By RICHARD BOOCK
JOHANNESBURG - Rookie batsman Hamish Marshall made the most of his unexpected test debut yesterday morning, in the process setting a world record for the length of time he batted without a run.
With the Black Caps' innings crashing all around him, the 21-year-old Marshall defended stoutly during an unbeaten 40, taking 61 minutes to score his first test run - and bringing back memories of Geoff Allott's world-record 101-minute duck two seasons ago in Auckland.
Marshall's wait to get off the mark was a record for a player on a test debut, but it did not come easily. The first ball almost yorked him, several others took him on the body and one extremely quick bouncer from Makhaya Ntini caught him squarely on the temple of his helmet.
He hung on for 174 minutes, facing 121 deliveries and helping New Zealand from a perilous 148 for seven through to 200.
"It was a great occasion to make my test debut, and to go out there and get some runs was really nice," he said afterwards.
"Being scoreless didn't really worry me. I was just happy to defend, to bat time and to accumulate. The runs were going to come as long as I stayed in."
Marshall said the bombardment from the South African pacemen was not exactly unexpected.
"I suppose you're going to get a few hits at this level."
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