Cricket: Vincent and Akhtar give Black Caps double trouble

By RICHARD BOOCK


It was difficult to decide what might have been the biggest concern for the New Zealand cricketers yesterday - the sight of batsman Lou Vincent trudging off, or Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar charging in.

For vastly different reasons, the performance of the pair was the main talking point to emerge from the opening day of the second test at the Basin Reserve, where New Zealand were scrambling to stay in the match after another bipolar batting effort.

On a day in which Wellington's blustery, buffeting northerly took an early nomination for Most Influential Performance, Akhtar made his presence felt with another destructive visit to the bowling crease, taking three wickets and handing Pakistan the early advantage.

It's not exactly the first time a Pakistani paceman has caused carnage in a New Zealand top-order and yesterday's skirmish was little different to the previous scenes - stumps flying everywhere, plumb LBW shouts, and a snorter of a delivery to Scott Styris.

By the time stumps were drawn, although not nearly as drawn as the New Zealand batsmen, the home side had crawled through to 151 for five, thanks mainly to a fighting innings from Mark Richardson, who resisted all manner of efforts to remove him.

Richardson, unbeaten on 53 at the close, was the only New Zealander to have much of a clue about Akhtar, who, while bowling within himself, still uncorked the occasional vintage delivery to keep the batsmen guessing.

Whereas in the first test it was Shoaib's partner in crime Mohammad Sami who blazed through the top order, this time it was the world's fastest bowler himself, and he should have picked up a fourth late in the day when Robbie Hart gloved a short ball to Moin Khan.

The displeasure of watching umpire Asoka de Silva decline the appeal was translated into a brute of a delivery next ball, a 149k/h bouncer that struck Hart flush on the side of the helmet. Unfortunately, he also suffered a leg strain that might yet leave him in doubt for today, a possibility that will not unduly perturb the New Zealand batting line-up.

Operating from the RA Vance stand end, Akhtar struck early, careering through Vincent's wonky-looking forward defensive shot, and then trapping Stephen Fleming in front - just like the old days, when the New Zealand skipper had a habit of falling across his front leg.

Akhtar, who has proved a favourite with New Zealand's younger fans during the tour, playing tennis ball cricket with them at the breaks and signing autographs at will, then had a well-earned spell before returning to end the steadily improving innings of Styris.

It was only his second test against New Zealand, having returned career-best figures of six for 11 in his first outing last year in Lahore, and it included the fastest delivery ever recorded in this country - a 157k/h thunderbolt at Craig McMillan.

Unfortunately for Akhtar, he was unable to maintain his strike-rate and was forced to return to the team hotel knowing that he was injured, and that his average against New Zealand had blown out to 2.77.

But if the problem of what to do Akhtar is occupying the minds of the New Zealand team management, the question of what to do with Vincent is starting to become just as pressing, and particularly after his comprehensive defeat yesterday.

Vincent, who suffered dual failures in the first test at Hamilton, looked like he was attempting to locate Akhtar's fullish length delivery by sonar yesterday, and was caught with his bat on a 45 degree angle as the timberwork was demolished. The likeable, happy-go-lucky right-hander made a century a couple of seasons ago at Perth, and emerged from two years of lean pickings to score another in October, in the second test against India at Mohali.

The concern must be that Vincent, who has more shots than your local immunisation centre, is in danger of mimicking the career of Mathew Sinclair - dropped for inconsistency despite scoring two double centuries and a 150 against South Africa. He hasn't quite got to that stage yet but it is a sobering thought that the 25-year-old has managed to reach double figures only twice in his past eight test innings, even though the two exceptions resulted in a century and a half-century against India.

Whatever his problems, the New Zealand team management have evidently decided that Vincent's future is as an opening batsman, and will doubtless defend their stance on the basis of his sterling work at Perth and Mohali. For all that, the main concern is not his centuries - but his lack of runs in between.