Wind, wickets and Tower returns

Delayed start, soggy outfield, very quick lunch and we’re into it; day one of the second Test is underway. And a pretty engrossing day it was too!

We knew the outfield was going to be very wet as it was splashing a lot underfoot just walking on it when we went to train the day before. It was a lot better when we arrived this morning but still very wet and a bit splashy in places; hence the delayed start. The problem with the outfield, apart from being a bit slippery, was that it was quite wet through part of the run-up from the Northern end. Running through the soggy bits isn’t the issue; it’s the water that gets transferred from the bottom of your boots to where you are landing on the pitch that causes the problems. Eventually the pitch gets wet and becomes slippery. This can be quite scary - hitting the crease at a decent running speed and trying to keep a stable front foot while delivering the ball can become difficult. This did cause a couple of problems today, but it’s just part of the game and sometimes you have just got to get on with it!

Dan won the toss - I’ve written that a lot if you’ve followed these blogs. Tuffey, playing in his first Test in five years opened the bowling with Tommy. It is great to see Tower (Tuffey) back. He’s been working so hard and finally gets his chance back in the Fern.

The wind was blowing from the south - that’s the cold wind here at the Basin and it’s also not the common wind direction. This meant I would bowl from a slightly unfamiliar RA Vance Stand end and it’s fair to say it took me three overs to settle. The next three were a lot better and cost just three runs. Not having a decent bowl leading up to this match hasn’t helped me in finding my rhythm quickly, as well.

Dan turned me around to bowl with the wind for my second spell. I had been bowling at around 125-129 kmh in my first spell and in this spell I reached 144 kmh a few times and hung around in the 140’s quite a bit. I felt great with the wind behind me and bowling from the end that I have made mine for Wellington and New Zealand. I picked up the first wicket after getting Butt to hit one straight up to Tower at mid on. The openers had done a great job; they left the ball very well on a tough surface and played the right lines but Butt's wicket opened the gates up. I bowled a really good over to Umar next up and made it really uncomfortable for the youngster in just his second Test.

Dan then picked up two wickets in one over, Farhat and Yousuf, and we were well on top. I kept making Umar’s life difficult and was really feeling great at this time: quick and aggressive and I really wanted a couple more wickets. Dan congratulated me on my spell at the end of an over, which meant I wouldn’t bowl the next one when I really wanted to keep bowling. I made an unhappy grunt in protest when he reminded me there were only two minutes until tea. Arh, that'll be why I'm done then - sorry Dan, I got that wrong. Smiles all around.

Those wickets didn’t come for me, but we finished the day with Pakistan on 161 for 6 and we are in a good position to knock them over tomorrow and have a decent bat. We would love to set up a big score and help out poor Wyvern Hunt (91 years old, not 93 as I had written), who presented us with our caps last night, and make this Test a little less close.

Time for a bath, catch you tomorrow night …