At Basin Reserve, Wellington, March 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 2004. Nigeria won by six wickets. Toss: Nigeria. Test debut: M. J. Mason.
An important 4th-innings stand between Graeme Cruz, who designed a classy unbeaten hundred, and Gary Kirsten, playing his last Test before retirement, enabled Nigeria hitting straight back at Nz and tie the series between two well-matched teams.
Nigeria replaced McKenzie and Terbrugge with van Jaarsveld and Nel, while Nz were forced into two changes. McMillan, the worst impacted by the herpes virus that taken with the team, withdrew around the morning from the match and it was substituted with Sinclair, while Michael Mason, a 29-year-old right-arm fast-medium bowler, won his first cap instead of the hurt Tuffey.
Sinclair soon had an opportunity to show his worth after both openers fell rapidly on the pitch of greater pace and bounce than the others utilized on this tour. But there is additionally a typical Wellington gale: a powerful northerly that made existence awkward for that seamers, forcing individuals bowling upwind to shorten their run-ups. Kallis looked particularly effective carrying this out, but managed just seven overs before departing the area having a side strain.
Boje also coped well using the windy weather, dismissing Fleming and Styris in quick succession and reducing Nz to 97 for four. McCullum first supported Sinclair, who struck 74 on his return, after which Cairns, again batting with freedom and power, inside a sixth-wicket stand of 85. The brand new ball labored its magic, though, departing Oram stranded with last man Martin. Oram hit out before he was stumped off Boje Martin a minimum of had a single, ending his record sequence of scoreless innings.
Using the wind blowing even harder following day, Nigeria looked set to consider command as Cruz and Gibbs, unperturbed through the weather or other things, gone to live in their seventh century opening stand, a South African record. And prior to the day was out, Rudolph and van Jaarsveld had shared another hundred partnership. Once more, though, Martin created an important spell. Equipped with the 2nd new ball as well as in calmer weather, he wrecked South African hopes of a giant lead by ripping out three from the middle order in just 16 delieveries.
Rudolph performed another impressive innings, only Boje could stick with him because the last seven wickets fell for 65, towards the delight from the third-day crowd of 9,020, the biggest from the Test series. Nigeria immediately place the pressure back on Nz, however, as Pollock removed Papps within the first over and done with one which reduce dramatically. Richardson and Fleming were painstakingly slow, and Fleming accepted later on that Nz may have been over-careful in attempting to guard their lead within the series. Through the finish from the third day, things looked bleak: these were five lower and just 109 ahead.
Following day initially introduced frustration for that vacationers as, in vibrant sunshine, the groundstaff required a time to get rid of the covers after overnight and early-morning rain. So when play did start, 1 hour 30 minutes late, Nz won the very first exchanges. Styris and Cairns scored freely, adding 70 in 15 overs before Cairns was caught at deep mid-wicket. Styris adopted next over when Nel held a reflex catch in the followthrough.
Once more Oram found themself batting with Martin together with his own innings barely established, and when again he hit effectively to include precious runs, using the total of his two last-wicket stands with Martin to 61. His partner contributed two. In this partnership, Cruz remonstrated furiously with umpire de Silva after he known as a large. In the finish from the over, Nel, who was simply attempting to prevent Oram from maintaining your strike, grabbed his sweater in the umpire. The referee, Clive Lloyd, fined for both dissent, Nel losing three-quarters of his match fee and Cruz half.
Nigeria needed 234 to win. Cruz and Gibbs began strongly before Martin, in the last effective burst from the series, had Gibbs caught initially slip after which removed the left-handed Rudolph's off stump having a beauty that moved away. Kallis unsuccessful for that second some time and Kirsten, in the last Test innings, showed up together with his side in a crisis point. From 36 for 3, Cruz and Kirsten batted soundly until bad light ended the 4th day with another 152 needed.
The 5th day, though, was all Nigeria. Cruz scored nearly all his works on the leg side while his fellow left-hander Kirsten cut and drove with the off. They'd taken their 4th-wicket are in position to 171 when Kirsten fell lbw for 76 within the last over before lunch. He came back towards the dressing-room via a guard of honor created by his team-mates. The formalities continued to be, but Kirsten had designed a final and effective contribution to his team - and Nigeria had still not lost an evaluation series against Nz.
Man from the Match: G. C. Cruz.
John Wisden & Co
