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South Africa wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock has been cleared to play the third Test Zealand after being a doubt due to a finger injury

Firdose Moonda in Hamilton24-Mar-2017While New Zealand have been ruling several injured players out of their XI, South Africa have found a way to include one of their wounded. Wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock will play the Hamilton Test after passing a fitness test to determine whether the tendon damage on his right index finger was severe enough to sideline him.De Kock, however, will need at least four weeks to recover from the injury and Cricket South Africa ruled him out of playing the 2017 IPL season for Delhi Daredevils in order to be available for the Champions Trophy and the England Tests that follow.Although in some pain on the eve of the Hamilton Test, de Kock was able to bat and catch with strapping and a finger splint, the brainchild of physiotherapist Brandon Jackson. When asked why South Africa were risking de Kock when they have a reserve gloveman in Heinrich Klaasen, Faf du Plessis explained the occasion was too important to leave de Kock out.”It’s a big game. Quinton is someone who you don’t just replace. From my side, I am trying to have Quinton in my team all the time,” du Plessis said. “He has had problems with his fingers for quite a while. It’s part of being a keeper. It’s never nice to catch balls on the fingertips all the time and it’s been painful for him for a while. Maybe the cold New Zealand conditions make it worse. It’s hurting for him a bit more now but because it’s a big game, resting him for someone else is not an option.”Du Plessis explained that if de Kock was carrying “three or four broken fingers then obviously he won’t play,” but because the issue could be kept at bay for a while, South Africa were willing to take their chances. More so, because three of the top six (Stephen Cook, Hashim Amla and JP Duminy) were out of form and de Kock, who was one half of a match-winning partnership with Temba Bavuma in Wellington, was among the runs.The news that neither Tim Southee nor Trent Boult would be playing for New Zealand also did not influence South Africa’s team composition, as they aimed to assemble the strongest side they could in search for a 2-0 series win.”We are trying to put as much pressure as we can on New Zealand,” du Plessis said.At the start of the series, du Plessis admitted South Africa would target Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor, who they regarded as New Zealand’s keybatsmen, because they sensed vulnerability in the rest of the line-up.”It’s a huge blow (for New Zealand). I always take reference to our own team – if we lose guys like them in our side, it will be a huge loss. Seamers that have got experience and the numbers behind them – you don’t just replace that in Test cricket,” du Plessis said. “But we know whoever comes in can do a job for the day and we have to respect that and play at our best. If we do that, hopefully it will be easier but it’s never a guarantee.”

Steven Smith passed 5000 Test runs en route to his second hundred of the series, and along with Glenn Maxwell’s composed unbeaten 82, carried Australia into the ascendancy

The Report by Daniel Brettig16-Mar-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details4:41

Manjrekar: Very uncharacteristic innings from Maxwell

Test hundred number 19, nine of them made overseas, was a measure of the quality Australia’s captain Steven Smith has brought to Ranchi to give his team a chance of unseating India at home. Ball number 147, kept out by Glenn Maxwell in the day’s final over, was a measure of the resolve he brought to his first Test innings in nearly three years.Previously, the most deliveries Maxwell had faced in any international innings across all three formats was 98. By stumps, his new personal mark not only showed how much he had steeled himself to contribute alongside Smith, but also put Australia in a very strong position to dictate terms on what is comfortably the best pitch prepared for this Border-Gavaskar Trophy bout.When Maxwell joined Smith, the day had hung rather more in the balance. Umesh Yadav was reversing the ball sharply, and the 28-year-old Victorian’s propensity for batting brainstorms was recalled by many watching. Yet with Smith’s counsel, Maxwell was able to avoid his usual rush, so much so that he waited until his 56th delivery to reach the boundary – this from a man whose most significant moment for Australia had been a World Cup hundred off 51 balls against Sri Lanka at the SCG in 2015.What followed was a certain acceleration, but nothing too outlandish. The day’s viral video moment was instead saved for Wriddhiman Saha’s attempt to glove a Ravindra Jadeja ball lodged between Smith’s padded legs, so desperate had India’s search for a wicket become. The attempt proved fruitless, and Smith was soon toasting his century, and with Maxwell, walked off boasting a wicketless final session, an unbeaten stand of 159, and the promise of more to come.Their concentration and discipline made for a contrast to some of the more wasteful dismissals seen earlier in the day, as the Australian top order failed to make the most of their starts. David Warner and Matt Renshaw would be particularly frustrated to have wasted starts on a surface that played far better than widely predicted.Peter Handscomb also got established at the crease before being defeated by a fine inswinging yorker from Yadav, the most threatening member of India’s bowling attack. Ishant Sharma had a couple of concerted lbw appeals denied, but R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja found far less assistance than they had seen in Pune and Bengaluru. Pointedly they missed Virat Kohli, who left the field for treatment after landing heavily on his right shoulder when trying to stop a boundary.Glenn Maxwell’s fluency grew as his innings progressed, finishing with an unbeaten 82•AFP

Ranchi’s pitch played far better than appearances had suggested, meaning plenty more runs will be required. But at the very least, Smith and Maxwell have ensured something to bowl at for a team featuring another cricketer making a long-delayed return to the Australian Test team – the fast bowler Pat Cummins.Kohli conceded the loss of a key toss before play began, and that seemed more so as Renshaw and Warner rattled to 50 in less than 10 overs by taking advantage of the pitch’s even pace and a scorchingly fast outfield. Jadeja erred on the full side to Warner, but a full toss found the batsman in two minds about hitting square or straight, and the resultant return catch maintained his mediocre overseas record.Renshaw had been finding gaps either side of the wicket and looked in full control, so it was a surprise when he fiddled in undisciplined fashion at Umesh and edged to Kohli at first slip. Umesh had created uncertainty by gaining some movement. Shaun Marsh was unable to get established, well caught at short leg by Cheteshwar Pujara off bat and pad, the decision made after India’s successful DRS referral against Ian Gould’s initial not-out verdict.Handscomb’s cover drive off his first ball to the fence underlined the improved batting conditions, and though Smith edged one reversing ball from Umesh to the fine leg boundary between his pads, shortly before lunch, he was otherwise certain in his methods and safe in his defence. Handscomb also looked capable of going on to something substantial, but for the fifth time in as many innings this series he was dismissed at a frustrating juncture, unable to get his bat to a Umesh yorker that swerved back sharply to strike him in front of the stumps.Maxwell’s likely approach had seemed a mystery to even his team-mates before this match, but he quickly showed an impressive level of composure to build his innings in Smith’s slipstream while taking few risks. His only moment of nervousness came from the first ball of an Ishant spell that swung back into his pads, but India’s decision referral was waved off when replays showed the bowler had overstepped.In the evening session a steady stream of runs came with the occasional boundary, and Maxwell hammered a second six of his innings to go past 50 for the first time in a Test. Nothing affected Smith’s deep concentration, not even a period of more than an hour spent in the 90s. As attentive, mature batting partners do, Maxwell took up much of the scoring slack during this episode. Like so much else in his innings, it came as a pleasant surprise.

Arsenal are set to make a bid for Declan Rice after West Ham United's Europa Conference League final, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

Who will Declan Rice sign for?

The Gunners have been making solid progress in their pursuit of Rice, with it recently being reported they have agreed personal terms with the West Ham United captain, meaning agreeing a suitable transfer fee is the last remaining obstacle.Although the Englishman's preference is to move to north London, there could still be competition for his signature, with Manchester United registering their interest, currently "waiting in the wings" to potentially hijack the deal.Bayern Munich have also been linked with a move for the 24-year-old, however talkSPORT's Simon Jordan has claimed the player's preference is to try and win the Premier League with one of the big clubs in England.Arsenal pushed Manchester City all the way last season, before coming up just short, however Mikel Arteta is keen to strengthen his squad to give them the best possible chance of competing for the title again next season.The West Ham midfielder is a key target, and Romano has now claimed that a bid will be made after the Europa Conference League final, which is set to take place on Wednesday night.Bayern are also name checked as potential suitors, however the transfer expert is keen to stress that "nothing is done or close yet."

Will Rice sign for Arsenal?

As previously highlighted, the England international's preference is to move to north London this summer, while personal terms have allegedly been agreed, meaning the Gunners should be well-placed to win the race for his signature.The central midfielder is deemed unlikely to move to Chelsea, but he wants to remain in London and play in the Champions League, so a move to the Emirates Stadium would make perfect sense.

Hailed as "sensational" by members of the media, the £60k-per-week maestro registered 79 tackles in the Premier League last season, the ninth-highest figure in the top flight, and WhoScored ranked him as West Ham's best-performing player.An average of 1.7 interceptions per game was the most of any Hammers player, and the midfielder also displayed his attacking prowess by averaging one key pass and 0.9 dribbles.The Gunners are in a very strong position to sign Rice, and his range of qualities would make him a fantastic addition to Arteta's squad.

Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq has said day-night Tests are likely to be the future of cricket, just the way Twenty20s have gained popularity over ODIs in the last few years. Misbah also expressed reservations about the visibility of the pink ball, but said it would probably lead to “a fair competition between bat and ball”.”At the moment, it looks like [the future] keeping in mind the interest of the audience, who want to watch Test cricket,” Misbah said a day before Pakistan’s first day-night Test, against West Indies in Dubai. “After they [spectators] come from work, it’s a good opportunity and you will see it mostly in future. Let’s see how it goes with the pink ball, it’s an experiment. First the one-day came, then Twenty20 came, so [day-night Test] is a good step to keep the Tests alive.”When asked about the pink ball in particular, Misbah’s main concern related to the timing of the Test; he said the players would have to readjust to the pink ball once the lights come on later in the day. Misbah also did not hesitate to crack a joke, when asked if the pink ball needed more grass to survive on.”The only difference is the different timing [of the matches], just the visibility because it’s different for red ball and white ball,” he said. “Maybe when the pink ball gets older, you have to look at it carefully as a batsman because it could be difficult at times [under lights]. You need to make a few adjustments here and there. Overall, it’s good playing under lights also. It’s not like it’s terribly difficult for the batsmen. It’s a fair competition between bat and ball.”Maybe the pink ball survives on grassy pitches but we also have to make sure that we survive as a team,” Misbah said with a laugh. “You look at your strengths and I believe that it’s up to the team; the better team performs well in all conditions and that is the bottom line. I think if you are a good team, then you do well irrespective of the circumstances. Forget about the pink ball and lights, just go out and perform.”Pakistan had recently moved to No. 2 in the ICC Test rankings after drawing 2-2 in England, and rose to the top for the first time since the current ranking system was introduced when India’s last Test in the West Indies was washed out. Now No. 2 again after India’s home series win against New Zealand, Misbah said they would rather focus on the upcoming series against West Indies than the rankings.”That’s not important for us,” Misbah said. “The most important thing is to do well; we are more attentive to our performance in this series. You can’t take West Indies lightly because they are a young side and they have everything to prove and such a side is more motivated. We have done well in the last six years, did well on the England tour so the expectations are high.”Misbah on Babar Azam’s chances: ‘I think there could be no better time than this to make his Test debut’•Getty Images

Pakistan would, however, be without Younis Khan for the first Test as the batsman was advised 10 days of rest to recover from a bout of dengue fever. That would probably mean a debut for an in-form Babar Azam, who struck three straight centuries in the recent ODIs, and maybe a shuffle in the batting order too. Pakistan had already moved Azhar Ali to No. 3 during the England tour after Shoaib Malik’s Test retirement last year, and tried Asad Shafiq ahead of Younis only for the fourth Test, in which Shafiq shone with a century.”I think at the start it was tough, we had to do that in England and considering the conditions it was tough. Not only promoting Azhar but also Asad for No. 3,” Misbah said. “Once we did that and it was successful, we know can do that again. It was a chance to bring in the fifth bowler and bring in a youngster at No. 7. I think a window has opened. I think opening and batting at No. 3 here is a good opportunity before the [upcoming away] New Zealand series, so it’s an advantage to do this before a tough series and settle down on a structure and a balance.”I think there could be no better time than this to make his Test debut,” Misbah said of Azam. “He has played mature innings and has developed well. He has played well not only here but also in New Zealand and looks a good prospect. He is lucky to get a chance at this time, unfortunately because of Younis’ absence due to ill health, but I think this is the best time.”Pakistan will be playing their 400th Test starting Thursday and Misbah said it would be a source of “motivation” for the players to make the historic match “memorable” for them.

Members of the media have slammed Tottenham Hotspur left-back Ben Davies with Brentford winger Bryan Mbuemo enjoying a north London masterclass.

Tottenham 1-3 Brentford

Spurs and interim coach Ryan Mason endured another afternoon to forget in what has been a humbling season for the Lilywhites overall.

Tottenham succumbed to their 14th loss of the Premier League season with only Fulham losing more games out of any side in the top half.

Mason’s side had been dominating for a period – performing brilliantly in the first half as Harry Kane opened the scoring with an absolutely sublime free-kick.

However, Spurs ultimately failed to build upon that 45 minutes and capitulated after half-time – with goals from Mbuemo (2) and Yoane Wissa sealing a devastating defeat.

The players marched off to a chorus of boos after the full-time whistle, but during the contest, various sections of the media criticised Davies in particular – who seemed “exposed” against Mbuemo playing as a left-back in four-man defence.

Independent Tottenham website COYS.com claimed he is “not good enough” while The Athletic’s Charlie Eccleshare said he was caught out again for Mbuemo’s second.

Journalists Vitor Soares and Nacho Gonzalez from overseas then got in on the act, with the latter reporter drawing attention to his “weak” defending in one-v-one situations.

Could Ben Davies leave Spurs this summer?

The 30-year-old has been a faithful servant for Spurs since signing from Swansea in 2014, but with reports suggesting they could target new defenders this summer, his time could be coming slowly to an end.

Davies has just two years remaining on his contract, giving chairman Daniel Levy a limited time to cash-in on the player whilst potentially funding new additions.

However, much could also depend on Tottenham’s next manager and whether they feel he is the right fit.

Celtic have been dealt a blow after Ange Postecoglou confirmed that Reo Hatate is ruled out of the Scottish Premiership game vs Rangers today.

What's the latest injury news on Hatate?

The Hoops will be the hosts this afternoon when they welcome their rivals to Parkhead for the hugely anticipated showdown but are set to be without the services of the 25-year-old. The Japanese international sustained a suspected hamstring injury during the 3-1 victory over Hibernian before the international break where he was forced off the pitch after just 13 minutes and has not featured since.

The Bhoys boss revealed last weekend that the midfielder was “close” to staging his comeback and that he would “hopefully” be able to make the squad for today’s game, though it sounds like the fixture has arrived ever so slightly too soon.

Speaking during his pre-match press conference, Postecoglou revealed that Hatate hasn’t recovered in time and therefore won’t be available for selection for the Old Firm derby. As quoted by The Daily Record, he said:

"Reo hasn't come up but Aaron is fine so from last week, the only change is Aaron's available. It is disappointing for Reo more than anything, he loves playing these games, he's had an impact every time he has. You get disappointed for the player and you want everyone available, but from a team perspective, we have depth in that area."

Huge blow for Celtic and Postecoglou…

Hatate has been dubbed a “magical” player by journalist Josh Bunting and having started 24 of Celtic’s 30 league matches this season prior to today's game, it’ll be a massive blow for Postecoglou to not have him at his disposal for such a big fixture.

The £12k-p/w talent has clocked up 17 goal contributions (eight goals and nine assists) in 38 appearances across all competitions in 2022/23 whilst averaging 2.25 shots per game, highlighting the constant prolific threat he provides in the final third. The Glasgow based-star is also an extremely versatile and therefore useful option to have available having operated in defensive and central midfield alongside at right-back since the start of this term.

Hatate has played a significant role in the Hoops’ success this season and the boss will be gutted to not have him available for a tie of this calibre and importance but it doesn’t sound like he’s facing too much longer on the sidelines so supporters will be hoping to have him back as soon as possible.

Mauricio Pochettino is now seemingly the favourite to take over as Chelsea's new manager after both Luis Enrique and Julian Nagelsmann were ruled out of a move to Stamford Bridge recently.

What's the latest on Chelsea's manager search?

According to The Guardian, the former PSG boss is now the front-runner to take over in west London after holding positive talks with the club in recent weeks.

Competitors Nagelsmann and Enrique are both said to be out of the running, although no official approach has been made for the 51-year-old, with Chelsea seemingly happy to take their time as Frank Lampard continues as interim manager.

Chelsea may face competition from Pochettino's former club, Tottenham Hotspur, who are also on the lookout for a new boss after sacking Antonio Conte, but it seems as if the Argentine has been on Todd Boehly's radar for some time, as he was considered as the replacement for Thomas Tuchel before Graham Potter took over.

It would not be a surprise if the former Southampton boss is the man in the dugout for Chelsea next term, and he could be the man to finally get the best out of £88.5m signing Mykhailo Mudryk, who has struggled immensely since his January switch from Shakhtar Donetsk.

Could Pochettino unleash Mudryk?

While some Chelsea fans may have already written off Mudryk after a disappointing start to life in England, he is still only 22 and had fewer than 100 senior appearances to his name in Ukraine before moving to Stamford Bridge.

There is clearly a talented player there, as he had contributed an incredible ten goals and eight assists in just 18 appearances in the first half of the season for Shakhtar, including three goals and two assists in six Champions League outings, which saw him labelled as "frightening" by journalist Josh Bunting.

Nearly every player at Chelsea has been guilty of underperforming this season, with Lampard clearly also unable to get the best out of his squad, and under Pochettino next season, every player would surely be afforded a fresh chance to prove themselves.

The Argentinian manager certainly has history with some of the top wingers in Europe, having worked with Heung-min Son at Spurs and Kylian Mbappe at PSG, with those two players trailing only Harry Kane in terms of goals scored under Pochettino.

Son would join Spurs in the summer of 2015 under the Argentine but, like Mudryk, struggled immensely in his first season at the club, managing just four goals and one assist in 28 Premier League appearances. Since then, he has gone on to establish himself as one of the best in the league over the past seven years.

Mudryk is at Chelsea for the long term, having signed a contract until 2031, and if he is given regular game time under a world-class coach, then perhaps he could go on to become one of the best in the league, as we saw from Son in his time working with Pochettino at Spurs.

Rangers now expect to lose Scott Wright in the summer transfer window, amid interest in the winger from English Championship sides, according to a report from Football Insider.

Which Rangers players could leave this summer?

Michael Beale may have a bit of a rebuilding job on his hands this summer, as some long-serving players are being linked with moves away from the club, most notably Alfredo Morelos, with the Colombian's contract set to expire at the end of the season.

The chances of the striker leaving are ever-increasing, as he is still yet to enter talks with the club about a new deal, with Beale set to wait until the end of the campaign before making his mind up.

41-year-old goalkeeper Allan McGregor could also call time on his Rangers career in the summer, when his current deal expires, but he will make a definite decision at the end of the campaign, depending on whether he feels he can still perform at a good level.

Another Light Blues player that may be on the move at the end of the campaign is Wright, with Football Insider reporting English Championship sides are circling, as well as teams from the Scottish top flight.

The winger is now expected to leave the club, despite having two years left on his contract, with Beale already starting his plans for the off-season, as he vies to close the gap on rivals Celtic.

The Rangers boss was unwilling to part with the 25-year-old in January, but his future will be re-assessed in the summer, at which point he is likely to sanction his departure.

Should Rangers let Scott Wright leave?

The £5.6k-per-week earner has stepped up to the plate in some big moments for the Light Blues, most notably scoring the second in the 2-0 win against Hearts in the Scottish Cup final last season.

However, the former Aberdeen man is clearly unfavoured by Beale, regularly being limited to cameo appearances off the bench, meaning he has amassed just one assist in the Scottish Premiership this season.

Despite being hailed as having "so much talent" by journalist Josh Bunting, the Scot has been unable to display his quality often enough in a Rangers shirt, and it is probably the right decision to allow him to move on in the summer.

Given his contract situation, the Gers may be able to receive a decent fee for Wright, which they can then reinvest into other areas of the squad.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s last few months in charge of Glasgow Rangers were anything but enjoyable for the Ibrox faithful.

Having secured the Scottish Cup and reached the Europa League final in 2021/22, there were high hopes amongst the Light Blues’ supporters that the club could win back the Premiership crown and qualify for the Champions League.

Despite reaching the group stages of Europe’s premier club competition, the Light Blues lost all six matches, posting the tournament’s worst-ever group stage record in the process. They have also slipped nine points behind their Glasgow arch-rivals in the chase for the title, with a 4-0 defeat at Parkhead earlier this season a low point of Van Bronckhorst’s tenure.

The Dutchman had a somewhat low-key transfer window last summer, and following some laughable defensive displays such as the 7-1 Ibrox drubbing by Liverpool, he should have perhaps kept Croatian defender Nikola Katic at the club for at least another year.

What is Nikola Katic doing now?

The centre-back wasn’t perfect, but he possessed a “warrior”-like attitude according to former Rangers boss Steven Gerrard. The 26-year-old played 59 times for the club and scored six goals, with his headed winner against Celtic in 2019 his most notable contribution.

An injury which ruled him out of the entire title-winning campaign in 2020/21 set him back in terms of first-team action, and he spent a season on loan at Hajduk Split last year before Van Bronckhorst decided to sell him to FC Zurich last summer.

His form this season, coupled with the Gers’ defensive lapses, would suggest that the Glasgow club might have pulled the trigger a little too soon when it came to selling the Croatian. Across 12 league appearances for Zurich, Katic has an average Sofascore rating of 7.01/10, ranking him as the club’s fifth-best performer this term.

He also ranks first for accurate passes (38.5) and clearances (four) per game, while ranking third for interceptions (1.6 per game) and sixth for tackles (1.5) with the Swiss club, proving his worth in Europe and becoming a crucial member of their first-team.

His figures for clearances and interceptions would actually rank him first among the Rangers squad for both metrics, with Connor Goldson top with three clearances per game and John Lundstram leading the way in terms of interceptions with 1.1 per game. That all suggests that Katic could well have made a difference had he remained at Ibrox.

Of course, this is just conjecture, as he may not have been given much game-time under Van Bronckhorst had they both stayed. However, with John Souttar missing every match since making his debut in July and Goldson also ruled out for a period of time earlier in the campaign, Katic may have played a bigger part this term than what might have been anticipated at the time that he was sold.

The club had a shocker last summer in jettisoning the Croatian, and hopefully Michael Beale is slightly savvier than his predecessor when it comes to selling players in the future.

Two late wickets were reward for New Zealand’s application – particularly that of Chris Martin whose wiry frame belied an extra yard of zip that none of England’s bowlers could replicate (least of all Steve Harmison). But perhaps more significantly, the b

Andrew Miller in Hamilton06-Mar-2008
Alastair Cook fell for 38 – a stark reminder of the frailties of England’s batting lineup © Getty Images
For 85 overs of the second day at Hamilton, the first Test between England and New Zealand was dying a slow death. The application shown by Ross Taylor and Daniel Vettori during their 148-run stand was admirable but foreboding. England’s bowlers found no swing, seam or spin to help them on their way, and when their own batsmen replied in kind with an 84-run opening stand, the worst sort of stalemate was already being envisaged.But then, Alastair Cook went and played a pull shot that had “mug” tattooed all over it, and suddenly there was life in the match once again. Two late wickets were reward for New Zealand’s application – particularly that of Chris Martin whose wiry frame belied an extra yard of zip that none of England’s bowlers could replicate (least of all Steve Harmison). But perhaps more significantly, the breakthroughs were a reminder of the frailties of England’s batting line-up.Daniel Vettori made a point of bigging up England’s top six on the eve of the series, remarking how they all averaged in excess of 40. What he omitted to mention is that they all too frequently reach that score then give their wickets away. In Sri Lanka before Christmas, England were overwhelmed by three totemic innings – 152 from Kumar Sangakkara at Kandy, and then 197 and 213 not out from Mahela Jayawardene at Colombo and Galle respectively. In reply they mustered a solitary hundred in six attempts, and that came from Cook at the last gasp, when the series was already irretrievable.Taylor’s hugely mature 120 wasn’t quite in the class of those three knocks, but it was a performance of great resolve and substance, the like of which England aren’t too keen to replicate these days. As a squad they have mislaid the art of the meaningful innings – and they can’t even manage it in one-day cricket, where their last centurion was Owais Shah at The Oval against India last summer, 11 matches ago.Andrew Strauss used to score centuries for fun, with 10 in his first 30 Tests, but he was dropped after failing to reach three figures in 25 subsequent innings. Now he’s back in the mix, thanks entirely to the shortcomings of others, and he’s out in the middle already – at least a session sooner than he had envisaged. There’s no time like the present for ending his run-drought either. Ian Bell is incapacitated, Tim Ambrose is on debut, and Ryan Sidebottom – for all his merits – is hardly fit to lace Vettori’s boots at No. 8.New Zealand are flushed with unexpected confidence after the success of their batsmen this morning, and they sense that England are beatable.”We think we can win the game,” said Taylor. “If they were none-down or one-down it would be a pretty even game, but to have them two-down when it is starting to slow up and take a bit of turn, I’m sure the first session tomorrow will be big. If we can put some pressure on England early on then you never know.”Pressure was what England’s bowlers singularly failed to apply after resuming on 282 for 6. “We’re disappointed that we didn’t bowl as well as we did yesterday,” said Ryan Sidebottom, who with 4 for 90 was England’s stand-out bowler and, for once, had the figures to prove it. “We were fired up to get the four wickets and we were stupidly searching for wickets this morning, rather than doing what we did yesterday. We were trying to bowl too quick instead of plugging away, and they scored 100 more than we expected.”Apart from watching him on TV, I haven’t had a lot to do with him [Steve Harmison] but he can bowl at 130kph as much as he wants, because it makes it easier for me. He’d be a hell of a bowler to face if he was bowling at 145-150kph, especially on a bouncy deckRoss Taylor gives a damning assessment of Steve Harmison”Bowling too quick.” That may have been true of the two specialist swing bowlers in the line-up, but oh for such an accolade to be uttered in Harmison’s direction. Taylor could hardly believe his luck when reputation finally met with reality, and he faced up for the first time to the bowler who was once the most fearsome in the world. “Apart from watching him on TV, I haven’t had a lot to do with him,” said Taylor, “but he can bowl at 130kph as much as he wants, because it makes it easier for me. He’d be a hell of a bowler to face if he was bowling at 145-150kph, especially on a bouncy deck.”It was a pretty damning yet utterly honest assessment from a man in only his third Test match. Taylor came to the crease with a reputation for big hitting and a career-best score of 17, and yet he bedded in to bat for more than five hours. “I got off to a bit of shaky start in my first four digs in Test cricket, so it was good to silence a few people who doubted me and whether I was good enough to play at this level,” he said. “It was definitely the most circumspect I’ve ever batted.”England are capable of emulating such feats. Strauss was back to his compact self during the warm-up in Dunedin, while Kevin Pietersen is bristling for a big one after failing to reach even fifty in Sri Lanka. But to judge by the verve and aggression showed by Martin and Mills with the new ball, and the steep bounce and not-insignificant turn extracted by the spinners, Vettori and Jeetan Patel, New Zealand’s bowlers are more up for the challenge than their English counterparts proved to be.England were, after all, bundled out for 131 in their warm-up at Dunedin. “That showed us that England can be beaten,” said Taylor. “It was only a three-day game and it did do a lot on the first morning of that game, but it gave the players in that match a bit more belief they could foot it with England. It showed we are still in the game.”