Harris leads New Zealand fightback

All-rounder Chris Harris, recalled to the national side after an absence of 2-1/2 years, led a New Zealand fightback on the opening day of the third Test against England on Saturday.

At the end of day's play New Zealand, who were reduced to 19 for four in the first hour, were 151 for five with Harris on 55 and Adam Parore, playing in his final Test, on 24.

Harris took 40 minutes to get off the mark and often looked in trouble on a pitch offering plenty of assistance to the quick bowlers.

But he battled on to bring up his 50 from 117 balls with nine fours after an hour's break for rain.

In the morning session Andy Caddick fulfilled his ambition of taking his 200th Test wicket in the land of his birth.

Caddick ripped through the early New Zealand batting to reduce the home side to 86 for five at lunch.

New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming won the toss for the third consecutive time but, after inserting England in the first two Tests, opted to bat this time on a greenish tinged drop-in pitch at Eden Park.

Caddick took the wickets of Mark Richardson (5), Lou Vincent (10) and Nathan Astle (2) in a blistering opening spell then returned to dismiss Craig McMillan (41) to finish the morning with four for 28 from 10.4 overs.

Richardson was the first to go, bowled by a full-pitched ball which seamed inside the batsman's bat and pad and rattled the top of the stumps.

Matthew Hoggard then rocked Fleming with a swinging ball that rapped him on the pad but umpire Doug Cowie rejected the vociferous appeal.

Off the next ball Fleming tried to turn a shortish delivery fine down the leg side but succeeded only in nicking the ball on to his thigh pad and giving Mark Ramprakash a simple catch at short forward-square.

Caddick struck twice in his fifth over, bowling Lou Vincent for 10 when the batsman offered a loose shot to a well pitched-up ball. Vincent had not been convincing in his short stay, hitting a four through the slip cordon and another off an inadvertent glance to leg.

From the fifth ball Caddick induced an edge from Nathan Astle and Graham Thorpe took a stunning catch at third slip, one-handed and centimetres from the turf.

McMillan played a belligerent innings, taking three boundaries off an Andy Flintoff over as he posted a 50 partnership with the patient Harris from 86 balls before falling lbw to Caddick just before lunch.

Caddick is the ninth England bowler to take 200 test wickets.

Mail Cricket Editor