A
double century stand by Alastair Cook and Nick Compton pulled England
off the ropes and into a relatively safe position in the first Test
against New Zealand on Saturday.
Batting on a placid University Oval wicket in Dunedin, the pair put on 231 for the first wicket before Cook was out for 116 while Compton posted his maiden Test century to be not out 102.
At stumps, England were 234 for one, 59 runs short of making New Zealand bat again with only one day remaining in the rain-interrupted Test.
After facing 252 deliveries in more than five-and-a-half hours, Cook was dismissed 14 balls before stumps when he edged Trent Boult to wicketkeeper BJ Watling.
New Zealand had declared their first innings at 460 for nine in the morning session on Saturday, a comprehensive 293 runs ahead of England's first innings 167.
But their bowlers were unable to reproduce their first innings domination as Cook and Compton cruised through most of the day.
Compton had a scare on 16 when New Zealand appealed for a catch down the leg-side but both the appeal and review were turned down, and both Cook and Compton narrowly made their ground taking cheeky singles late in the day.
But other than that their innings were chanceless -- easily countering what swing Neil Wagner could muster on the same wicket where he bagged four first innings wickets -- until Cook fell just before stumps.
Until then, Cook and Compton's resistance had been formidable and without fanfare with Compton showing no sign of the pressure he was under to retain his place in the side after a four-ball duck in the first innings.
England 234/1 (Cook 116, Compton 102*) and 167 trail New Zealand 460/9 dec (Rutherford 171, McCullum 74, Fulton 55) by 59 runs
Batting on a placid University Oval wicket in Dunedin, the pair put on 231 for the first wicket before Cook was out for 116 while Compton posted his maiden Test century to be not out 102.
At stumps, England were 234 for one, 59 runs short of making New Zealand bat again with only one day remaining in the rain-interrupted Test.
After facing 252 deliveries in more than five-and-a-half hours, Cook was dismissed 14 balls before stumps when he edged Trent Boult to wicketkeeper BJ Watling.
New Zealand had declared their first innings at 460 for nine in the morning session on Saturday, a comprehensive 293 runs ahead of England's first innings 167.
But their bowlers were unable to reproduce their first innings domination as Cook and Compton cruised through most of the day.
Compton had a scare on 16 when New Zealand appealed for a catch down the leg-side but both the appeal and review were turned down, and both Cook and Compton narrowly made their ground taking cheeky singles late in the day.
But other than that their innings were chanceless -- easily countering what swing Neil Wagner could muster on the same wicket where he bagged four first innings wickets -- until Cook fell just before stumps.
Until then, Cook and Compton's resistance had been formidable and without fanfare with Compton showing no sign of the pressure he was under to retain his place in the side after a four-ball duck in the first innings.
England 234/1 (Cook 116, Compton 102*) and 167 trail New Zealand 460/9 dec (Rutherford 171, McCullum 74, Fulton 55) by 59 runs
0 comments:
Post a Comment