Kiwis post highest score in recent tests

New Zealand batsman Jacob Oram, left, cuts a ball away as South African wicketkeeper Mark Boucher looks on during the third day of the second test match, at Eden Park in Auckland, yesterday. New Zealand is 584-8 at stumps giving them a lead of 288 runs over South Africa. PHOTO: AFP

Chris Cairns drove New Zealand past a number of batting milestones yesterday as it reached 584-8 and built a 288-run first-innings lead on the third day of the second cricket test against South Africa.

New Zealand posted its highest score in tests against South Africa for the second match in succession as Cairns made 158, Scott Styris 170, Jacob Oram 90 and Craig McMillan 82.

The New Zealand total surpassed the record mark of 509 established in the drawn first test at Hamilton, which stood as a national best for barely seven days. It was New Zealand's fourth-best in all tests.

Styris' improved upon Saturday after he had been 118 not out overnight, was the highest by a New Zealander against South Africa and the third-highest by a Kiwi on Eden Park.

The all-rounder, who had come to the wicket when New Zealand was 12-2 and seen them to safety at 201-3 by the end of the second day, set in motion events which Cairns continued.

Cairns his fifth test century, his highest score in all first-class cricket, and shared a partnership of 225 with Oram for the second wicket which was a record for New Zealand against all nations. He hit 18 fours and seven sixes or 114 or his 158 runs from boundaries.

He set the tone for a day of unprecedentedly rapid scoring, one in which New Zealand scored 383 runs, including 187 between tea and stumps.

Cairns the feat, rare in modern cricket, of scoring a 100 runs in a session as he went from 53 at tea to 158 before falling four overs from the close of play.

He followed McMillan past 3,000 runs in test cricket and, after claiming his 199th test wicket during South Africa's first innings of 296, stands ready to become one of a handful of players who have 3,000 runs and 200 wickets in test play.

That record belongs to the game's elite all-rounders, among them Kapil Dev of India, England's Ian Botham and New Zealander Sir Richard Hadlee.

"In the context of the game, setting us up for a victory, it could be very satisfying but I always gauge it by the result of the match," Cairns said.

``It's a very good batting surface, I have to acknowledge that.''

Styris, through partnerships of 125 with Mark Richardson on Friday and 148 with McMillan Saturday, established the record-breaking trend.

He reached 150 with 23 fours and two sixes early Saturday and immediately exceeded Matthew Sinclair's record score by a New Zealander against South Africa.

When he was out before lunch, was caught by Shaun Pollock at slip off Nicky Boje, from the spinner's first ball of the third day, he had batted 312 minutes and hit 24 fours and two sixes.

"I'm pleased with the knock but it would have been good to go on to 200," Styris said. "It was a very good day for us: 380 runs for five wickets, how often do you see that?"

Cairns his first 30 runs from only 18 balls, his first 40 from 24 and, after a short period of caution against the spinners, reached his half century from 41 deliveries.

In a short but belligerent spell around that mark, he helped New Zealand take 44 from five overs from Pollock and 26 from four overs from Jacques Kallis.

New Zealand had its first-innings lead early in the second session and Cairns set about making it substantial. By tea he had taken the score to 397 -- a lead of 101 -- but it was in the last session that his innings achieved its full glory.

When Cairns reached 153, his total was the highest by a New Zealander batting at No. 7 in a test. His innings ended when he mistimed a drive down the ground and was caught by Kallis from the bowling of Graeme Smith in the 140th over.

West indies versus england

Steve Harmison continued his sensational fast bowling by taking five for 48 as England doused an early West Indies fire to dominate a rain-hindered first day of their second test on Friday.

The home team, given a century opening stand by Chris Gayle (62) and Devon Smith (35), struggled to close at 189 for eight at the Queen's Park Oval.

Harmison through the top order with 3-1 off eight balls _ including hometown hero Brian Lara for a duck _ then returned to take two more wickets in one over.

Last Sunday, he collected 7-12 in England's opening test victory in Jamaica.

"I just felt good. I went through a period just after lunch where I felt I bowled better than Sunday," Harmison said. "Everything hit the right lengths and the wickets just came like that."

There was a wicket apiece for Simon Jones and Matthew Hoggard.

Gayle Smith gave the West Indies an early boost after captain Lara won the toss in bright sunshine.

The powerful Gayle smacked nine fours and a six in racing to his 13th half century off 58 balls.

The diminutive Smith, a centurymaker in the opening test, was less frantic but equally quick to punish anything loose.

Harmison the whole tempo of the match when he changed ends and returned for a second spell just before lunch.

From 100 without loss, the home team limped to lunch at 110 for three after Harmison removed both openers and Lara in the space of 15 minutes.

Gayle 12 fours and a six off 81 deliveries before he was the first casualty, edging a tentative push to wicketkeeper Chris Read. Smith and Lara both followed in Harmison's next over.

Smith plumb leg before after hitting seven fours off 71 balls.

Lara, greeted by a huge roar from his home fans, lasted just four balls as he went for a second straight duck. Harmison's bouncer was too good for the West Indies skipper, who fended off glove and helmet to gully.

"It was a good one," Harmison said of his delivery to get Lara.

"He's obviously a world-class player and when you get a world-class player, obviously you feel a whole lot better," the Durham player added. "That gave me a kick for the rest of the innings."

Persistent which caused two lengthy interruptions, arrived during lunch but could not dampen the visiting bowlers.

Immediately resumption, Jones struck at 113-4 as Shivnarine Chanderpaul wafted outside off stump and to Read.

An tea was taken at 127-4 after more showers. But again, England was quick to regain its advantage on the restart.

Ramnaresh Sarwan (21) and Dwayne Smith (16) added 29 for the fifth wicket but Harmison broke their resistance as he removed Smith for his fifth wicket.

Smith him over midwicket for a six, but perished next ball trying to repeat the stroke, lobbing a catch to midwicket.

Hoggard added Tino Best to another outside edge to the wicketkeeper, and the West Indies were in danger of falling for under 200.

But veteran wicketkeeper Ridley Jacobs helped boost the tail with an unbeaten 29 off 53 balls.

He added 17 for the eighth wicket with Adam Sanford (1) before a run out robbed him of his fellow Antiguan.

Another valuable runs were put on with Pedro Collins before bad light brought a truncated day's play to an end.

Collins gave useful support in being 6 not out.

Among those in the crowd was Rolling Stones singer Mick Jagger, who watched from a private skybox, said Steve Martel, a member of the West Indies Cricket Board. The British rocker has visited Trinidad several times for Carnival celebrations and is known to be a cricket fan.