An achievement in cricket watching: being present at the
last day of the English season, and at the first of the New Zealand season a
month later. Superficially, the scenes were similar; sun beaming from a blue
sky. But for the stillness of the St Lawrence there was a nail-your-granny-down
northerly at the Basin. I have never changed seats so often during one day’s
play, as I attempted to keep out of the wind and in the sun.
It was good to have the opportunity to watch at this time of
year. For several seasons almost all pre-Christmas domestic first-class play in
New Zealand has been scheduled within the working week, but a change of plan
has given those of us who toil at the coalface of the economy the opportunity
to watch some cricket. For once, the term “crowd” could be deployed with only a
suggestion of irony or hyperbole, there being a couple of hundred present to
enjoy the afternoon. The second day is a public holiday (the start of the
season should always be celebrated thus).
Jesse Ryder returned to cricket today, something it was
feared he might not do in the dark hours that followed the assault he suffered
in Christchurch at the end of last season. It is the walls of the visitors
dressing room off which he will bounce his bat if things do not go well; he has
moved south in search of the peace of mind that will enable him to reclaim his
rightful place in the national team.
Brent Arnel has come to the capital from Northern Districts.
He joins Mark Gillespie (with whom he was joint leading wicket taker in the
Plunket Shield last season) and Andy McKay in what is, on paper at least, as
threatening a fast-medium attack as there is in the competition. I trust that
Arnel had worked out that as the established leader of the attack it is
Gillespie who has the choice of ends, leaving him and McKay to labour into the
wind. Within the first half-hour Arnel had been hit for the first six of the
season, a top-edged hook by Neil Broom that cleared the JR Reid Gates. You may
infer that Otago won the toss and elected to bat, finishing the day on 358 for
three.
The score gives a misleading impression of the course of the
day. With sharper fielding—a couple of chances went down during the morning—and
more luck with the considerable number of edges that fell just short or wide of
fielders, Wellington might have had five or six out by lunch. There was more
pace in the pitch than is often the case at the Basin, and for the first half
of the day at least, it was not the paradise for batsmen and penitentiary for
bowlers that the final score suggests.
Arnel finished the day wicketless, but was the pick of the
attack. It was McKay—now with the wind—who took the first wicket, trapping
Broom, who was well forward, lbw for 32. That was the last success for
Wellington until well into the final session as Michael Bracewell joined Aaron
Redmond for a partnership of 217, Redmond scoring a career-best 154, Bracewell
107.
Redmond was leading scorer in the Plunkett Shield last
season, so with neither Hamish Rutherford nor Peter Fulton consistent as
openers, it might be thought that an opening day 150 would have Redmond touted
for an opening slot against the West Indies, who are here for three Tests
before Christmas. Curiously, his innings here did nothing to advance his
claims. There were many fine shots, particularly through the offside, and three
sixes. But it was chancy and edgy. As well as getting all the
luck that was going before lunch, he was dropped by keeper Ronchi shortly
thereafter. The catch would have been comfortable for the only slip had he been
positioned at first rather than fadishly at second. He was also struck be a bad case of the
nervous nineties, becoming almost shotless for half an hour before passing the mark. This raises temperament questions. Redmond was finally dismissed caught behind down the legside off
McKay late in the day, his departure from the crease sufficiently delayed to
record disagreement with the decision. His final half century was the least
spectacular, but most solid of the three.
At 34, Redmond may have had his international day, but the
quality of his partner’s innings suggested that the national team could feature
a brace of Bracewells sooner rather than later. Michael Bracewell reached his
century just after the double-century partnership came up, and included 16
fours. His only six followed, a sweep off Patel over deep (in fact, not so
deep, with the pitch being well over to the Museum side) square leg that almost
took out an oblivious pedestrian twice, once on its way over the walkway that
separates the seats from the field and once as it rebounded off the concrete. I
am in favour of this; it will make people pay attention as they saunter through.
Bracewell was out in the same over, overbalancing and bowled
around his legs trying to repeat the shot. Patel was too wily.
Which brings us to the Jeetan Patel question: what was he
doing here? Or, by way of elucidation, why was he not with the Test team in
Bangladesh? Spin resources are thin, with Vettori injured, Bruce Martin not
looking quite the part and Ish Sodhi still young. Patel has not featured since
the tour of South Africa in the New Year. Yet in the interim he had his second
consecutive full county season with Warwickshire, taking 59 wickets to finish
as the leading spinner in the top division of the County Championship, a higher
level of domestic cricket than the dear old Shield. He bowled well here,
finishing with 4 for 124 at a smidgen over three an over without encouragement
from the pitch, and would be in my team against the West Indies in December.
Even though there had been two centuries, the event of the
day for most spectators was the entry of Ryder in the last hour. After minimal reconnaissance
he went on the attack, stroking successive fours through the covers off
Woodcock, one off the back foot, one off the front. He gave a chance on 12, top
edging a pull high enough for him to take several steps towards the rooms
before Woodcock spilled it at square leg. It looked a bad miss, but there is no
such thing for a steepler when the wind is up at the Basin. Ryder finished on
48 not out.
Postscript: day two
The northerly at the Basin is conciliatory. An accommodation
can be reached to allow you and it to occupy the same space. Not so the
southerly, the Arthur Scargill of winds. It was picketing in force on day two,
so I only stayed until lunchtime, before retreating to My Life in Cricket
Scorecards Towers in balmy Khandallah, where the wind won’t risk the wrath of
the Residents’ Association. My Blean correspondent will tell you how indomitable
I once was in the face of the elements at early season cricket; but no more.
But I saw Jesse Ryder reach his century, which is what I had
hoped for. He was not at his best; his timing was erratic as well it might be after
the break he has had. Ryder at 80 percent is still better than almost anything
else around. Andy McKay thought it a wheeze to bounce him with two back on the
onside boundary. The second four of the over passed the finer man only four
metres from his post and he stood not a shred of a chance of getting to it.
He fell for 117 and left the field to a warm reception,
gracefully acknowledged. I would have Jesse
Ryder back in international cricket as soon as he wants to be.
The pitch’s early life was misleading advertising. It
flattened out and the match subsided into dull drawdom. Let us hope for more spice
later in the season.
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