
06:45The mantle fell upon Alex Tudor at the last minute.
06:49The funny thing was, I think, you know,
06:51Andrew Caddick was, you know, the prime choice,
06:53but he bowled tremendously well and he was a bit tired,
06:56and, you know, Nass said, you know,
06:58you batted pretty well in the first inning,
07:00so just get your pads on.
07:01And I just, you know, ran and got them on,
07:03and, you know, sadly, you know, I was out late that night,
07:06so, you know, it was really dark,
07:08and I had to go out there and survive one ball,
07:10which I did, and, you know,
07:11came back in the morning and just carried on, really.
07:14On the Saturday morning, it was noticeably less humid,
07:17and Tudor was relishing the battle ahead.
07:19I was just, I was just really willing to go out there.
07:21I just said, I said to Rams, who's my buddy,
07:24my batting buddy, we just went,
07:26I said, if I stay out there a period of time,
07:28you're going to see some shots in.
07:32That's a very good shot.
07:33Excellent cricket shot indeed.
07:38And again, for extra cover this time.
07:40Hit with tremendous power.
07:42On the out, in the air, but safe.
07:45It's a beautiful shot through the covers.
07:47Superbly timed.
07:49And Roger Tooze can give that one away.
07:54Don't know quite what that's hit.
07:55Yeah, he's given it out.
07:56Inside edge on the pad.
07:58When Mark Butcher fell to Dion Nash for 33,
08:01New Zealand must have hoped that the assault would falter,
08:03but they hoped in vain.
08:05Edged it and got away with it.
08:08Very well caught by Pirori.
08:10We had a talk with Graham Gooch out in the morning
08:12to show how he would go about it,
08:14and he just said, bop the good balls,
08:16and if there's any width, be positive,
08:18and that's the way we went out.
08:20And myself and Mark Butcher in the morning,
08:22Mark had it really well, and he showed his intentions,
08:24and I just followed suit, really.
08:26It just carried on a lot longer.
08:31The game was always on a knife edge.
08:33You didn't know which way it was going to go.
08:35But we gave ourselves a good chance of getting 200,
08:38and the fact that Tooze batted so well,
08:40uncharacteristically for himself,
08:42batted superbly and got us that game.
08:46No better way to bring up a half century.
08:51Alex Tudor has played a blinder here today.
08:55I didn't have to get my pads on that morning, fortunately.
08:58I just sat watching the action and lapping it up,
09:00and Alex Tudor played a wonderful knock from night watchman,
09:03and he was ably supported by the guys at the top of the order.
09:07It was just a wonderful feeling to come off that field with a win.
09:12It took me a couple of overs to get into it,
09:14and once I did, you can sort of hear the crowd chanting your name,
09:18and you try not to focus, but I'm young,
09:22and I've only just come in, so you can hear all that.
09:25It sort of spurs you on.
09:27It gives you a good lift.
09:28They're all behind you.
09:29We were confident that if we stay there and play our shots,
09:32that we can win the game.
09:34It went pretty well.
09:35It's just nice to have the whole country and the people at Edgbaston behind you,
09:40and I would like to thank them because it just feels good.
09:43You feel good that you're playing for your country,
09:46and your fans are behind you,
09:48and it sort of gives you an extra inch, and we appreciate that.
09:52He's picked them up off his feet.
09:54He's cut them, and now he's pulled.
09:56Simon does really wicked.
09:57Great shot.
10:00The crowd really getting behind Alex Tudor and Nasser Hussain.
10:10Now, Tudor's in the situation that he has to hit a six
10:18if he's to reach 100.
10:23He's got four.
10:26He's got four.
10:2899 not out in a test match for Alex Tudor.
10:33Splendid innings.
10:35So in the end, England cruised to victory in just two and a half days,
10:38and the mood in the camp was exultant.
10:40Tufnell and Caddick were back in the fold,
10:42Reid had quietly impressed,
10:43and Alex Tudor had won the hearts of the nation.
10:48Brilliant effort.
10:51One nil down and missing their premier fast bowl assignment duel
10:54for the remainder of the series,
10:56the New Zealand team needed only to take a quick glance
10:58at their opponent's abysmal recent record at Lord's to lift their spirits.
11:02In fact, England's last two tests at the home of cricket
11:05had resulted in first innings totals of 77 against Australia
11:09and 110 against South Africa.
11:11The question was, could New Zealand capitalise
11:14on England's obvious insecurities?
11:16I've been quoted as saying this before,
11:18that the English are sometimes a victim of their own institution
11:21and that we don't get very many games there in our career
11:24and it's a great place to perform.
11:26I mean, so many great players have graced the field,
11:28so what more motivation do you need?
11:30One member of the England side in no need of motivation was Alex Stewart.
11:34A shaky start to the season plus a double failure at Edgbaston
11:37had put his place in the side under severe threat.
11:40Yeah, I think it's been difficult for Alex, that's right,
11:42with one day cricket in particular.
11:44If you go back, he played extremely well at Melbourne,
11:46got another Test 100 there.
11:48And, you know, opening he has got a very good record for England.
11:53Alex is a class player, he's got a proven record behind him
11:57and it's great to see him at the wicket
11:59because he's a very attacking and attractive player.
12:04Oh, he's edged it, inside edged it.
12:07Mark Butcher's early departure brought Nasser Hussain
12:09to join his predecessor and for a while
12:11his decision to bat looked a good one.
12:17That's a nice strike.
12:19Yeah, the weather conditions that we've been told is that
12:22in essence when you play at Lord's
12:24unless the weather has a huge impact
12:27or the wicket's been covered for days
12:29then you don't want to be batting last in a wicket
12:31that might be a little bit uneven.
12:35Stewart's progression to 50 was a combination
12:37of aggression and good fortune
12:39but a score in excess of 300 looked possible
12:41despite the continued overcast conditions.
12:44Then with lunch approaching, Stewart edged to slip
12:47and the innings took on an altogether different complexion.
12:50That's an excellent catch from Stephen Fleming.
12:52It's been misery for Nash against Stewart until now.
12:57We're into a phase now where the bowler's not on top
13:01but they're causing problems.
13:04And even more problems.
13:06That's well held and it's beautifully bowled.
13:09There were great conditions for bowling at Lord's
13:11and so we exploited that.
13:13Dion Nash himself bowled well
13:15and we put pressure on him.
13:25Yeah, it was good bowling conditions
13:26and our guys did bowl well
13:27and we caught well and we fielded well
13:29and got them on the back foot from the start
13:31and it's always hard in a five-day game to come back from that.
13:41I've been impressed by the way Cairns and Nash have bowled in the series.
13:44I think they've really carried the attack exceptionally well.
13:48Bowled with a lot of spirit and a lot of skill
13:51and put in a lot of hard work for New Zealand.
13:54So I'm not surprised
13:56because I believe that both of them are capable bowlers
14:00and it's been hard work against them this summer.
14:04The Chris Cairns slower ball added insult to ignominy
14:07for young wicketkeeper Chris Reid.
14:11He's bowled Chris Reid neck and crop.
14:14He's probably not faced me that much
14:16and it came out well and he ducked it.
14:20So it was great for me and bad for him.
14:22When it comes out well for Cairns it comes out well
14:24and it is a very hard ball to play.
14:26I think we even struggle sometimes in the nets
14:28and when it doesn't come out so well it's easy for the batter.
14:31With Edgbaston's batting hero Alex Tudor out injured
14:34skipper Hussain was left to gleam what he could from the fragile tail
14:37and his judgement outside off stump was exemplary.
14:41That's a good shot.
14:43Magnificent call shot.
14:46And with that he brings up his 50.
14:49He's made a few for England but just how valuable has this one been?
14:56Yet although he registered a 50 for himself
14:58he couldn't get his side past that bogey 200 figure
15:01Cairns strangling him early on the second morning for 61.
15:05The weather conditions are such
15:07in any test match the ball will seem around to start with
15:10and as it happened the cloud cover stayed for the whole day
15:15and they bowled exceptionally well
15:17and made the ball swing.
15:19Again not a great batting performance by us
15:23and as everybody knows the weather was fine from there on in
15:27and you can't keep getting bowled out for low scores
15:30so we then played two test matches when we bowled out for less than 200.
15:34We knew that we'd done well
15:36for them to win the toss and bat.
15:39Then we had to grind them into submission
15:41and Matthew Horn played fantastic innings.
15:43Everybody batted around him
15:45and we put a very good first inning score on the ball.
15:49Well it's a great stroke and a hugely effective one.
15:57That's gone fine.
15:59That's four runs.
16:02He digs in and once he gets in he's pretty hard to remove
16:05and more than likely if he gets the 40 or 50
16:08he usually goes on and gets a good score
16:10and he's pretty hard to get out.
16:12He's just a hard nut and he's a hard nut to crack I suppose.
16:17Well that has bounced and that's hurt.
16:21He doesn't like to show too much emotion, Matthew Horn.
16:24Horn's mobility was hampered by repeated blows to the body
16:27but he bravely stood his ground
16:29allowing Nathan Astle and then Roger Tooze
16:31to provide impetus from the other end.
16:33Yeah I got hit a few times actually.
16:36I had to have a look at that and assess that
16:40and we've done some work there
16:42but that's all part of it I suppose.
16:45It limited my top hand there for a while
16:48but I just looked to hang around like I said.
16:51Obviously he was quite hampered.
16:53He got hit early on in the innings on about 30 or 40
16:56and he showed great courage and bravery and skill
16:59to get through and score 100 for his team
17:02which put them in the match winning position.
17:09It was easy for us to bat I think.
17:11The sun came out a little bit on the days we had to bat
17:13and it was overcast when they started
17:15so it did a little bit
17:17and to be fair we probably got the better of the batting conditions.
17:33Three late wickets on the Friday evening
17:35including Horn for an even 100
17:37raised England's expectations for the weekend.
17:44But night watchman Daniel Vittori
17:46defied their ambitions with a confident 50.
17:52He's a very good hitter of the ball
17:54and it really was a bonus
17:56and we were very lucky because the guys at the end of the innings
17:58Vittori, Cairns played particularly well
18:01and they hit the ball around
18:03so that was positive as well.
18:05It got the England bowlers on the back foot at the start of day three.
18:11It's hard work.
18:12You know you've got four down
18:14but still there's plenty of talent and all-rounders left.
18:17So it's hard work.
18:19We know that we've got to stick at it
18:22and they do bat a long way down.
18:26It's something that we came up against against South Africa
18:29and you've got to keep plugging away.
18:31A further dent to home prospects was the finger injury
18:34that would deprive them of their captain for the rest of the match.
18:37It was a difficult period, wasn't it?
18:39Whenever your captain gets injured
18:42and you're looking around for a replacement
18:45it's just a case of getting on and doing the job the best you can.
18:48Obviously we were losing a good batsman as well
18:51which was always a concern
18:53and we were chasing that game a little bit at Lourdes.
19:09Lourdes is an inspiration to overseas teams.
19:12It's not exactly a deflation to our team.
19:15I just think that the opposition play very well
19:17and this was just yet another example.
19:19They gained control of the game.
19:21They batted well in their first innings
19:23and from then on it would always be a struggle.
19:25Obviously losing Nasser was again a huge blow
19:28to have to bat without one of your major batsmen
19:30but that tends to happen when things aren't going your way.
19:33Going out there with a cushion of 170,
19:35the guys hit the ball well again and they certainly did.
19:38Yet for over an hour, New Zealand were unable to ram home their advantage.
19:42Butcher and Stewart cope well with the new ball
19:44and when Fleming turned to Vittori
19:46Stewart eased him through the covers at will.
19:49A good bit of timing.
19:55Fine batting.
19:59Then having posted the 50 partnership,
20:01Butcher's patience snapped
20:03and Astle took a good running catch.
20:05Stewart soon followed, also to the sweep,
20:07before Cairns' slow ball claimed another prize scowl.
20:11Chris Cairns now and Thorpe has a strike.
20:16What a good piece of bowling.
20:18And I must admit it was a fantastic ball it's got me
20:21because it appeared in my eye shot to be a full toss.
20:24And it's not often until you come off and you see the replay
20:28that how he's managed to stuff you
20:31and it was a terrific bit of bowling.
20:33It was good to get him.
20:34He's a class player and to deceive somebody like that
20:38I suppose all the practice you've done makes it all worthwhile.
20:42So it was great.
20:43When Mark Ramprakash chased a wide one from Nathan Astle
20:46it was 97 for 4 and the game was almost up.
20:49England still trail by 75.
20:51Hussain would not bat.
20:53The remaining six batsmen have a top test score of 33 between them.
20:57Yeah, probably three out of the top five
20:59are pretty substandard shots and I think they've admitted to that.
21:02We're just happy to get it. I was happy to get it.
21:05It was out of my hands really. He just wanted to nick it.
21:08I think it has been a surprise to see how well they've worked as a unit,
21:12as a bowling unit, and once Nash and Cairns come off
21:15there's no let-up because the other bowlers do a good job too.
21:19Jeff Ellett contributed there in the second innings
21:22and picked up three wickets on the fourth morning
21:24which was crucial for us.
21:27And gone.
21:29Yeah, I think the undeniable factor is that our guys
21:33just bowled with so much control and gave the English side nothing
21:37and I think really that was where we won the test.
21:40There was something for the Sunday crowd to cheer however
21:43when both Reid with 37 and Caddick with 45 made test best scores.
21:47Reid attacked the short ball with an expected relish
21:50and displayed enough confidence and competence
21:52to suggest he may yet prosper at the top level.
21:56That is a magical shot.
21:59The ball bounced quite high on him.
22:01In the end it took a dreadful shooter from Nash to end the partnership
22:05and the best efforts of Mullally and Tufnell
22:07were unlikely to delay the Kiwis for long.
22:09Only 58 were needed and young opener Matthew Bell
22:12had the honour of clipping the winning runs which levelled the series.
22:15The margin of victory, nine wickets, and that was a fair representation
22:19of the difference between the two sides.
22:21It was a good team effort.
22:23There were some good individual performances
22:25but the contribution was built around those
22:28and that's the basis of a good team performance.
22:31The first time they've ever been successful here at Lourdes.
22:34For us to win there after no New Zealand teams won there before
22:37was pretty special and something we'll all look back on with smiling faces.
22:41So England arrived at Old Trafford for the third test
22:44with a new captain in Mark Butcher, an old captain in Mike Atherton,
22:47an old face in Graham Hick and an even older spinner in Peter Such.
22:51Aftab Habib was dropped after two unconvincing tests
22:54and Alan Mullally was sacrificed for the extra spinner.
22:57The Kiwis introduced Chris Harris for Geoff Allott
23:00as the single change from Lourdes.
23:02Butcher's appointment in Hussain's absence owed everything to a successful run
23:06as Surrey's skipper during the World Cup
23:08while the recalls of Atherton and Hick showed the selectors
23:11weren't prepared to risk youngsters with the seniors underperforming.
23:14It's worth noting that no England top order batsman
23:17has survived more than seven matches after debut without being dropped
23:20since Robin Smith in the late 1980s.
23:23As for the wicket, well, early indications suggested
23:26it would be the same spinner's haven that had favoured Mataia Mouralitharan all summer
23:30and there was no disguising the disappointment on Stephen Fleming's face
23:33when he lost the toss and was asked to field.
23:35Yet from the start it was a struggle for the English batsman
23:38on a surprisingly hostile surface.
23:41I look at pitches nowadays and it's best not to read a great deal into them
23:44two days before a test match and things like that.
23:47On the morning of the test match you could tell that the pitch had a little bit of dumps in it
23:50where I think the groundsman Peter Marron
23:54tried to keep the pitch together in maybe his fears that it might break up a little bit
23:58but it actually didn't and it assisted the same bowlers on that first morning
24:02and again Cairns and Nash made good use of it
24:06and made inroads into our batting line-up.
24:09We weren't playing very well
24:12and again the situation at Old Trafford
24:16the ball seemed around a little bit more than most people expected
24:20and as Stephen Fleming's expression showed when he lost the toss
24:23he thought it was going to be a crucial toss to lose
24:26but as it happened again they bowled very well
24:29they bowled with very good discipline against our batsmen.
24:32Once again it was difficult for them and once again we bowled well
24:36so they've taken a lot of stick in the media over the way they've played
24:40but there's also two teams playing the game
24:43and sometimes people perform better than others
24:46and I think in the case of Lords and the case of Manchester that we bowled well.
24:49They've been very disciplined and they've generally bowled one side of the wicket
24:53and I think they've really not given us much to hit at all
24:58and it's been hard to get on top and try and dominate their attack.
25:12Day two was a different story.
25:14The pitch had flattened out and although Harris chipped in with two quick wickets
25:17Ramprakash was able to bat with confidence for the first time in the series.
25:23That's a great shot.
25:24I think the conditions play a part and the first three hours the ball moved around
25:28but luckily when I went to the crease I think the sun came out
25:31and made things slightly easier
25:33and certainly the second day when I batted the ball didn't move around off the wicket at all
25:38so things were a great deal easier
25:40and once you get in, get your eye in and get a few hopefully off the middle of the bat
25:44then things get a bit easier.
25:46Initially Caddick supported Ramprakash well
25:48and after he'd succumbed to a silly run out for the second test in a row
25:52Sutch hung around for over an hour before being cheered off for a 51-ball duck.
25:57Peter did a great job.
25:59It's always very difficult in those situations to know how to play it
26:03but I think you've got to try and hope that Peter Sutch and Phil Tufnell, the last two batsmen
26:08can hang around with you and add some vital runs
26:11and that's exactly what they did and they played their part to the full.
26:15Brilliant batter. Such conviction in the stroke.
26:27Yet England had still failed to reach 200
26:29and even the new ball couldn't wrest the advantage away from New Zealand.
26:37I had a bit of luck early on.
26:39I thought we managed to get that one down
26:41I reassessed it and thought well I might as well make the most of what I can while I'm out here
26:45and it actually ended up panning out into a pretty good batting wicket
26:49and the encouraging thing out of that test was that guys got in and basically did the job
26:55and we got a score of near 500. It was brilliant.
26:58They then batted probably as well as they batted in the series
27:02very positively and quickly took the game away from us in terms of chances of winning.
27:07Fabulous shot.
27:10Unquestionably the shot of the match for me.
27:13The captain came in and got a quick 30 and that sort of set the tone really.
27:17The crucial partnership came on the third day
27:19when Matthew Bell and Nathan Astle put on 153 for the third wicket
27:23at a good rate and took the Kiwis into the lead.
27:26They scored a three and over but then they played sensible good cricket
27:30and it was good to watch. They gave themselves the best opportunity to get in
27:35and when they got in they cashed in so it was good batting.
27:38To be fair it settled down a lot and it became a very good cricket wicket I thought.
27:42There was a little bit of uneven bounds throughout the game but not a great deal.
27:45It became a good pitch.
27:48That has gone many a mile.
27:53I had a bad World Cup and since the World Cup it's been fine.
27:56Once my confidence comes back I just go out and play my game.
28:00I've obviously got a chance the way I play but if it's my day it's my day.
28:04That's the way I look at it and I just went out there and played my shots.
28:08They were positive and they tried and took the attack to England
28:12and they scored I think three and over which is probably the highest for the series.
28:18Astle's century, a brute of a knock, was his fifth in tests
28:21whilst Bell's carefully paced innings of 83 was his first Test 50.
28:26It was a good balance. He just kept ticking over and I suppose the free spirit in that inning.
28:31He got a very, very good 83 and just held up one end and we could just bet around him.
28:37Good shot down the ground now. Astle could scamper three here.
28:43He's done better. He's got four and he's gone through to his fifth Test match century.
28:49Great effort.
28:52There was now no stopping New Zealand.
28:54Tewes and Pirori both fell to such but the power hitting of Cairns and Craig McMillan
28:59ensured the lead will be in excess of 250.
29:05Very good solid strike.
29:11It's gone so flat.
29:16Ramprakash.
29:21And another Dorothy.
29:24I had a bit of a licence mate batting down there at number eight
29:26and with the position we were in, it meant that I could free my arms a little bit
29:30and try and take him on but I just tried once too many times.
29:35Got him.
29:37Tupnel's enjoying it more now.
29:41With Cairns gone, McMillan raced on to his third Test century,
29:44saving through the 90s with two reverse sweeps off such.
29:48When Craig McMillan, again, he got 100.
29:52They got a big score and we were right up against him.
29:56He's on 96. It's just a question of whether Butchett can cut it off.
30:02Lampard-Sheppard has signalled forward.
30:08But Craig McMillan has made a century.
30:14Fleming must have been tempted to torture England further
30:17when Vettori at number 11 finally joined McMillan.
30:20But the wicket was at last beginning to turn
30:22and the lunchtime declaration seemed to have left England a big enough mountain to climb.
30:27But the weather was closing in and the forecasts were ominous.
30:30This was perhaps Butchett's only consolation
30:32as he was adjudged LBW for nine to complete a disappointing match at the helm.
30:37And so it fell to the two most experienced men in the match to rescue the match for their country.
30:45That's well played.
30:47I was very happy to see Mike Atherton and Alec get some runs.
30:51And they played as they can do.
30:54And I think, you know, once they've got a few in the middle of the bat
30:58and sort of got their eye in, you know, they're class players.
31:02And I think both of them have got over 6,000 test runs.
31:05And, you know, it's good to see them at the wicket scoring.
31:08Having added 99 with Stewart,
31:10Atherton fell victim to a rare bad decision from umpire Sheppard,
31:14although Vitori's control and flight deserved its reward.
31:19That definitely looks as if it only hit the arm and not the glove.
31:23Almost immediately the heavens opened.
31:25And although the winning post was now in sight,
31:27New Zealand were unable to get home.
31:29Play was finally resumed at 2pm on the final afternoon
31:32and then for only 24 overs.
31:35Stewart and Thorpe saw out the time with a sort of consummate stroke play
31:38which England seemed to reserve exclusively for second innings fight backs.
31:42New Zealand were powerless and there was no hint of a breakthrough.
31:45Yeah, we're pleased because as a batting unit,
31:48so far we probably haven't played as well as what we can.
31:51And that's been shown by the amount of stick
31:54which we've been getting throughout the summer.
31:56But it can happen and all you can do as batsmen is dig your heels in
31:59and fight as hard as you can.
32:01So it was nice to come out of Old Trafford with a draw
32:04and sitting at 1-0 for the final test.
32:06I mean, it's part of it. We've been saved by the weather as well.
32:09And I think every cricketer just accepts it now.
32:11There's nothing you can do about it.
32:13There's no point beating yourself up over it.
32:15The Vultures hovered with sharpened claws
32:17as England and New Zealand prepared for the series decider at the Oval.
32:20Of course, England would be the worst side in the world if they lost.
32:23That was now official. Well, according to Wisden anyway.
32:26So naturally, there were more changes.
32:28Even the selection panel took a hammering
32:30with Messrs Gooch and Gatting being relieved of their duties.
32:33Nasser Hussain's return to fitness meant no place for the unfortunate Graham Hick
32:37and for Mark Butcher, there was no chance to build upon
32:40the captaincy lessons learnt at Old Trafford.
32:42No chance to make a contribution with the bat either
32:45as his place at the top of the order went to Leicestershire's Darren Maddy.
32:48Chris Reid's place behind the stumps went to Alex Stewart, of course.
32:52It was the Oval, after all.
32:54And to give added strength to the batting,
32:56Ronnie Irani came into the middle order.
32:58Finally, with Dean Headley injured and Peter Satch dropped,
33:01Alan Mullally returned and Ed Giddens was given a chance
33:04to prove himself at test level.
33:06For New Zealand, just the one change.
33:09Left-armer Shane O'Connor was given the third seamer's berth
33:12when Geoff Allop lost his race to be fit.
33:15The first morning was dominated by Andy Caddick
33:17who confirmed his standing as England's premier bowler of the summer
33:20with an inspired performance which perplexed everyone
33:23with its lack of reward.
33:25Somehow, New Zealand lasted almost to lunch without loss,
33:28but it was Irani with a tempting ball outside the off stump
33:31who made the breakthrough, snaring Horne from a miscued drive.
33:35After lunch, England enjoyed better luck
33:37with Mullally, Caddick at last and Giddens all finding the edge.
33:40Maddie's brilliant catch off Giddens
33:42would have settled both their nerves.
33:44Oh, wonderful stuff!
33:49Darren Maddie has announced himself in a Test match cricket
33:53with a brilliant catch,
33:55and Ed Giddens has announced himself in a Test match cricket
33:58with his first wicket.
34:00Two wickets in one tough nil over left the Kiwis at 87 for 6
34:04and the net was closing in.
34:08Yes!
34:11Beautifully done.
34:13But Fleming stoically resisted the onslaught
34:15and although England removed Cairns for 11 and Nash for 18,
34:18the skipper was unbeaten on 52 at the close.
34:22Beautiful strike. Plays that on drive very well.
34:26Vittori's boundary off the last ball of the day signalled his intentions.
34:30It'll still be the last ball even though it's a four.
34:33Friday morning saw Vittori chance his arm from one end
34:36and Fleming nudge from the other.
34:38Somehow it worked.
34:40Vittori led a charmed life but struck seven boundaries nonetheless
34:43and his runner ball 50 took New Zealand to the relative sanctuary of 236.
34:50That's a cracking stroke.
34:57Yeah, out. Tuckle's done it.
35:01Vittori heading across the ball.
35:04It just seemed to hurry on to him a touch.
35:09And he's fixed him alright.
35:11First up. Beautifully bowled.
35:15Lack of judgment there from Shane O'Connor.
35:19And Caddick gets some reward at last this morning.
35:22It's been a frustrating time for him and for England.
35:26So now the job has been done.
35:28As the weight of expectation bore down on England
35:31their batsmen faltered once again.
35:33Atherton and Maddy took the score to 25 without alarm
35:36but then Nash found Atherton's edge and Fleming took a good catch at slip.
35:40This was Nash's 13th wicket of a profitable series
35:43and the 23rd catch the Kiwis had snaffled behind the wicket.
35:46Maddy was undone by a perfect arm ball from Vittori
35:49and then Thorpe presented Fleming with an easier catch.
35:5246 for three.
35:55Ah, yes.
35:59Stewart survived a close LBW call from O'Connor
36:02and then having added 41 with Hussain
36:04played on to Vittori for a stodgy 11.
36:08Bolden played it on.
36:11Dreadful luck for Alex Stewart.
36:13This set another mini collapse in motion.
36:16First Hussain in a moment of recklessness
36:18fell straight into Kenzie's trap, a crushing blow
36:21and then Irani was caught on the back pad for one.
36:2494 for six.
36:29There she goes.
36:31And he's going to go.
36:33He's gone. Can you believe it?
36:35Can you believe it?
36:38They could not have painted the picture clearer for the England captain
36:42and he's fallen for it.
36:46Wow, big shout here he's given him.
36:48George Sharpe says that's out.
36:50It's close enough.
36:52It's very close.
36:54And Kenzie's done it again.
36:56Ramprakash and Caddick kept England in the hunt
36:59with a useful stand of 47
37:01which included a sweet six over the top from Caddick.
37:07Caddick goes down the ground and very solidly too.
37:11Then O'Connor breached his defences with a full-length ball
37:14and the tail from hell was exposed.
37:16The sight of Mullally, Tufnell and Giddens all padded up
37:19would have had Alex Stewart reaching for his inners
37:22and the overnight score of 150 for seven
37:24was soon transformed into 153 all out.
37:28Cairns took the bowling honours with five for 31
37:31and Vitori's three for 46 had come from 33 miserly overs.
37:35Trailing by 83 in the series slipping away
37:38England needed an Edgbaston-like fight back
37:41and they produced one.
37:43Caddick was the perpetrator once again
37:45although not before he'd beaten the bat half a dozen times
37:48and then Giddens found his length to nip out Horn, Astle and Twos.
37:52He's gone.
38:01Oh, my word, that is sensational.
38:04What a catch.
38:06Irani again.
38:12Oh, wow.
38:14Yes, I'm proud of that.
38:16Roger Tews is lifting his leg.
38:20Pointing to his pad
38:22which is not going to please too many people
38:24sitting in the match referees' room.
38:27The key wicket of Fleming taken by Thorpett's slip off Caddick
38:31was followed by the comical dismissal of Perori.
38:3439 for six and England had moved to marginal favourites.
38:38Oh, that's not good judgement.
38:44Back goes Middlestump, back goes Perori.
38:48If Chris Cairns had defeat on his mind, he didn't show it.
38:51From the start, he drove confidently through the covers
38:54and although he lost the fourth right Macmillan for 26
38:57it only spurred him to greater deeds.
39:02Well, interesting decision then, Dermot, wasn't it?
39:05Comes on first ball and gets smacked for four.
39:08Suddenly, Tufnell became his focus
39:10and the large oval boundaries couldn't confine him.
39:13Didn't quite get it, I don't think.
39:16But it still went many a mile.
39:21Oh, that's a big one. That's up here.
39:33That's coming right up here.
39:40And then right back onto the ground.
39:46Yep. Instead of hitting it for six over straight hit
39:50he's hit it over deep extra cover.
39:55With the lead increasing by the minute
39:57and England's victory prospects vanishing just as quickly
40:00Hussain turned back to Giddens
40:02but Cairns was unimpressed and continued the onslaught.
40:09He's hit that very powerfully too. Fantastic batting.
40:16Just when all seemed lost, Malaly conjured a moment of genius
40:19and Cairns had gone.
40:21His score of 80 included 56 runs in boundaries
40:24and had transformed the match.
40:26For sheer bravado, it eclipsed Alex Tudor's knock
40:28as the innings of the series.
40:30Tufnell's two quick wickets now gave the plot an extra twist
40:33and England were left to score 246 to win.
40:39Got it.
40:41Phil Tufnell has finished the job.
40:44Lovely flighted delivery that spun back through the gate
40:47left by Shane O'Connor.
40:49The oval is on its feet.
40:51England are alive.
40:53They may yet be kicking.
41:00Done it again.
41:03Just seems to be the perfect combination.
41:05One of Cairns and Nash
41:07getting it pitched up around about off stump
41:10and Stephen Fleming apparently infallible at slip.
41:13Darren Maddy has gone.
41:15Darren Maddy was another victim of Nash and Fleming
41:18but the vital wicket of Hussain for just nine went to O'Connor,
41:2145 for two.
41:23Runs were coming though and both Atherton and Thorpe
41:26now played with confidence.
41:28Thorpe was lucky with one square drive off O'Connor
41:30but then unleashed a series of authentic boundaries
41:32to raise English spirits.
41:34Swing in delivery.
41:36And again in the air.
41:38That's a very good shot.
41:41Cairns appeared to have given his all with the bat
41:44and Atherton took advantage of some short balls
41:46to boost the total and morale.
41:48Gee, that's a good look shot. It really is.
41:53This is a great light flurry.
41:58The final day dawned with all to play for.
42:00155 to win, eight wickets in hand.
42:03Atherton pulled Nash for four to reach his 50
42:06but the partnership was broken when Thorpe pushed forward to O'Connor
42:09and for the second time in the match, edge to slip.
42:12That's the wicket.
42:14Fabulous bit of bowling.
42:16Thorpe finally plays at one of those beautiful outswingers
42:19from Shane O'Connor.
42:21Stephen Fleming does it again.
42:2320 runs later came the decisive moment of the innings.
42:26There were a few batsmen more intransigent
42:28than an informed Mike Atherton
42:30but a misjudged pull shot was gleefully accepted by Perori
42:33and the floodgates were now open.
42:39Perori's got him, first ball.
42:42Nash is on a hat-trick.
42:44Ram Prakash went first ball, again to the irrepressible Nash
42:47and then Stewart pulled the same bowler straight to square leg.
42:50The end was predictably swift.
42:52Stewart has miscued the bouncer
42:55and has hit it straight to the man at square leg.
43:00Vettori mopped up Caddick and then Irani to edges close to the wicket
43:03before Tufnell added his own brand of black comedy to proceedings
43:07with a mad piece of running.
43:11He's also got a mid-arm. He's going to be out.
43:13He's out. Great bit of fielding.
43:15Terrible running. What is Tufnell doing?
43:18I don't know.
43:20Mullally had even less faith in Giddens than he had in himself
43:23and was pouched by twos in the deep.
43:26Fittingly, it was Cairns, with his only wicket of the innings,
43:29who completed proceedings.
43:31And New Zealand have won the match.
43:34They have won the series and they have played excellent cricket.
43:38So it was in this undistinguished fashion
43:41that England slipped to the foot of the unofficial test match ladder.
43:44Hussain defiantly spoke of pride in his team
43:47and admitted the hurt that accompanied such a defeat.
43:49But the day belonged to Fleming.
43:51His calm assurance had smoothed the victorious passage for his country
43:54and one sensed that New Zealand had felt none of the public pressure,
43:57even at 1-0 down, that had burdened England for most of the series.