Cricket: New Zealand uncover new model of efficiency: Young revitalises the tourists

Northants . . . . . . . . . . . .188-5

New Zealand . . . . . . . . . . .192-2

New Zealand win by 8 wickets

IT IS difficult to remember when a touring party last attracted quite so much sympathy as this meagre crop of New Zealanders, intent as they appear on lurching from embarrassment to ignominy. Yesterday, for once, they rose above the inept and even hinted at efficiency.

Geoff Howarth, the New Zealand manager, may have been indulging in some kidology when, following Saturday's numbing collapse against what was effectively a Middlesex second XI, he asserted that the tourists' batting ailments extended from one to 11. There was enough evidence here, however, to suggest that they are sufficiently adept in the other two disciplines to forestall any native over-confidence in advance of the Texaco Trophy.

Facing a Northamptonshire side deprived of Curtly Ambrose and Kevin Curran, but numbering all five first-choice batsmen, a varied New Zealand attack choked all efforts to raise the scoring rate above the pedestrian until Tony Penberthy led a late sally with an unbeaten 47 off 55 balls.

An inadequate one-day pitch, low, slow and occasionally devious, was unquestionably in the bowlers' favour, but the superlative catching and ground fielding was attributable solely to technique and athleticism. If Bryan Young's airborne effort at slip to see off Alan Fordham took the breath away, the one- handed gem that Stephen Fleming plucked out on the run to dispose of Mal Loye, made it look routine.

Although Danny Morrison's tentative approach indicated that his groin problems have yet to ease fully, his fellow seamers were up to scratch. Dion Nash bustled in briskly, Chris Pringle huffed and puffed and maintained a steady line while Gavin Larsen was his customary miserly self, yielding 24 runs from his 11 overs.

Both spinners were on show, Shane Thompson turning one off- break prodigiously to bowl an incredulous Rob Bailey through the gate, but it was the persistence and enterprise of Matthew Hart that took the eye.

As ever, batting seemed a far simpler occupation while Martin Crowe was at work, seven fours adorning a sumptuous cameo of 31 from 32 balls, whereupon Young (90) and Adam Parore (60) added 136 in 33 overs to decide the spoils with 10.4 overs to spare.