All To Do For Nass & Fossy

Enter James Foster, who's batting has been superb this winter when given the chance and he with the tail managed to take England up to some kind of score, though still a dissapointing 160 All Out.

The Essex star was unbeaten on 16 (33 balls, 2x4) and added 35 valuable runs for the 9th wicket with Andy Caddick (20).

Despite Fossy's effort, England still gave the Kiwi's a 42 run lead on 1st Inns and they made that count in their 2nd Inns, amassing 269-9 off just 63.1 overs. Nathan Astle again in the runs, this time smashing 65 off only 51 balls, 2 huge sixes included in that. Craig McMillan was unbeaten on an equally as good 50 (51 balls) with three maximums.

Fossy conceeded 5 byes this time around, but took a good catch off Flintoff to get rid of Daniel Vettori second ball for a duck.

Nass had other things on his mind, being the fact that England had to bowl and field in the last session for over three hours. The fact that so much play had been lost due to the previous day's rain and also that Eden Park has floodlights, meant play continued to around 7pm local time and caused difficult conditions for England in the field.

Several players couldn't pick the ball up, including sub fielder Usman Afzaal, who had a chance where the ball went sky-high and got lost in the dark. Don't forget, a red ball was being used and this is almost impossible to pick out in the dark, even with floodlights on.

It certainly made for great cricket and entertainment though, but Nass was rightly a little upset and questioned the umpires over the decision, the rule over this not clear. Nass commented afterwards: "It's something that's going to have to be looked at." He apparently told the umpires that the boys were struggling to see it and it was an unfair advantage.

The umpiring in the whole series has, to be honest, been shambolic. So many decisions that were clearly not out have been given out (Flintoff was the latest victim with this earlier in the 4th day, having missed the ball by a country mile, but still given out, even though the bowler Andre Adams, to his credit, didn't even look like appealing) and so many that have been clearly out have not been given.

Not only that, but remember back to the first Test at Jade Stadium. The umpires took the players off the field on one of the days because the shadows from the stand were covering the pitch, but then in this match, they carry on with the floodlights on! None of it makes sense! Consistency is all we ask for.

People might look back to last winter, when we played in Pakistan and they complained about fielding in darkness. To be fair though, that was a completely different situation as Pakistan time-wasted, which was why the match ended in the dark. With the England situation, it wasn't their fault the fourth day finished in the dark.

So, after all the mayhem, New Zealand lead after day 4 by 311 runs. They are likely to declare on day 5 to get a result and one things for sure, this enthralling series still has plenty to offer on the final day of it.

Let's just hope Nass and the boys turn it around make it good for the English, after what was probably the worse day of the whole series so far for England.

Date: 3/4/02