Vaughan and Trescothick show flaws

England 92-2 v New Zealand

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Despite blazing sunshine and blue skies, only 30 overs were possible in the second Test here yesterday after the wash-out of the opening day. England had the better of them after being put into bat, but New Zealand have such an anaemic bowling attack it is difficult to know whether credit is due to the batsmen, or commiseration to the home captain, Stephen Fleming.

There can be little doubt that Fleming did the right thing when he won the toss. Any pitch that has seen as little sun as this one during preparation, and then spent 48 hours sweating under tarpaulins while gales and rain lashed down, should have been conducive to a modicum of seam movement.

In fact, it was but, in the hands of Chris Drum and Ian Butler, New Zealand's fourth- and fifth-choice bowlers (Chris Cairns, Shane Bond and Shayne O'Connor are all injured), it did not exactly talk, at least not in a language that said wickets. England did manage to lose two before the close, though, which was ushered in 15 overs early due to bad light.

Michael Vaughan looked in sensational form during the warm-up match before the first Test, but has yet to convert that into Test match currency worth very much in this series. A tall player, opening here in place of Mark Butcher – who ruled himself fit despite a cracked right thumb and began pretty well despite it – Vaughan likes to get on with things. It is a style of play not always easy against the new ball, which, even in the hands of sprayers and decorators like Ian Butler, tends towards extra bounce and movement.

Whether or not Vaughan was lulled by the fact that neither opening bowler were getting many in the right spot, he snicked an outswinger from Drum into Fleming's hands at first slip. Finding the edge high on the bat, it was a decent enough ball, though a batsman used to opening would probably have played it better.

For the most part of the session, Trescothick was doing just that, though the odd flirty drive over gully suggested the haste of a man about to run out of petrol. Why else would a player who had just slog-swept Daniel Vettori for four pre-meditate the same shot off the next ball and miscue a simple catch to midwicket for 37?

Trescothick is such a clean striker that he does not have to attempt risky shots like the one he got out to. With Fleming forced to resort to spin much earlier than he would have liked, a victory of sorts had already been struck by England's batsmen. One reason may be that, after Christchurch, everyone has been afflicted with Nathan Astle-itis, a condition where batsmen are no longer content to take one boundary an over.

A player who has travelled the tough road in a relatively short space of time, Trescothick has been widely tipped as a successor to Nasser Hussain, once the current captain retires. According to those who know him, he has a reasonable grasp of the nuts and bolts of the game, though does not appear to use them much when he is batting. Why else would he play a shot, which, if barely acceptable when your team is behind the rate in a one-day match, makes no sense in a Test match where you have been put in and are 1-0 up in the series?

This is not the first time he has been guilty of donating his wicket to opponents either. In the second innings at Christchurch, when the pitch had quietened down, he cut a long hop to backward point. In the Test series against India before Christmas, four of his five innings ended softly; one such lapse, on 99, costing him a well-deserved Test century.

Trescothick's riposte to his dismissal here was straight out of the locker-room of sporting excuses. "I do tend to get caught playing my shots and have done my whole career," he said afterwards. "I'm not going to change that positive approach now. It didn't bother me too much getting out the way I did. I'd just hit the previous ball for four and felt the same shot was on again."

If the Somerset left-hander bats by that philosophy he will remain a talented but exasperating player. Talented, because he rarely gets out in the opening salvo with the new ball; frustrating because he seldom converts his starts into a significant score.

Facing the new ball, Test openers are allowed to get ducks, as Michael Atherton proved with a record total of 19 to his name. But, once over the tricky bit of getting the shine off the ball, they are expected to make more than a pretty 30 or 40. Once Trescothick recognises that, and it appears to be taking time to sink in, England will have found themselves a formidable opening batsman.

Wellington Scoreboard

Second day; New Zealand won toss

ENGLAND ­ First Innings

M E Trescothick c Vincent b Vettori 37

88 min, 68 balls, 7 fours

M P Vaughan c Fleming b Drum 7

38 min, 20 balls, 1 four

M A Butcher not out 24

96 min, 60 balls, 2 fours

*N Hussain not out 16

46 min, 39 balls, 1 four

Extras (lb1 nb7) 8

Total (for 2, 135 min, 30 overs) 92

Fall: 1-26 (Vaughan), 2-63 (Trescothick).

To bat: G P Thorpe, M R Ramprakash, A Flintoff, ÝJ S Foster, A F Giles, A R Caddick, M J Hoggard.

Bowling: Butler 6-0-25-0 (nb6) (4-0-17-0, 2-0-8-0); Drum 9-3-24-1 (nb1) (6-2-16-1, 3-1-8-0); Martin 6-1-18-0, Vettori 9-2-24-1 (one spell each).

Progress: First day: no play due to rain. Second day: play due to begin at 10am, but damp run-ups delayed start until 3.30pm. 50: 81 min, 18.2 overs. Bad light stopped play at 5.45pm.

NEW ZEALAND: M H Richardson, M J Horne, L Vincent, *S P Fleming, N J Astle, C D McMillan, ÝA C Parore, D L Vettori, C J Drum, I G Butler, C S Martin.

Umpires: R S Dunne (NZ) and D B Hair (Aus).

TV replay umpire: E A Watkin.

Match referee: J L Hendriks.