McCullum sues former Kiwi player over captaincy claims

New Zealand cricket captain Brendon McCullum has launched defamation proceedings against former test player John Parker over allegations made about McCullum`s role in the removal of former captain Ross Taylor.

Parker headed a group of former players, including a number of test captains, who produced a report on New Zealand Cricket`s handling of Taylor`s firing and raised questions over it`s wider governance.

In a statement released by his lawyers on Friday, McCullum said he was not seeking monetary damages, but an acknowledgement the allegations contained in Parker`s report are "completely false."

He said the report "makes some very serious attacks on my integrity, my honesty and my ethics as a professional sportsman."

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NZ recall Guptill, Vettori

Former Test captain Daniel Vettori and top order batsman Martin Guptill have been recalled for New Zealand's tour of England in May and June after recovering from injury.

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Vettori, who has been battling a long-term Achilles injury, was included in the one-day squad that will also contest the one-day Champions Trophy in June but not the Test side.

The 34-year-old retired from limited-overs cricket following the 2011 World Cup in a bid to prolong his Test career but subsequently made himself available for the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka last year, having not played the shortest form of the game at international level for more than two years.

Vettori's last one-day international was against Sri Lanka in the semi-final of the 2011 World Cup.

He will play in the lucrative Twenty20 competition in India before joining the New Zealand one-day side, who will assemble for three matches against England beginning on May 31 and then play the Champions Trophy from June 9.

Guptill is recalled to the Test and one-day squads after recovering from the thumb injury that forced him to miss the recent three-Test series against England, which finished 0-0 after a thrilling final day last week.

An aggressive opening batsman, Guptill has performed well in limited-overs cricket but struggled at the top of the order in the longer form against the major nations.

With the emergence of Hamish Rutherford and resurgence of Peter Fulton in the England Test series, Guptill could be forced to re-establish his test career from the middle order, possibly battling with Dean Brownlie for the role at number five.

"Martin has proven himself to be a world-class performer before, and were thrilled to have back in the side," New Zealand coach Mike Hesson said in a statement.

"He's worked hard on his rehab to make sure he's fit and we know he's eager to get out and represent his country again."

Wicketkeeper-batsman Luke Ronchi, who was born in New Zealand but raised in Australia, has been included in the one-day side.

Ronchi played four one-day internationals for Australia in 2008 but returned to his place of birth in 2012 to try to make the New Zealand team.

Wellington pace bowler Mark Gillespie, who was not considered for the recent England series, was recalled to the Test squad after a strong first-class season for Wellington.

"Mark has been dominant in the domestic competitions this season and fully deserves his spot in the test side," Hesson added.

"He finished the equal top wicket-taker in the Plunket Shield this season and knows the international scene well, so we know he has the ability."

Left-arm pace bowler Mitchell McClenaghan, who impressed in the limited-over games against England before being ruled out with a side strain, has recovered to be included in the one-day squad.

TEST SQUAD:

Brendon McCullum (capt), Trent Boult, Doug Bracewell, Dean Brownlie, Peter Fulton, Mark Gillespie, Martin Guptill, Tom Latham, Bruce Martin, Hamish Rutherford, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, BJ Watling, Neil Wagner, Kane Williamson

ODI & CHAMPIONS TROPHY SQUAD:

Brendon McCullum (capt), Trent Boult, Grant Elliott, Andrew Ellis, James Franklin, Martin Guptill, Mitchell McClenaghan, Nathan McCullum, Kyle Mills, Colin Munro, Luke Ronchi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Daniel Vettori, Kane Williamson

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Fresh uproar over NZ captaincy

Former New Zealand captain John Parker weighed into the debate about the controversial sacking of Ross Taylor as skipper on Thursday with a scathing report about how the situation was handled.

Parker is part of a group said to include several former captains who compiled a nine-page report on the affair, critical of New Zealand cricket chiefs, coach Mike Hesson and Brendon McCullum, who replaced Taylor as captain.
Parker’s report calls for unresolved issues to be addressed despite repeated urging from New Zealand Cricket (NZC) chief executive David White that the matter be laid to rest.
The document backs Taylor’s claim that he was told before the second Test in Sri Lanka in November that he was not wanted as captain in any form of the game, although NZC argues Taylor was told he could remain as Test skipper.
It also says Hesson initially accepted Taylor’s request to blood new internationals on the Sri Lanka tour but three days before the team was named Hesson said all the older players would be going.
Parker’s group wants a change in the structure and governance of NZC but White said the attacks were damaging.
‘Attacks such as this are divisive and unhelpful. For the sake of the game the focus should now be on the Blackcaps’ upcoming tour of England,’ he said.
White’s comments were included in a terse NZC statement which said it was ‘disappointed and saddened by the recent attack made by John Parker and some unnamed individuals’.
It said the accusations were not new and were based on ‘hearsay, speculation and rumour’.
The Parker report claim that McCullum knew all along about the sacking of Taylor, one of New Zealand’s most important batsmen, was vehemently denied by White.
‘At no time was Brendon McCullum in any way personally involved in the replacement of Ross Taylor as captain. Brendon behaved honourably at all times in this matter,’ he said.

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Ryder only hit once, N. Zealand court hears

New Zealand cricketer Jesse Ryder was only punched once and his injuries were not as serious as reported, a lawyer for one of the two men charged with his assault told a court Thursday.
Jonathan Eaton said Ryder was sharing a friendly drink with the accused before a dispute broke out, and the cricketer was injured as he fell to the ground ‘after being punched once’.
Police have said Ryder was rushed to hospital in a critical condition after the assault outside a bar in the South Island city of Christchurch a week ago, and that he was put into an induced coma suffering from a fractured skull and internal injuries. But Eaton said witness accounts that Ryder had been punched and kicked were ‘wildly inaccurate’ and he had not in fact suffered a fractured skull.
The two men, a 37-year-old and his 20-year-old nephew, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared in the Christchurch District Court charged with assault and were bailed to reappear in two weeks.
Eaton told the court the men had been at a family dinner when the chance meeting with Ryder occurred. He said the meeting started in a ‘highly convivial’ manner with drinks being shared but a dispute followed.

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Ryder returns home

New Zealand cricketer Jesse Ryder has been released from a Christchurch hospital and returned to his home in Wellington after spending almost a week recovering from serious head injuries, local media reported on Wednesday.
Ryder, 28, was taken to hospital early last
Thursday after two
altercations outside a bar and fast food restaurant in Merivale, a suburb of Christchurch.
Two men have been charged with assault and are scheduled to appear in court on Thursday.
‘He was thrilled to be back home, he just couldn’t wait. It’s been a hard week so he just wanted to get home,’ the New Zealand Herald quoted Ryder’s manager Aaron Klee as saying.
‘He’s been doing well over the last couple of days so just needed to complete all the testing they wanted to do in hospital and then they were happy to let him go home.

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New Zealand cricketer Ryder has no memory of attack

New Zealand cricket star Jesse Ryder told police on Tuesday that he has no memory of the vicious attack that left him critically injured in hospital last week. The 28-year-old suffered serious head and lung injuries following the beating that prompted warnings for New Zealand's sports elite to be on their guard when out in public.

Ryder was punched and kicked as he left a bar in the South Island city of Christchurch early on Thursday morning after a night out drinking with his Wellington teammates. Although his condition has improved sufficiently for him to be moved out of the hospital intensive care unit, the last thing he remembers is being dismissed in a cricket match on Wednesday.

"Unfortunately Mr Ryder has no recollection of what took place or the events leading up to the incident," detective senior sergeant Brian Archer said after interviewing the player.

"Should Mr Ryder gain sufficient recollection as his recovery continues, then we may look to speak to him again, however there are no immediate plans to re-interview him at this time," he said.

Psychologist Karen Nimmo, who has worked with Ryder for five years, said high-profile sports stars have to be able to engage with the public for a sense of normality but there were risks with that.

"Once you are going out you need to be with a mate, a buddy system, making sure you stay in the group and look after each other... otherwise there is potential for things to happen," she told Fairfax Media.

Former All Blacks coach Graham Henry said other teams may have to follow the rugby example and have security personnel accompany their players to bars.

"They just keep an eye on things from a distance and make sure things are happening that should be happening and just look after them," he told Radio Sport. "So there's no opportunity for these sort of things to happen."

Two men aged 20 and 37, who are related to each other, are to appear in court on Thursday charged in connection with the attack on Ryder.

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Ryder on his feet

Recovering rapidly from an assault that left him with life-threatening injuries, New Zealand cricketer Jesse Ryder is now “back on his feet” but is disappointed to miss out on his Indian Premier League (IPL) 2013 stint.

The 28-year-old, who had a fractured skull and a punctured lung after being brutally beaten outside a Christchurch bar in Wellington on Thursday last week, was brought out of induced coma on Saturday and shifted out of the ICU on Sunday.

The temperamental cricketer is now able to move a little inside his hospital room, according to his manager Aaron Klee.

“Nothing’s changed medically in terms of official updates, but he’s just steadily improving and building up his strength, so it’s just resting time from here on in, but you know, it’s quite a remarkable improvement from 48 hours ago,” he told reporters at Wellington Airport on Monday.

“He’s absolutely talking, sitting there having conversations and he’s up on his feet, it’s nice to see the big guy back on his feet again.”

The hard-hitting batsman was to leave for the IPL on Friday last week to play for the Delhi Daredevils.

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Ryder tells supporters ‘I’m okay’

New Zealand cricketer Jesse Ryder has told well-wishers ‘I’m okay’ three days after suffering severe head injuries in a fight outside a Christchurch bar.
Ryder was moved on Sunday from the intensive care ward of Christchurch Hospital to a regular ward as he recovers from a fractured skull and punctured lung. On Saturday the 28-year-old was brought out of an induced coma and removed from a respirator.
In a statement on Sunday, Ryder said ‘I just want to let everyone know that I’m OK.
‘I feel heaps better today but still really tired. I’ve been reading your messages that have been sent so thank you to everyone for thinking of me over the last few days.’
Ryder’s manager Aaron Klee said the cricketer had been drowsy but in good spirits since emerging from the coma. Among his first words after regaining consciousness was a joking statement to family members: ‘get me out of here.’
Klee said Ryder had not yet been interviewed by police and had no memory of being assaulted outside a bar in the Christchurch suburb of Merivale about 12.30am on Thursday morning. Ryder had been socializing with members of his Wellington provincial team which had played a semifinal of New Zealand’s domestic one-day competition in Christchurch on Wednesday. His last memory was of making a first-ball duck during that match.
Police have arrested two men, one aged 20 and the other 37, and charged them with assault over the incident. They were due to appear in the Christchurch District Court on Thursday.
Klee said it was uncertain how long Ryder would remain in hospital. He said medical staff were ‘assessing what sort of damage may have been done but at the moment it very much looks like a very bad concussion.

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Ryder regains consciousness

New Zealand cricketer Jesse Ryder emerged from an induced coma Saturday, but faced “a big battle” ahead as he recovered from a vicious assault, his manager Aaron Klee said.

Ryder required medical assistance to keep breathing when he was rushed to hospital in a critical condition early Thursday morning.

He suffered serious head and lung injuries after being attacked as he left a bar in the South Island city of Christchurch.

Two men have been charged with assault and police said they were not looking for anyone else, although witnesses said up to four people were involved in what they believed was an unprovoked attack.

“Jesse’s condition has improved to the extent that he is now out of the induced coma and off the ventilator. Jesse is awake and talking to us,” Klee said.

“Naturally we are thrilled with this progress. This is only the start of the recovery process for Jesse and there is still a big battle ahead to full health, but the progress is positive.”

Witnesses said Ryder was left “shaking, vomiting and covered in blood” after he was repeatedly punched and kicked.

Klee said Ryder had no recollection of the attack.

“He remembers getting a duck ... not much after that,” he said, referring to Ryder’s dismissal during his Wellington side’s season-ending loss earlier in the day to Canterbury in a limited overs match.

Ryder’s mother and girlfriend, who were at his bedside when he woke up, have described the beating as a “heinous crime”.

Detective Senior Sergeant Brian Archer said police had watched closed-circuit television footage of the incident and had a “reasonably clear picture of what has taken place”.

Ryder has a well-publicised history of alcohol-related trouble and had been drinking before the incident, but Archer said alcohol was not an aggravating factor in the attack.

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Kiwi star Ryder improves

Battered New Zealand cricketer Jesse Ryder was showing signs of improvement Friday and gave family the thumbs-up as police charged two men with assaulting the gifted batsman in a savage beating.
Ryder was attacked by a group of men as he left a bar in the South Island city of Christchurch early Thursday, and was rushed to hospital in a critical condition where he was placed in an induced coma.
His manager Aaron Klee said Ryder was responsive Friday and had given the thumbs-up to medical staff and members of his family who rushed to be at his bedside.
Ryder remains in an intensive care unit in a stable condition and requires help with breathing because of an injury to his lung while the extent of his head injury has yet to be determined.
His mother Heather and his partner Ally thanked people around the world for sending messages of sympathy and police for arresting ‘people responsible for the heinous crime committed on our Jesse’.
‘Jesse will be chuffed knowing how many people care and have reached out, including the huge number of cricket fans and players from around the world,’ they said in a statement.
‘We have read many of the messages online over the past 24 hours and we are keeping them for Jesse to read when he recovers.’
Police said they had charged a 20-year-old man and a 37-year-old relative of his with the assault and they would appear in court next Thursday.
‘Two or three’ people attacked Ryder as he left a bar and then resumed the assault when the injured player made his way to the car park of a fast-food outlet across the road, police said.
Although Ryder has a history of alcohol-related incidents and had been drinking before he was attacked, police said alcohol was not a factor in this instance.
Closed-circuit television footage showed the 28-year-old Ryder shaking hands with one of his alleged attackers moments before the assault started, according to bar owner Steve Holmes.
Holmes told Fairfax Media after reviewing the footage that the assault was ‘completely unexpected’.
He said Ryder, who had been drinking with his Wellington team-mates after losing a season-ending match against Canterbury, was leaving the bar when one of the attackers called out to him.
Ryder went back to talk to the man and the two appeared to chat before shaking hands, Holmes said.
After a few minutes he said the ‘body language changed’ between the two. Ryder walked out of the bar and the man followed him, seemingly yelling after him.
‘There was no altercation until the cricket team left basically,’ he said. ‘No one was heavily intoxicated, it was just a mediocre Wednesday night.’
Regan Harvey, who witnessed the assault and has given a statement to the police, believed Ryder was the target of an unprovoked ‘hate fight’.
Harvey was drinking at the bar when he heard the fight erupt. ‘As I walked out there were a couple of guys beating up this one guy on the ground’ and one of the attackers gave ‘two massive kicks’ into Ryder’s stomach and rib cage, he said.
Ryder is on a self-imposed exile from international cricket while he addresses ‘personal issues’ and has rejected calls to return to the New Zealand team despite an outstanding domestic season.
He last played for New Zealand a year ago in a one-day match against South Africa.
He was dropped for the next game when he breached team rules and went drinking in a bar where he verbally reacted to taunts from a member of the public.
Ryder was due to fly to India this weekend to compete for the Delhi Daredevils in the lucrative Indian Premier League. The team has wished him a speedy recovery.

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Ryder in coma after bar brawl

Troubled New Zealand cricketer Jesse Ryder was in a critical condition in hospital on Thursday after an ‘extremely vicious’ attack as he left a bar in Christchurch, police said.
The 28-year-old was in an induced coma with a fractured skull and serious internal injuries, and his family were at his bedside.

The attack in the South Island city came just days before the talented batsman was to take up a lucrative Indian Premier League contract.
Ryder has a history of disciplinary lapses and alcohol-related incidents, but although he had been drinking before the early morning assault, police said alcohol was not a factor.
Detective senior sergeant Brian Archer said there was a brief altercation involving Ryder and ‘two or three’ people when he stepped outside the bar.
Ryder then crossed the road to a nearby fast-food outlet where he was attacked.
‘The hospital advise he is in a critical condition. He is in an induced coma as a result of suffering multiple injuries,’ Archer said.
Police believed there were at least 10 witnesses, one of whom, Emma-Louise Ferguson, told the New Zealand Herald it was ‘unbelievably brutal’.
‘They had him on the ground and they were kicking him hard,’ she said, adding: ‘It was literally right outside the door of the bar.
‘When he was on the ground, I couldn’t actually see him but I could hear the they were kicking him as hard as they could.’
Media reports said the injuries included a punctured lung.
Prime Minister John Key, who led messages of support for Ryder, said the attack appeared ‘somewhat unprovoked, so there must be something behind that and the assault seems extremely vicious’.
‘Obviously we wish him a speedy recovery,’ he added.
A witness, identified only as Adam, told Fairfax Media that Ryder tried to fight back as four men ‘absolutely smashed him’.
He said he was not sure if the attackers were known to Ryder but said they ‘damn knew who he was’.
Police were viewing closed-circuit television coverage of the attack and Archer said they were following ‘positive lines of enquiry’.
The incident occurred while Ryder was having a night out with his Wellington team-mates after earlier losing a season-ending one-day match to Canterbury.
The batsman is on a self-imposed break from international cricket to address ‘personal issues’ following a series of incidents.
New Zealand Cricket Players’ Association chief executive Heath Mills said Ryder was known to have resumed drinking in recent weeks.
‘It will be an ongoing struggle for Jesse and we need to do all we can to help him,’ Mills said.
‘What I will say is Jesse was having a few drinks with his team-mates at the conclusion of his season. The actual assault was not an alcohol-fuelled incident.’
Ryder, who last played for New Zealand a year ago, was due to fly to India this weekend to compete for the Delhi Daredevils, who paid US$260,000 for his services at an auction.
Last year, Ryder, who has a Test average of 40.93 and a highest Test score of 201, took his manager and a psychologist with him to India when he played for the Pune Warriors.
‘We are all shocked by what has occurred and extremely concerned for Jesse. New Zealand Cricket’s thoughts are with him and his family,’ said New Zealand Cricket chief executive David White.
In 2004, former Australian batsman David Hookes died from head injuries suffered in a fight outside a bar in Melbourne.

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Taylor not happy in N. Zealand set-up

Ex-New Zealand skipper Ross Taylor, replaced as captain late last year, admitted Wednesday he was not entirely comfortable in the team following a dramatic Test series draw against England.

Taylor also indicated there was more to the way he lost the captaincy to Brendon McCullum than has been revealed.

"I wouldn't say I'm as comfortable as I would like to be but I guess time will tell," Taylor told Radio Sport when questioned about the atmosphere inside the New Zealand dressing room.

Taylor would not go into details but said the full story of his demotion may yet be made public.

"There's a lot of things that have happened. Maybe over the next couple of weeks or months, things might get told but as of now, it's probably not a great time to talk about it," he said.

Taylor, who sat out the recent tour of South Africa, praised the performance of his New Zealand team-mates, who came within a whisker of recording a rare Test series win against the powerful England side on Tuesday.

"As one of the senior batters, it's nice for others to come in and score some runs. Something I haven't done very much in a New Zealand team is have to wait a couple of sessions to bat. Hopefully I can start getting used to that trend," he said.

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Kiwis win Cook’s heart

England captain Alastair Cook acknowledged New Zealand as moral winners of their drawn series on Tuesday, saying the David and Goliath battle had definitely gone David’s way.

England started the series ranked second in the world to New Zealand’s eighth placing. Even though none of the three Tests produced a result, New Zealand were the dominant side in two of them.
“They had the best of the first match, we had the best of the second Test match and they’ve outplayed us here, but at no stage did we underestimate them,” Cook said after the dramatic end to the third Test.
The first two drawn Tests were both abbreviated by rain, but with fine weather throughout the five days in Auckland the deciding match went down to the wire.
In a desperate final session, England were down to their last pair for 19 balls but Matt Prior, who made 110, and Monty Panesar held on for the draw.
Panesar narrowly missed playing-on with the first ball he faced and later almost ran himself out when he dived well short of his ground on a quick single to get off strike.
England also counted their luck at one point when the ball hit Prior’s stumps but failed to dislodge the bails.
However, what mattered for England was that he survived.
“There’s a huge amount of relief,” Cook said when stumps were drawn.
“We’ve had to fight over these five days. New Zealand have outplayed us in this game but I can be very proud of the English guys led by Matty Prior and Ian Bell, (who) were fantastic.
“The never say die attitude and that fight you need in Test cricket, we showed a lot of that in this series.”
The fighting spirit was no better expressed than by the record effort of Stuart Broad as England batted for survival in their second innings.
He went 102 minutes without scoring, one minute more than the previous scoreless record set by New Zealand’s Geoff Allott against South Africa 14 years ago.
Cook said the one consolation for England was that despite being outplayed they proved they were a difficult side to beat.
“If we’re being honest we didn’t play as well as we’d have liked, but that should not detract from how well New Zealand played,” he said.

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McCullum heartbroken as luck eludes NZ

New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum shrugged his shoulders and tutted slightly as he sat down to face the media after the final day of the Test series against England on Tuesday.

 

McCullum's under-rated side had come within one wicket of upsetting the world's second-ranked Test team to claim the series 1-0 after the first two matches in Dunedin and Wellington ended in rain-affected draws.

New Zealand had England on the ropes when play began at Eden Park on Tuesday, the visitors were on 90 for four and had no chance of scoring 481 to win the match.

By the close, the tourists had reached 315-9 with Matt Prior scoring a match-saving century, while Ian Bell had lasted almost six hours for a patient 75 and Stuart Broad had defiantly taken 102 minutes to get off the mark before he fell for six.

Monty Panesar lasted 20 minutes but faced just five of the final 19 balls for his two runs, to defy New Zealand and end their hopes of securing their first series victory over England since 1999.

"It is heartbreaking, obviously," McCullum told reporters.

"We played some brilliant cricket throughout the series but especially in this test match, and dictated terms from day one and we gave it every chance to force the result.

"We came up against a defiant English team who were hell-bent on ensuring they didn't lose the test match for their country and unfortunately we weren't able to penetrate to get that one more wicket."

LUCKY DAY

While New Zealand had dictated much of the play throughout the Test, luck appeared to run with England on the final day.

Two catches, one off Bell, went down in the same over shortly before lunch. Prior then had a pull shot fall just out of Neil Wagner's reach after the interval.

Wagner then hit Prior in the helmet and the ball dropped down the face of the stumps, bounced and spun back and nestled at the foot of the wicket but failed to dislodge the bails.

Prior and Broad were also given out lbw, only to have the decision reviewed and the on-field decision overturned.

"I think Matty's living pretty clean," McCullum said with a smile of the delivery that bounced onto Prior's stumps.

"There were lots of twists and turns and half chances and little things you'll look back on and think if only.

"It all added to the drama and take nothing away from the way that Matt played, it was an incredible innings under severe pressure and he stood up and showed why he's the player that he is.

"(But) I'm forever an optimist. I thought even right up to that last ball that we were still going to win.

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NZ thwarted by Prior

A defiant, unbeaten century by Matt Prior saw England snatch an unlikely draw in a dramatic end to the third Test Tuesday as a fired up New Zealand attack were denied an historic victory by one wicket.

England were holding on by a thread at the close as Prior sought to shield last man in Monty Panesar from the bowling for the last three overs in a cliff-hanger finish to the Test and the series. At the close, Prior was unbeaten on 110, his seventh Test century, and England were 315 for nine.

A despondent New Zealand were left wondering what the outcome would have been had two regulation catches in the final over before lunch not been dropped.

New Zealand, with innings of 443 and 241 for six declared, batted England out of the Test and the tourists were never serious about chasing their 481-run second innings target.

Instead they faced a battle for survival and when they resumed the final day at 90 for four the odds were heavily in New Zealand's favour.

At lunch, the Test still belonged to New Zealand with England at 158 for five and Joe Root gone for 29. Bairstow was gone for six soon after play resumed but Bell made the most of his opportunity as he and Prior put on 78 before he was removed in the last over before tea and England were 237 for seven.

But luck stayed with Prior who beat two appeals for caught behind that went to review on 18. On 20 he was dropped by Neil Wagner and on 28 the ball deflected off his helmet and on to the stumps but the bails did not come off.

As he continued to march towards his seventh Test century after tea he was joined by a record low-scoring Stuart Broad who blocked and shouldered for 61 deliveries and 102 minutes before finally getting off the mark. His scoreless reign beat the previous record of 101 minutes without scoring set by New Zealand fast bowler Geoff Allott against South Africa 14 years ago.

With a possible victory slipping away, New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum again turned to part-time spinner Kane Williamson who had removed Alastair Cook and nightwatchman Steven Finn the previous day.

Again Williamson delivered. In the space of three deliveries he had Broad and James Anderson caught at first slip by Ross Taylor and England found themselves nine down with only Panesar left to support Prior and 19 balls remaining.

Prior was able to protect Panesar from all but five deliveries which the England spinner was able to keep out.

England 204 (Prior 73, Boult 6-68) and 315/9 (Prior 110*, Bell 75, Williamson 4-44) drew with New Zealand 443 (Fulton 136, Williamson 91, Finn 6-125) and 241/6 dec (Fulton 110, McCullum 67*)

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Another Ton from Fulton

Black Caps opener Peter Fulton celebrated his recall from the cricket scrapheap on Monday by becoming only the fourth New Zealander to score back-to-back centuries in a Test.

The at times ungainly opener belted the prime of English bowling to all corners of the ground in a rollicking second innings 110 to give New Zealand a stranglehold on the third and deciding Test in the series.
At stumps on Monday, with one day to play, England were fighting for survival at 90 for four with a target of 481 to win.
Fulton, who toiled hard to resurrect New Zealand’s second innings after they were three down for eight, brought up his boundary-laden 110 in 165 balls.
In the first innings, when New Zealand were intent on building a competitive total, he made 136 off 346 balls.
After scoring 55, 1 and 45 early in the first two England Tests, the 34-year-old Fulton has now raised his average to 33.05, from the mediocre 20.93 when he was cast into the wilderness four years ago after 10 Tests.
The Canterbury opener, who has a first class 301 not out to his name in domestic cricket, said he always backed himself as a batsman with a range of shots in his repertoire.
“But it’s not often in a Test match you get the chance to swing the bat with no consequence of getting out so it was nice,” he said.
Fulton and Dean Brownlie worked hard to pull the New Zealand second innings around and put on 74 for the fourth wicket. After Brownlie’s removal he belted 117 off 101 balls in partnership with Brendon McCullum.
“We did a lot of hard work last night, myself and Dean, getting through to stumps, and the game was right in the balance there this morning when we came out so we had to some more hard work,” said Fulton.
“I guess at the end of that session Baz [McCullum] and I had a little bit of fun.”
Fulton brought up his 100 by nonchalantly driving Stuart Broad over the bowler’s head for six but said reaching his second century was not weighing on his mind.
“If I got a 100 I did, but it was not going to worry me. I was lucky I got one in the slot and it was a great feeling.”
It was only the fourth time a New Zealand batsman has scored back-to-back centuries in a Test and it was the first time the feat had been achieved since Andrew Jones produced a double against Sri Lanka 22 years ago.
The other New Zealanders to complete the double are Glenn Turner and Geoff Howarth who both made the list in the 1970s.
With Fulton and New Zealand’s other opener Hamish Rutherford both excelling in the series, their places in the New Zealand team to play in England later this year seem assured.
It also poses the selectors with a welcome headache as regular opener and reigning New Zealand cricketer of the year Martin Guptill, who missed this series because of injury, is expected to be fit for the tour.

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Kiwis have England firmly on ropes

Two crucial wickets to part-time spinner Kane Williamson put New Zealand firmly in charge of the final Test on Monday as England, facing a world record target of 481, slumped to 90 for four at stumps.

On a day that belonged to the Black Caps, with recalled batsman Peter Fulton blasting his second century of the match, England made a disastrous start to the daunting run chase on a turning Eden Park wicket.
By the close of play they were batting for survival with any hope of an unlikely victory long gone, and even a draw looking improbable.
For England to win, they would have to post the most successful fourth-innings chase in Test history. The current record is held by the West Indies, who scored 418 for seven to beat Australia at Antigua in 2003.
But that never looked likely as Tim Southee claimed Nick Compton for two in the second over and Jonathan Trott followed for 37, caught behind off Neil Wagner, to have England at 60 for two.
Captain Alastair Cook, who was dropped on one, set about consolidating the innings with Ian Bell as they put on 30 runs in 25 overs.
But in the dying moments of the day occasional tweaker Williamson claimed two wickets in four balls as Cook went for 43 and nightwatchman Steven Finn failed to score.
Williamson had the remarkable figures of two for five off 6.1 overs.
Bell, intent on preservation, was not out eight after facing 89 balls in nearly two hours—in sharp contrast to the lusty batting spree earlier by Fulton and Brendon McCullum who mocked the England attack.
They belted 117 runs in a 101-ball partnership as they raced to put New Zealand into an imposing position before declaring at 241 for six midway through the afternoon session.
The 34-year-old Fulton, after posting 136 in the first innings, scored 110 in his second turn at bat to become only the fourth New Zealand batsman, and the first in 22 years, to score back-to-back centuries in a Test.
New Zealand resumed the day at 35 for three and cracked 141 off 26 overs in the morning session.
Dean Brownlie, who had done a sterling job with Fulton to resurrect the innings after New Zealand were eight for three on Sunday, was the only wicket to fall before lunch.
He fell to an exceptional catch by Bell who ran 25 metres from mid-on to clasp the ball in a desperate lurch which left him sprawled on the ground.
McCullum then joined Fulton to belt the England attack around the small ground with Fulton, who was dropped on 31, showing no sign of the nervous 90s as he brought up his century by smashing Stuart Broad over his head for six.
It was the fifth time he had cleared the ropes in an innings that also included 14 fours.
McCullum was 67 not out in an innings that included three sixes and five fours when he declared with the dismissal of BJ Watling for 18.
For England, Monty Panesar took two wickets, although his 9.2 overs conceded 53 runs while Broad took two for 54 off 17 overs.
The first two Tests in the three-match series were rain-affected draws.

England 204 & 90/4 (Cook 43, Williamson 2-5) need another 391 runs v New Zealand 443 & 241/6 dec (Fulton 110, McCullum 67*)

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Kiwis gain big lead

New Zealand imploded at the start of their second innings as they set out to build on a daunting 239-run first innings lead on the third day of the final Test against England on Sunday.

At stumps at Eden Park in the series-deciding final Test, New Zealand were three for 35, leading by 274 after dismissing England for 204.
Opener Peter Fulton, who scored his maiden Test century in the first innings, was unbeaten on 14 which included three boundaries, with Dean Brownlie on 13.
In a chaotic final session of play, eight wickets fell for 39 runs as the England tail collapsed and the New Zealand top order followed suit, increasing the chances of a decision in the deadlocked series.
The rain-abbreviated first two Tests were drawn but only fine weather is forecast for Auckland over the next two days.
New Zealand decided not to enforce the follow on after ripping out the England tail after tea as they gambled on bowling last on a deteriorating wicket.
But the strategy appeared to backfire as Hamish Rutherford fell on the third ball he faced to start a collapse that reduced New Zealand to eight for three after eight overs before Fulton and Brownlie steered them through to stumps.
The New Zealand batting failure came after their strike bowlers Tim Southee and Trent Boult had ripped through the England tail, taking the last five wickets for 31 runs.
The eight dismissals after tea occurred in the space of 18 overs as the wicket which supported the New Zealand batsmen to a first innings 443 began to show assistance for the bowlers.
For New Zealand, left-armer Boult produced his best Test figures of six for 68 while Southee finished with three for 44.
Broad had the remarkable figures of two for seven from seven overs for England.
He removed Rutherford for a duck with a rising delivery that was flicked to Ian Bell in the gully and trapped Ross Taylor (three) leg before wicket.

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Finn keeps England in hunt

Fast bowler Steven Finn equalled his career best Test figures of six for 125 as England fought their way back into the deciding third Test against New Zealand at Eden Park on Saturday.

At stumps on the second day, England were 50 for two, 393 runs in arrears after dismissing New Zealand for 443 soon after tea.
Finn, who in the morning session claimed the prized New Zealand scalp of Peter Fulton for 136, ripped out the tail taking the final four wickets in the space of 21 balls.
England made an uncomfortable start to their reply when Alastair Cook was snapped up down the leg side by wicketkeeper BJ Watling off Trent Boult for four at the start of the third over.
Jonathan Trott reached 27 before he followed Cook back to the pavilion when Boult beat him off the pitch to be leg before wicket and England were two for 44.
Nick Compton (12 not out) and Ian Bell (six not out) then took a no risk approach through to stumps with only six runs scored in the final nine overs.
While New Zealand had reason to feel satisfied with their bowling, it was a disappointing end to the innings after resuming the day at 250 for one.
The overnight pair of Fulton and Kane Williamson added a further 10 runs before the final nine wickets fell for 183 on a placid wicket as Finn equalled his best figures of six for 125 set against Australia at Brisbane in 2010.
Wicketkeeper Matt Prior was the other standout performer for England, taking five catches behind the stumps, including a spectacular one-handed diving effort to remove Fulton.
The 34-year-old Fulton, who posted his maiden Test century, was in the middle for nearly eight hours and featured in a 181-run stand for the second wicket with Williamson (91).
However, New Zealand will be disappointed no other batsman was able to reach a half century.
Tim Southee managed 44 in a late cameo that included two sixes and four fours, but his dismissal in the third over after tea triggered a rapid end to the innings as the last three wickets fell in four overs.
Finn ended sitting on a hattrick after removing Watling (21) and Boult in successive balls.
England took three wickets in the morning session starting with the removal of Williamson who was in sight of his fourth Test century when he edged James Anderson to Prior.
Fulton’s marathon innings came to an end at 136 when he whipped Finn down the leg side only to see the athletic Prior just manage to get a glove to the ball and make the catch stick.
Former New Zealand captain Ross Taylor produced a quick 19 before he was caught and bowled to give Monty Panesar his only wicket of the innings.
Brendon McCullum’s dismissal on the second ball he faced was overturned on review.

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Fulton puts New Zealand in control

A maiden century from opening batsman Peter Fulton put New Zealand on track for a big first innings total on day one of the third and deciding Test against England at Eden Park on Friday.

New Zealand were 250 for one at stumps with Fulton unbeaten on 124 and Kane Williamson 83 not out after a frustrating day for England’s bowlers.
England skipper Alastair Cook was punished after winning the toss and making New Zealand bat on a drop-in Auckland wicket that was expected to offer his attack more pace and bounce than the lifeless pitches in Dunedin and Wellington.
Black Caps skipper Brendon McCullum said it was ‘judgement day’ for his batting line-up after they were put in for the first time this series—and they came through with flying colours.
Eden Park proved another flat track that harboured no demons, allowing them to dominate, with England’s only wicket for the day coming from a rash shot by Hamish Rutherford (37) just before lunch.
While England’s bowlers were tight, sending down 27 maidens through the day, the New Zealanders kept the runs ticking over thanks to the short boundaries at Eden Park, which is normally used as a rugby venue.
Fulton’s century was the highlight, reviving a Test career he feared over before he was recalled for this series after more than three years in the wilderness.
‘I’ve played a few Test matches and now I’ve got one (a century),’ the right-hander said. ‘If I’m being brutally honest, at the start of this season I thought maybe my time had come and gone.’
Fulton, whose previous best was 75, managed a 79-run partnership with Rutherford then combined with Williamson for an unbeaten 171 in New Zealand’s best batting performance in the series.
The 34-year-old looked nervous as he stalled on 99 for nine deliveries before finally securing a century that included 14 fours and three sixes to a standing ovation from the home crowd.
He used up a life on 16 when a James Anderson inswinger nicked the edge of his bat and narrowly avoided the slips cordon before running away to the boundary.
Another mistake a few overs later off a short Broad delivery flew away for six.
He worked patiently with Rutherford to see off the new ball, the pair content to take just 17 runs off the first 10 overs.
Rutherford showed flashes of aggression hitting two sixes off Monty Panesar but came undone trying to do the same to Steve Finn minutes before lunch.
Williamson was uncomfortable early on but settled into a solid supporting role, notching his seventh Test half century to build on his 55 not out in the second Test in Wellington.
After an energy-sapping day in the field for the tourists, Fulton said the Black Caps needed to press home their advantage in the search for a series-clinching victory.
‘We’ve just got to get out there again tomorrow and carry on, when you get there and you get in you want to make the most of it,’ he said.
While the weather forced draws in the first two Tests, clear skies are forecast until early next week in Auckland, increasing the likelihood of a result.

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