Kirsten's double rides again

Mark Richardson, according to the official Test programme, "has reinvented himself from stodgy tailender into an opening batsman of genuine Test class". After today, England followers might be inclined to insert another "stodgy" into the last part, but few New Zealanders will have any complaints about Richardson's watchful knock.

Richardson, who started life as a left-arm spinner before developing the dreaded yips, was a solid presence at the crease almost all day - 378 minutes, before copping a dodgy lbw decision - evoking memories of another no-frills New Zealand left-hander, John Wright.

Like Wright - and another John, England's Edrich - Richardson possesses the handy ability to blot out the previous ball, whether he middled it, edged it (he was dropped by Ashley Giles off a screamer in the gully when he had made 56), or was nearly run out (after a mix-up in his century stand with Nathan Astle).

But of recent players, it's the South African Gary Kirsten that Richardson most resembles. Early Kirsten, that is, in the days when he concentrated on the square cut and push-drive, and before he developed a more powerful allround game. Richardson knows his limitations, and sticks to them: he collected 11 boundaries before there was one that sticks in the memory, the rasping cover-drive off Matthew Hoggard that brought up New Zealand's 200. One valid criticism would be an apparent inability to rotate the strike - his eventual 93 included 17 fours, and 225 dot-balls.

Last year, England were put to the Lord's sword by another left-hander, Graeme Smith. This time the torture was less violent, more of the drip-drip Chinese-water variety ... but Richardson had a job to do, and he did it well. In particular he shepherded his side through the awkward spells - the first half-hour after the early 10.30 start, when the ball might have been expected to zip around (it zipped rather faster off the bat, in fact, as New Zealand got away to something of a flyer), and the possible panic as three wickets tumbled for 13 runs either side of tea.

Marcus Trescothick, England's 75th Test captain, was a reassuring presence on the field. Camped at first slip, with collar turned up and sleeves rolled down, he resembled Australia's Greg Chappell after a particularly hearty meal. His bowlers, though, were stuck in Caribbean mode, and tended to pitch a little too short - and Chappell, surely, would have prescribed an early sandshoe-crusher or two for the elongated frame of Jacob Oram. And he might have given his spinner a trundle slightly earlier than the 72nd over.

England's debutant, Andrew Strauss, took the catch that came his way, and generally bounced around on his home ground as if he was enjoying it. The other relative newcomer, Geraint Jones, was less certain, spilling a couple of regulation takes for byes - but he did cling on to the ones that counted, safely pouching the catches to dispose of Nathan Astle and Craig McMillan, whose dismissal - c Geraint b Simon - was a clear case of failing to keep up with the Joneses.

It's early days for Trescothick, and for England. But Mark Richardson's vigil gave New Zealand the upper hand on the first day.