Cricket: Sorry boys, but you look to have blown it

By Richard Boock

CHRISTCHURCH - Ho hum, another day with the New Zealand cricket team. A good batting wicket, a favourable toss - and all out for 168. Such is life these days.

The side who took great encouragement from hanging on for a draw in the first test last week, is staring another rescue mission in the face after surrendering a marked initiative to South Africa on the first day of the second test at Lancaster Park.

All out for 168. Some might question whether foul play or suicide should be written on the Kiwi's death certificate, but the small fact that South Africa were able to cruise through to 54 without loss at stumps last night might go some way towards answering that question.

Notwithstanding New Zealand's improved stocks this summer, when they lost their last seven wickets after lunch yesterday for a faintly flattering 64 runs, it was not so much a feeling of "never mind, there's always the second dig," but more "flippin' heck, here we go again".

Experts in hindsight will undoubtedly accuse Dion Nash of making his second consecutive error after winning the toss, but it was not the pitch or the tourists' attack that caused the mayhem, but the Kiwi batsmen themselves.

Although this match began in overcast conditions, Nash was correct in deciding to bat first.

None of the South Africans swung the ball markedly, the pitch was comfortably paced and without any drastic seam assistance, and New Zealand should have ended the day in a reasonable position.

As it was, they ended the day in a woeful position.

Bryan Young missed a ball from Allan Donald by such a margin that there was suggestion he might have temporarily lost his eyesight; Roger Twose, Matt Horne and Gary Stead all perished to gormless shots outside the off-stump, and Chris Harris - as one always suspected - showed he was still vulnerable to anything that bounces over knee height.

All this was set against a backdrop of a reasonable first session, with New Zealand's lunch total of 104 for three including 19 fours and a five, a result of the South African bowlers attempting to bowl too many wicket deliveries.

After lunch - and presumably some earnest words from coach Bob Woolmer - the tourists were a much more difficult proposition, although one doubts that even they expected New Zealand to fold quite as dramatically as they did.

There were some moments of resistance as a few batsman attempted to revive the innings, but as it happened those who did manage to settle in ended up as the Kiwis' chief culprits.

Horne made it through to 36 before driving at width; Astle lived and died as if he was in a one-dayer, cracking eight fours before slashing Donald to Lance Klusener at third-man, and Gary Stead looked comfortable in his test debut before playing a frightfully loose drive at the same bowler.

Donald later left the bowling crease with a stomach strain, the fourth consecutive test in which he has broken down, but Shaun Pollock and left-arm wrist spinner Paul Adams - who deceived Nash with a superb wrong `un - managed to clean up the tail.

New Zealand were just as hapless when they took the field last night, with their pace attack in dire need of some Viagra-like potency, particularly as Simon Doull was forced to quit with an ankle sprain and will not be able to open the bowling this morning.

Nash was unhappy with his bowlers in Auckland, but even if they improve their act over the next couple of days, the overwhelming suspicion is that his batsmen have already blown it.

Pictured: New Zealand skipper Dion Nash hangs his head after being deceived by a superb "wrong 'un" from Paul Adams. PICTURE / FOTOPRESS