Weather plays the game but England keeps it steady

Sidebottom bowled a fabulous spell

There are occasions when Test cricket appears to do little to promote itself and yesterday was one of them. Hardly a drop of rain fell on the famous old ground but only 55.4 of the scheduled 98.5 overs were completed as bad light ruined the second day of the first Test. Impenetrable cloud cover forced the players from the field on five occasions, much to the frustration of a sizeable and patient crowd.

In the play available Ryan Sidebottom once again starred, taking the four remaining New Zealand wickets for the cost of five runs in 10.1 immaculate overs. In reply to New Zealand's total of 277 England had reached 68 without loss when, you guessed it, bad light stopped play for a fifth and final time.

Sidebottom encapsulated the weird and often contradictory nature of this great game. He was as good yesterday as he had been poor the day before, rediscovering his accuracy and menace. Clearly his confidence had returned as well, for, with the second new ball due, he rushed up to Steve Bucknor before the umpire had finished waving the ball in the air to signal its immediate use.

With the new “pill” in his hand, Sidebottom might have had a wicket with his first ball – Kyle Mills coming perilously close to being leg-before - and got one with his second, a full, swinging pearler that rocked back the batsman’s off stump. He cleaned up Tim Southee in similar fashion and then Vettori, so that his bald figures of the first day took on a hirsute look. His 10.2 overs yesterday brought him four wickets for five runs. The spectators will hope for a similar change of fortune today.Long before he was last man out most of the spectators would have settled for a slog or two.

Young Southee, who proved he was a promising hitter in the latter stages of the final Test two months ago, was overwhelmed rather than bowled. However, but by the time New Zealand was finished there had been three stoppages for bad light and by the time Andrew Strauss and Alistair Cook had made 15 the grey mist descended again.

Martin and Mills bowling, Cook and Strauss defending and the lights in the library of the old pavilion gleaming through the gloaming.

All these factors mocked the efforts of the MCC who send out daily mails begging people to pay £65 to make their way through the Grace Gates. They have to be kidding, don’t they?

The Scores:

New Zealand — 1st Innings: J. How c Ambrose b Anderson 7, A. Redmond c Cook b Anderson 0, J. Marshall c Strauss b Broad 24, R. Taylor c Collingwood b Broad 19, B. McCullum b Panesar 97, D. Flynn b Anderson 9, J. Oram c Strauss b Sidebottom 28, D. Vettori b Sidebottom 48, K. Mills b Sidebottom 10, T. Southee b Sidebottom, C. Martin (not out) 0; Extras (b - 16, lb - 14, w - 1, nb-3): 34; Total (all out in 86.2 overs) 277.

Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-18, 3-41, 4-76, 5-104, 6-203, 7-222, 8-258, 9-260 10-277.

England bowling: Sidebottom 28.2-12-55-4, Anderson 20-5-66-3, Broad 24-4-85-2, Collingwood 3-1-11-0, Panesar 11-2-30-1.

England — 1st Innings: A. Strauss (batting) 24, A. Cook (batting) 43; Extras (nb – 1): 1; Total (for zero wkts. in 21.3 overs) 68.

New Zealand bowling: C. Martin 8.3-2-24-0, K. Mills 5.0-0-10-0, T. Southee 3.0-0-19-0, J. Oram 5.0-0-15-0.