CRICKET/ THIRD TEST: Not without reason is Steve Harmison rated the world's leading fast bowler, the sort of fellow who can rouse himself and transform base metal into gold even at the last gasp on an unpromising day.
Yesterday, one of general drudgery in the field for England, he came to the rescue in the evening sunshine, armed with the second new ball and powering in with the pavilion to his back. His fifth delivery was chopped on by Nathan Astle, who has had a poor series but whose threat England know only too well.
Harmison's next delivery, fast and jagging back, forced Craig McMillan, broken finger yet to heal properly, back on his stumps and lbw when such a dismissal appeared to have been outlawed by pernickety (or myopic) umpires. It was his 49th wicket since the end of last season.
"Steve Harmison was world class. Even on such a slow pitch he was extracting bounce," said the Kiwi captain, Stephen Fleming, admiringly.
Scott Styris, who would win any George C Scott lookalike contest, avoided the hat-trick by a whisker at the start of Harmison's next over and will resume this morning on 68 as New Zealand, taking advantage of an old-fashioned Trent Bridge featherbed, reached 295 for four by the close, mercifully reached barely five minutes after the scheduled time.
Unless there is a breakthrough first thing today, though, England's hopes of a whitewash will recede.
Earlier, Fleming had stroked his way elegantly to his seventh Test century, adding 163 with Mark Richardson (73) in the process, New Zealand's third highest partnership for the first wicket against England. When five, Richardson had been missed off Harmison by Andrew Strauss at short leg.
As a batsman, Fleming is a dog who has been given a bad name, someone, it is peddled consistently, who in turning Test match half-centuries into three figures has a conversion rate equivalent to David Icke's.
Well, statistics can be made to tell many stories, but Fleming has long since knocked any such notions into a cocked hat. Yesterday was the 42nd time in his career that he has gone past 50, and he went on to reach 117 before falling to Graham Thorpe's razor-sharp catch in that wide libero position that attempts to fill the gap between slip and gully.
Of his last nine half-centuries, five now have been converted into hundreds, and another, last week in Leeds when he was made to grind, finished just three runs short. One more was unbeaten.
Driving precisely through the off side and strong off his legs, he hit 14 fours and two sixes, the first clumped over midwicket off Ashley Giles and the second, off Martin Saggers, a precise and powerful clip off his legs backward of square that took him to his century after almost four hours.
"We are very determined to restore pride in this match, for a variety of reasons, but most especially because it is Chris Cairns' last match. It is pretty emotional for those guys who have played a lot with him," Fleming said.
"I didn't rate this hundred as highly as my 97 at Headingley. There might only be 20 runs difference but they don't compare in the amount of hard work required. We need to get 500 on this wicket."
Fleming finally fell to Andy Flintoff when he flicked way outside off stump and the catch knocked Thorpe off his feet.
For England it was a generally disappointing day in which the seamers, sated by the Headingley trampoline, gained little in the way of movement. Harmison, with two for 59 from 23 overs, was a cut above the rest with genuine pace and aggression.
Guardian Service
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