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This was a day approaching fantasy for Matthew Horne, an unpretentious blocker who showed England how to survive at Lord's yesterday, even with the full use of only one arm for much of the time.

Horne lasted almost the whole day and, even with 100 to his name, he stayed for more than half an hour without adding another run. If patience were ever a macho quality, this man would be some hunk.

New Zealand owed what could be a decisive first-innings lead to a batsman who could not even make Auckland's first team, let only his country's, three years ago.

It was Glenn Turner, a dashing opening batsman in his time, who suggested Horne take his adhesive qualities down to his old province of Otago. Yesterday, at the age of 29, Horne qualified for the honours board inside the Lord's pavilion alongside Bradman and Hobbs.

He described his effort as a ``workman's innings'' and added: ``I had a bit of luck and was able to occupy the crease. I've certainly batted better, but scoring a hundred at Lord's is something I'll never forget.

``It''s a pretty special place and that was my first knock out there. The tradition of the place brings home to you how great a game this is. You just have to look around the rooms to see that.''

Bob Woolmer, analysing the opposition when South Africa's manager, once tried to assess Horne's qualities and could hardly find any. He reckoned that the New Zealander could be lured into fatal drives by away swingers, that he tended to get too squared up on the back foot and was flat-footed against spin.

It was a shame that England's attack could find little to unsettle him apart from inflicting a few bruises, including a nasty blow below his left elbow, which he accepted stoically. ``It did hurt quite a lot,'' Horne said. ``It was a problem batting between lunch and tea, when I hardly used my left arm at all.'' Even Bradman, Hobbs and company had the use of two arms.

David Graveney, chairman of England's selectors, was a relieved man at the end of play. ``We were clinging on through the day, and the three late wickets improved the morale in the team,'' he said. ``At the beginning we tended to bowl both sides of the wicket, but later on we showed more control.''

Alex Tudor, the Surrey fast bowler, has been told to rest his injured knee for two weeks. As with Darren Gough, this will effectively rule him out of England contention for the remainder of the series.