Cricket: Late Charge has Lions Roaring for England ; Second Test New Zealand Require Another 15 Runs to Avoid an Innings Defeat with Five Second Innings Wickets Remaining

Summary

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England turned the Headingley Test right on its head in a marvellous day's play of 103 overs in which an ecstatic crowd saw 378 runs scored and 11 wickets taken. Thanks to a maiden hundred from Geraint Jones and a disciplined 94 from Andrew Flintoff the home side secured an improbable lead of 117 and then rushed out five New Zealand batsmen before the close of play at 7.45pm. Matthew Hoggard and Steve Harmison took two wickets apiece and there was one for Flintoff on a pitch which provided far too much bounce and lift from a length. After Stephen Fleming was bowled, Mark Richardson was caught behind off a brute of a ball from Hoggard, and Brendon McCullum quickly followed thanks to a brilliant one-handed slip catch by Marcus Trescothick. Nightwatchman Daryl Tuffey made it a nap hand when he could only fend another wicked delivery from Harmison to Jones.

The villain of the match has been the pitch which has allowed the quicker bowlers to have class batsmen ducking, diving.

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Cricket: Late Charge has Lions Roaring for England ; Second Test New Zealand Require Another 15 Runs to Avoid an Innings Defeat with Five Second Innings Wickets Remaining

It is not a good cricket surface and, despite the glut of runs in the first innings, it was only ever a matter of time before an attack got its act together in a match which has still only produced 310 overs --the equivalent of three days and...

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