da poker： Will Luke presents the plays of the day from the second day at Trent Bridge
da bet7： Will Luke at Trent Bridge06-Jun-2008
Brendon McCullum puts down Stuart Broad at second slip © Getty Images
The thinking bowler’s ball of the day
James Anderson’s first wicket, bowling Aaron Redmond with anoutswinging yorker, was a good nut to begin with. His second, though,demonstrated there lurks some grey matter underneath his attentivelypreened hairstyle. In bounced Brendon McCullum, swishing wildly atanother outswinger. Anderson changed his tactic later in the over,going wider of the crease and angling it into McCullum’s pads. Another beautiful outswinger greeted McCullum, who played with concrete feet, and his off stumpjoined Redmond’s in being pinned back and England had their second. Smart cricket from a bowler not often credited as much of a thinker.Wicketkeeper’s gaffe of the day
With England resuming on 273 for 7, under humid and overcastconditions, there was not a great deal of hope that the tail would wagand extend England beyond 300. And yet, Stuart Broad and Anderson managed just that, with a frustrating eighth-wicketpartnership of 76. Broad, who stroked a wonderfully composed maidenfifty, ought to have been taken at second slip on 21 byMcCullum, whose injured back has prevented him taking thewicketkeeper’s gloves. Even those who make this game look ridiculouslyeasy have klutzy moments, McCullum clanging a sitter, and England -Broad in particular – dominated the session, and then the day.Classy shot of the morning
Extra-tall cricketers are not often described as languid at thecrease. Their gangly frames and lumbering approach to anything thatresembles running can make them resemble a giraffe escaping a lion on hotcoals, but Broad – who towers at 6ft 8in – is entirely different.Plenty of ability and technique has been in evidence inhis short career, but it was his class that shone most brightly today.A silky stroke through the off-side off Iain O’Brien oozed class;another off the same bowler, slightly squarer of the wicket, was timedeven more sweetly. These were shots of an assured batsman, possiblyEngland’s future No. 6, and he took O’Brien for another four – the mostlanguid of all – guiding him through extra cover. After flickingDaniel Vettori through midwicket to bring up his maiden fifty, it tookan excellent off-cutter from the luckless Chris Martin to dismiss him,and the crowd’s ovation suggested the public have found themselves afuture hero.Shades of The Oval of the day
In the 18th over of New Zealand’s first innings, Steve Bucknor tookthe ball midway through Broad’s over and had a close look atit. Ball changes are usually prompted by turf-kicking bowlers who have0 for 60 from 12 overs against their name, or a wise captain. In fact,Vettori and Michael Vaughan have both pressured the umpiresinto changing the non-swinging 2008 Dukes ball, replacing it as oftenas they can with last year’s far bendier batch. Today, though, it wasBucknor who instigated the swap, handing it to his colleague DarrellHair. In a hark back to the dark days at The Oval two years ago, everycamera around the ground zoomed inquisitively and instantly intoHair’s hands, which lifted the ball up to inspect it. No penalty runsthis time, though. It was nothing less than an innocent andout-of-shape ball, and the cameras slunk back to their customarypositions.Explosive Chinese whisper of the day
During the first hour of the day, as Broad and Anderson defied NewZealand’s bowlers, an explosion around the back of the William Clarkestand could be heard. An ambulance and fire engine were summoned, andit later emerged that a fire extinguisher had fallen off its hookand exploded. Unfortunately for one of the staff standing nearby thestoreroom, the door was blown off its hinges, apparently snapping her wrist inthe process while others were treated for shock. It was laterconfirmed by Nottinghamshire that the fire extinguisher was in fact apaint canister, and the broken wrist was nothing more than a “minorinjury”.Apathetic moment of the day
Stewards and groundstaff are always an interesting bunch to talk to atthe cricket. And for a job which demands you watch cricket for fivevery long days, in between delays for rain and antiquated rests forcups of tea, some knowledge of the game would surely be a prerequisite.Not so for two such security guards who were engrossed in aconversation about its rules. “When do the other guys get to bat?”asked the first. “Tomorrow I think. They swap over or something.” Whencricket’s wonderfully bonkers rules were explained to them, theirdisinterest grew even further, wondering quite how they would survivethree more dull days of “people running about aimlessly”.
