Brian Lara’s battle against a form slump brightened an autumn gloom on the first day of the third cricket Test between New Zealand and the West Indies on Saturday.
Only 27.2 overs were bowled on a day which started more than five hours late because of a saturated outfield and ended an hour early because of bad light, but the hour and 49 minutes that intervened belonged to Lara.
He was 28 not out at stumps, helping the West Indies to 95 for one.
Lara, the leading runscorer in Test cricket, had made only seven runs and faced 23 balls in the first two matches.
This was to be Lara’s last Test in New Zealand and in many ways was likely to colour the way he’ll be remembered in this part of the world.
For that reason, and because of the stout determination which has driven his career, Lara set out on Saturday to put the record straight.
He promoted himself to number three, after the West Indies had lost the toss and been sent in to bat, and he came to the crease with his team at 37 for one, in danger of handing the initiative to a New Zealand team already with an unbeatable 2-0 series lead.
Lara last batted at number three for the West Indies in April, 2004 — 19 tests ago — when he scored his world record 400 not out against England in Antigua.
He was at once on familiar ground but out of his comfort zone and he batted with an appropriate mixture of freedom and reserve.
It was not a vintage innings by Lara’s standards, but it was a significant one. He took time to get the pace of a placid pitch and at times, early in his innings, his footwork was exaggerated and his technique unduly watchful.
But he batted through that phase until, in the last 30 minutes of his innings, he seemed at last comfortable at the crease.
His innings contained only three boundaries but they were all well struck — hit with timing and placement through cover, wide of point and down the ground — and he had found his balance and technique.
He played watchfully, leaving the ball frequently outside off stump, but he did so with judgement and purpose.
Lara and the West Indies enjoyed their best session of the series on Saturday, losing only Chris Gayle’s wicket in the 109 minutes between the late start and early finish.
Gayle had made 30, including five boundaries, and had blunted New Zealand’s new ball attack until he fell foul of a well-laid trap.
Several of his fours were hit uppishly, and New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming sensed a vulnerability.
He moved Peter Fulton from third slip to a short cover, had Chris Martin bowl just short of a length again and Gayle immediately drove the ball to the new fieldsman.
Daren Ganga, dug in, giving the bowlers no further encouragement and had reached 31 by stumps. – Sapa-AP