Brent Arnel celebrates his first test wicket. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Five balls into his career, Brent Arnel could be forgiven for thinking this test cricket lark was pretty easy.
The 31-year-old Northern Districts debutant had an anxious wait yesterday morning, hoping coach Mark Greatbatch would give him the signal that he had made the playing 11.
"I didn't know what
to expect, then Batchy gave me the nod, I gave it a little fist pump and was raring to go," Arnel said.
He'd been there twice before so was not taking anything for granted.
Arnel did not have long to wait to bowl, he was on in just the sixth over - and had even less time before he took his first scalp.
Australian opener Phil Hughes, who had got bit of a flyer in reaching 20, rocked back to cut one he could have watched sail by and edged it straight to Ross Taylor at first slip.
"I was ecstatic. It was a dream come true, especially to get it so early. It was probably batsman error rather than my bowling, but I'll take it," he said.
Soon after tea he trapped Simon Katich (79) on the crease for his second wicket.
It was to be New Zealand's last piece of joy for the day.
In a strange quirk, the last player to take a wicket for New Zealand in the first over of his test debut was Jeetan Patel, the man carrying the drinks yesterday and, truth be told, a bowler Daniel Vettori might yet wish he had at his disposal as this pitch gets more and more placid by the hour.
Patel had South Africa captain Graeme Smith caught and bowled in his first over at Cape Town.
Before him was Chris Drum, who forced Pakistan's Ijaz Ahmed back on to his stumps at Christchurch in 2001. Both of those matches ended in dull, high-scoring draws.
Unless New Zealand can achieve some quick breakthroughs this morning, that already might be the best they could hope for.
