Cricket: THERE ARE no half measures with Jimmy Anderson. On a bad day he goes round the park like few international bowlers of his pedigree can ever have done.
But on a good one, there are few more deadly swing bowlers in the game. Yesterday the force was with him as he sent New Zealand spiralling towards what even at this stage, barring inclement weather, looks like a rapid defeat in the final Test.
Anderson took all six wickets to fall before bad light ended play shortly after five o'clock - two with the new ball and the remainder with the inevitable replacement, finishing with six for 42 as New Zealand stumbled to 96 for six.
Resistance came almost wholly from Jamie How, who made 40 before hanging out his bat abjectly to become Anderson's fifth victim, with some support from Ross Taylor (21). The remainder were simply not up to the task, putting the heroic first-day batting of Kevin Pietersen into context.
Earlier Anderson, in a more unfamiliar role as batsman, had managed the best part of two hours at the crease in the company of Stuart Broad, helping to add an unexpected but welcome 76 for the eighth wicket before he was caught behind, to his own disgust, for 28. Broad went on to make 64 before he was bowled by Chris Martin, a further enhancement of his CV although it is time he started to take some wickets.
England's 364 represented riches and a fine recovery from 86 for five after the middle order had tripped over its own feet once again. New Zealand need 69 more runs to avoid the follow-on which, given an overnight rest for their bowlers, England would almost certainly enforce.
Key to Anderson's performance yesterday was the length he bowled. In swinging conditions the ball has to be allowed air time and sent down on a fuller length than normal, running the risk of sumptuous half-volleys to be driven. Line is crucial too and with the new ball he was spot on, firing down at middle-and-leg before whipping it away.
Aaron Redmond naively tried to play away on the angle to midwicket and lost his off-stump, while Brendon McCullum, promoted to number three now, tried something similar but even squarer only to find the same stump once more performing gymnastics.
Anderson's opening burst brought no further success as How and Taylor, a belligerent batsman intent on taking the game back to the bowler, halted the slide with a stand of 48. After tea, though, Anderson marked began a second eight-over spell that brought him a further four wickets for 17.
It began when Taylor, driving at a wide one, sliced it straight to Happyhands Pietersen standing deep at gully. Immediately the left-handed Daniel Flynn got a delivery that snaked back, jack-knifing him and leaving Darrell Hair with a simple lbw decision.
When Oram fished outside his off-stump and edged to the keeper, Anderson had achieved his best figures in Tests. Guardian Service
