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Lower-order rally helps Kiwis dodge follow on

An 84-run seventh-wicket partnership between debutant Brendon McCullum and Jacob Oram helped New Zealand avoid the follow on the third day of the first test against South Africa yesterday.

At close of play New Zealand were 361 for seven in reply to South Africa's first innings score of 459 with Oram, on 49, and Daniel Vettori, who had made 21, at the crease.

After a slow-scoring morning, New Zealand lost three wickets after lunch and went to tea at 234 for six, still 26 runs shy of the follow on mark.

But then Oram and McCullum took the match to South Africa's bowlers with some aggressive batting and inventive strokeplay on what was a difficult pitch, especially for left-hander Oram.

McCullum dominated the partnership and became the second debutant of the match to reach a half-century after opener Michael Papps.

McCullum reached his half-century by deliberately edging Jacques Kallis to the third-man boundary for four. He hit another glorious boundary through the covers but in the next over the bowler got his revenge.

Wicketkeeper Mark Boucher took a fine catch when McCullum got an inside edge to a fully-pitched Kallis delivery. His 57 included 10 boundaries and took 78 balls.

Oram was given a tough time by left-hand spinner Paul Adams, who was pitching the ball in the rough outside his off-stump at the northern end of the ground -- an area that had been the subject of some controversy.

Oram survived and McCullum's aggression against Adams forced his removal from the attack.

The morning session was a dire affair and New Zealand scored only 42 runs for the loss of Papps, one of four leg before victims in the home side's innings.

Papps only added nine runs to his overnight 50, but Scott Styris then added to his 38 to reach 74 and there was a also a useful knock from Chris Cairns (28).

Match referee Clive Lloyd had ordered some repair work performed on the pitch by the groundsman overnight to be undone, and there were certainly problems for the batsmen.

"If they put the ball in the right area, it wasn't easy to score on," said McCullum.

"It was the sort of wicket you never really felt comfortable on. I think it helped a lot having played South Africa in the one-dayers. It gave us a head start, I suppose."

The spot where the controversial repair work had been done caused particular problems to left-handers Oram and Vettori.

But McCullum thought that Vettori would have his revenge with the ball in South Africa's second innings.

"Daniel will be taking plenty of note of that patch," McCullum said. "He'll be looking forward to bowling on that tomorrow, and I'll be looking forward to keeping for him."

Ervine, Streak to the rescue

Sean Ervine and captain Heath Streak helped Zimbabwe recover from 79 for five to post a respectable 242 for eight in the fourth one-day international against Bangladesh yesterday.

Ervine (50) and Streak (45) shared a 76-run partnership for the sixth wicket to drag their side back into the game before No. 9 Andy Blignaut (28 not out from 17 balls) gave them a late boost.

Zimbabwe made a bad start after winning the toss and electing to bat in match they needed to win to avoid defeat in the series.

They lost their first four wickets before the end of the 10th over against a Bangladesh side who took a 1-0 series lead in the previous match. The first two games in the five-match series were washed out.

Mark Vermeulen (4), Stuart Carlisle (10) and Grant Flower (3) all fell to catches in the slip cordon or by the wicketkeeper as they edged some accurate, full length bowling from Bangladesh's medium pace attack.
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