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With all the talk of Twenty20 leagues and 70-ball centuries, England's run chase on Friday was something of a throwback to an earlier era of thinner bats and smaller biceps.
Runs were scored with fine etchings rather than broad brush strokes, and the slowly unfolding drama kept the Old Trafford crowd in rapt attention. They would trade that for a three-hour display of machismo any day, but, as no Test match is scheduled here until at least 2012 they have no choice.
It is a shame. Old Trafford's chameleon pitch guarantees intriguing Test cricket. England's first favourable move was to employ the heavy roller before play. It is a common misconception that this hastens the break-up of pitches. In fact the reverse happened. It deadened Daniel Vettori's impact, neutering his spin and it gave the England batsmen valuable breathing space, which they utilised expertly. There were subtle differences in the way the second-wicket pair approached the challenge in comparison to their hesitant first-innings effort.
Boundary
Michael Vaughan and Andrew Strauss waited for the ball to arrive, but, keeping their legs out of the way, were still positive in their responses, manoeuvring the ball into gaps conveniently left by the New Zealanders.
There is a modern obsession with placing men on the boundary at deep point and deep square leg from ball one, and this time it was the Kiwis who fell into a defensive mindset.
Runs were collected square of the wicket with deft placement. Neither batsman tried to hit the ball too hard, preferring to caress or guide it into space, yet there was a definite sense of urgency about the batting, which had been missing in the first innings.
Vettori managed only one maiden in the first 10 overs' play, from which 36 runs were taken. England's run rate nudged above three an over for the first time in the match. They had momentum, which, until Kevin Pietersen's needless run-out with 46 wanted, never abated.
Century
Strauss had talked recently of changing to a lighter bat and he used it in this match to sculpt his runs with a silky touch. Instead of straining for pugnacious dominance he kept his flashing blade sheathed, trusting his knack of accumulating runs with nurdles and neat deflections. He was as calm at the crease as he has ever been. Having Vaughan's ability at the other end to break the tension with a nonchalantly stroked boundary must be a considerable asset, but the fact that Strauss recorded a century without once trying to bludgeon the ball is a significant step forward. This was a masterly century. Old Trafford as a Test venue tests the mental fibre of the sanest men. Andrew Strauss passed that test with an A plus.
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