Tour match: Queensland v New Zealanders at Brisbane, 1-4 Nov 2001 CricInfo Live Report

Tour match: Queensland v New Zealanders at Brisbane, 1-4 Nov 2001
John Polack

New Zealanders 1st innings: Lunch - Day 2,
Queensland 1st innings: Tea - Day 2, Stumps - Day 2,
Live Reports from previous days

ASTLE'S TRIUMPH CLOUDED AS BOWLERS BATTLE AGAIN

As metaphors go, they were pretty telling.

In perfect sunshine at the 'Gabba at the start of the second day of this tour match between Queensland and New Zealand, Nathan Astle (223) continued his near-remorseless assault on the home team's bowlers.

Yet, as a chain of storm clouds began to brew at the end of a steamy afternoon, so the murky problem that continues to plague the tourists reared its ugly head again.

Astle remained a tower of strength in the morning session, not only outlasting Adam Parore (30) and Glen Sulzberger (0) at the other end but also rearranging several individual and collective milestones.

He steadily pushed his score into unchartered territory, rendering Martin Crowe's hand of 188 from 1985-86 (previously the highest score by a New Zealander at the 'Gabba) the first major landmark to be overhauled.

Astle's domination of the attack had already extended into a seventh hour by the time that he then moved past his own previous first-class highest of 191 and chalked up 6000 first-class runs in total. Just for good measure, he quickly proceeded to square cut a Michael Kasprowicz (0/118) delivery to the fence to reach his double century from the 333rd delivery of his innings.

But, where Astle's voracious run scoring had given the Kiwis a position of early ascendancy, the tourists' total of 9/444 - reached before a mid-afternoon declaration - soon began to be placed in better context.

Admittedly, there remained little on offer for bowlers in the pitch. But the sternest examination of the New Zealanders' readiness for next week's First Test against Australia was always likely to arrive when their attack swung into action. The Kiwis have so far been unable to take ten wickets in an innings at any stage of the tour and, in coming face-to-face with a talented batting line-up, the early results of this battle were not encouraging either.

Queensland openers Matthew Hayden (56*) and Jimmy Maher (47) were not discernibly bothered by anything offered to them in a 64-run association that spanned either side of the tea break, both defending and attacking with minimal risk.

Maher, in particular, slaughtered loose deliveries. And such commodities seemed to be in ever-increasing supply once the shine started to disappear from the new ball. There was a classic cover drive at Chris Cairns (0/23); a thunderous hook and off drive at Chris Martin (0/35), and several superb straight drives from the bowling of Shayne O'Connor (0/28).

Even across an increasingly damp outfield, many of Hayden's drives also showed few signs of slowing in their passage to the boundary.

When Maher ultimately gifted away his wicket - charging, driving and missing as he attempted to smear a delivery from Sulzberger (1/52) to the boundary for the third time in the spinner's opening over - it resembled something of an act of mercy.

Martin Love (33*) quickly took up the slack upon replacing his teammate at the crease, albeit that his elegant approach was briefly curtailed by a rain break that forced a five minute recess in the action.

Matthew Bell had missed a tough, low chance at point as Maher (on 32) drove uppishly, and a shy at the stumps of the scurrying Love (on 13) flew wide when a minute window of a run out opportunity existed.

Otherwise, there was not a single semblance of alarm for the batsmen.

The Queenslanders still require a further 155 runs to avoid the follow-on when they resume in the morning. But either they would have to bat very poorly, or New Zealand's attack would have to produce a major reversal of form, to make that outcome a reality.

BLACK CAPS LEFT BASKING IN GLOW OF ASTLE DOUBLE TON

Brisbane is still bathing in the warmth emanating from a humid atmosphere, an expanse of blue sky and the subtle rip of a northerly breeze.

And, though Queensland openers Jimmy Maher (24*) and Matthew Hayden (11*) have made fine early progress to leave their team ominously placed at 0/38 at tea on the second day, New Zealand's cricketers are still basking in the glow of a sterling Nathan Astle (223) double century that has led them to a first innings total of 9/444 in this tour match between the teams.

It was 15 minutes after lunch - some 424 minutes in overall batting time after he had walked to his crease with his side at 3/34 yesterday - that Astle's vigil finally came to its end. He would probably be entitled to feeling slightly disappointed at the manner of his dismissal: a tired slog to deep mid wicket from the bowling of off spinner Andrew Symonds (2/87) landing the ball straight in the hands of Matthew Hayden. But it was not before he had rearranged the record books with his own highest first-class score and the best ever by a New Zealander at this venue.

Fortified by Astle's domination of the attack, tailenders Shane O'Connor (11*) and Chris Martin (4*) then prolonged the locals' agony by occupying the crease for another 41 minutes in partnership before their captain mercifully called a halt to the innings.

Now comes the sternest test of the match for the Kiwis, though, as their bowlers - so far unable to take ten wickets in an innings at any stage of the tour - come face-to-face with a talented batting line-up on a placid strip.

The weather itself is also looming as a potential problem, with the stifling temperature and the gradual build-up of clouds on both sides of the ground fuelling the likelihood that storms may hit the 'Gabba late in the afternoon.

ASTLE IN SCORCHING TOUCH AGAIN AS PLAY RESUMES

The mercury has already risen to a scorching level, and the form of New Zealand's Nathan Astle (217*) has remained equally as hot on the second morning of the tourists' match against Queensland at the 'Gabba today. By lunch, Astle's highest-ever first-class score had guided the visitors to a total of 8/421 as they set about giving their beleaguered bowlers a massive bank of runs with which to play later in the match.

By as early as 10:45am, the temperature had apparently already reached 36 degrees in some parts of Brisbane. And, though their bowlers maintained a disciplined line for most of the morning, it seemed that the Queenslanders were accordingly left feeling a little weary in both mind and body.

The most obvious sign of this came when wicketkeeper-batsman Adam Parore (on 15) cut a short ball from Ashley Noffke (1/77) at Matthew Hayden in the gully, only to see the Test opener commit a very rare mistake in the field and spill the chance.

Further frustration followed for Noffke when Parore (at 18) appeared to top edge a delivery through to wicketkeeping counterpart Wade Seccombe as he tried to square drive a ball of full length.

And, though his helmet was dislodged much in the manner of the incident that famously cost Parore his wicket in a one-day international against Australia at Dunedin early last year, not even an almost perfectly directed bouncer from Michael Kasprowicz (0/118) could temper the locals' sense of annoyance.

A change of fortune did not come until five minutes before the lunch break when Parore (30), in aggressively trying to sweep, played all over an off break from Andrew Symonds (1/71). Glen Sulzberger (0) then followed his teammate back to the pavilion only moments later, as he clipped a Mitchell Johnson (2/59) ball from a leg stump line to Clinton Perren at square leg.

Astle, all the while, continued to steal the show.

He steadily pushed his overnight score of 160 into unchartered territory with another brace of fine drives and nudges to both sides of the wicket. Martin Crowe's score of 188 from 1985-86, previously the highest score by a New Zealander at the 'Gabba, was the first landmark to be overhauled and a number of other milestones were soon registered.

Astle's domination of the attack had already extended into a seventh hour by the time that he moved past his own previous first-class highest of 191 and chalked up 6000 first-class runs in total. Just for good measure, he then square cut a Kasprowicz delivery to the fence to reach his double hundred from the 333rd delivery of his innings.

He survived a run out decision, referred to third umpire Jim Torpey, by only a matter of inches with his score at 213. There has also been the occasional play and miss, one miscued drive which looped the ball just over the head of Symonds at point, and another which fortuitously found a safe passage through the air between the bowler and mid off.

Otherwise, it has been another excellent display of batting.