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New Zealand Vs. England - Third Test Match Report
By Site Staff April 3 2002
Match report and scorecard from the third and final test played between England and New Zealand at Auckland, which ended in defeat for the tourists, resulting in a drawn series.

New Zealand Vs. England - Third Test

Match Result: New Zealand won by 78 runs.
Man-of-the-Match: Daryl Tuffey (New Zealand)

Series drawn 1-1

New Zealand won the final match of the series at Auckland to earn themselves a series draw, although England will claim both that they outplayed New Zealand for the majority of the series, and that had a few decisions gone their way (or not gone at all, in the case of poor Andy Flintoff), then they would have wrapped up a good win to cap an impressive winter.

New Zealand brought back Chris Harris after an international exile of two years, and gave a debut to seamer Andre Adams. After winning the toss, Stephen Fleming elected to bat.

New Zealand First Innings

His decision looked laughable as New Zealand quickly slumped to 19-4, Caddick taking three and Hoggard one. The wicket of Nathan Astle stood out as it came via an outstanding catch from Graham Thorpe in the slips, diving sharply to his left to scoop the ball just before it bounced.

Enter Chris Harris (right). He and all-rounder Craig McMillan then took the score to 86 before McMillan became Caddick's fourth victim of the day, trapped LBW for 41. Harris and Parore then added 86 between them, before the fiery Flintoff got in the act, trapping Harris leg before for 71. 172-6.

Vettori was next to go, on a green pitch offering lots to the seamers, LBW to Matthew Hoggard. Parore followed soon after for 45. 198-8.

Just four runs were added before numbers nine and ten were dismissed, wickets to Flintoff and Hoggard respectively. New Zealand all out for 202.

A round up of the English bowling: Caddick 25-5-4-70, Hoggard 28.2-10-3-66, Flintoff 15-6-3-49.

England First Innings

England did not begin well, with Marcus Trescothick dismissed to the second ball of the first over for a duck. Mark Butcher followed in the same over for the same score, to leave England 2-0.

Vaughan and Hussain mustered eleven between them before Hussain was bagged for two, and England left the field at the close of play at 12-3.

Vaughan and Thorpe came out in the morning with confidence and began to knock the ball around well, adding 49 before Andre Adams took his first test wicket, Vaughan caught behind for 27.

Mark Ramprakash did not last long, going for nine to man-of-the-match Daryl Tuffey just when England could have done with a big score from him. 75-5.

Flintoff and Thorpe began to rebuild, but what happened next, as they say, beggars belief. The big Lancastrian had made his way patiently to 29, when Andre Adams beat the outside edge by a good four inches, and made a noise more of joy at going past the edge of the bat than of asking the umpire for a decision, and yet, up went the finger. Adams looked embarrassed, as did a small collection of New Zealand fielders who had half appealed, but Flintoff looked less than amused, and rightfully so. 118-6.

Thorpe went just four runs later, for 42, and England were on course for a disaster of Flintoff proportions, at 122-7.

Giles followed Thorpe with just two more on the board, LBW to Tuffey for a duck, but Andy Caddick and a patient, defiant, and ever improving Jamie Foster somehow took England to 159, before Caddick went for 20. Just one run later, Hoggard was dismissed for a duck (the fourth of the innings), and England were all out for 160, with Foster finishing 16 not out.

For New Zealand, Tuffey claimed a career-best 6-54, and Adams 3-44.

New Zealand Second Innings

Adam Parore (left) switched to opener second time around for the hosts following his solid performance in the first innings, and began well with Richardson, scoring 36 before being dismissed by Hoggard, via the hands of Thorpe. 53-1.

Stephen Fleming's poor run continued as he was bowled by Hoggard for just one, leaving his team at 55-2. Chris Harris then came to the crease to join Richardson, and pair staged a 36 run partnership to take the score to 91, when Richardson was caught by Usman Afzaal off the bowling of Mark Butcher for 25.

However, Nathan Astle joined Chris Harris and the pair were seemingly in no mood for hanging around. They took the score to 166 before Butcher stuck to trap Harris LBW for a solid looking 43. 166-4.

Astle and Craig McMillan continued the scoring, adding 51 before Flintoff struck to dismiss Astle for a quickly made 65. Andre Adams was next to go with the score on 232, bowled by Flintoff for 11. 232-6.

Vettori was then dismissed in the same over by Flintoff for zero, leaving New Zealand at 235-7.

Lou Vincent, for some reason batting at number eight, came in and made a brief ten before getting out to Hoggard, and the ninth wicket fell at 269 when Hoggard bowled Tuffey. The hosts then declared overnight, leaving England 312 to win in a day's play on a difficult pitch.

For England, Hoggard claimed 4-68, and Flintoff 3-108.

England Second Innings - Target 312

England began poorly when the out-of-form Trescothick was bowled for 14 with the score on 23. Vaughan and Butcher then put up a promising partnership, but unfortunately Vaughan went just at the wrong time for 36 with the score on 73.

Butcher and Hussain took England to 122 before Butcher went caught off the part-time bowling of Astle for 35. 122-3.

Thorpe did not last long, caught behind off Tuffey for three, and the score did not move on before Flintoff had been bowled for a duck. Despite sharing in a partnership of thirty with skipper Hussain, Mark Ramprakash perished for only 2, and that left England on 155-6.

Fozzie and Giles then added 49, but when Foster was caught behind for 23 the match was all but over. Hussain followed soon after for a hard fought, captain's innings of 82, and England braced themselves for defeat.

Giles and Caddick prolonged the agony with a partnership of 23, before Caddick went for four, and Hoggard then went for two, giving New Zealand victory by 78 runs. Ashley Giles finished 21 not out.

For New Zealand, Tuffey claimed 3-62, Drum 3-52 and Adams 3-61.

For a match scorecard, click here.

Match result: New Zealand won by 78 runs.
Man-of-the-Match: Daryl Tuffey (New Zealand)

So then, a series defeat in India, a drawn series in New Zealand, a one-day series win over the Indians and a one-day defeat by New Zealand. On paper, not a great winter for our boys, but anyone who saw the final two tests in India would know that England improved greatly and deserved a drawn series. The Indian one-day series was an all round great performance, fighting back to take the series, so good that Fred Flintoff paraded round with his shirt off!

Overall, an encouraging performance from England's young guns, although there is work to be done if we are to compete seriously in the forthcoming World Cup, and in the next Ashes series.

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