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A test match to remember
A test match ending in a result in the final session of the fifth day is a very rare occasion. There must be some statistics on it, but I believe it must be less than five percent of the overall games on record.

England and New Zealand opened this English summer's International Cricket with a test match to remember. It provided most of the characteristics required to be classed as a classic five-day encounter.

There are a couple of essentials to produce such a game. Two good cricket teams and a good pitch form the combination. What better setting for the players than the home of cricket - Lord's. A cricketing theatre which every cricketer who plays for his country dreams of and relishes the thrilling experience.

A near capacity crowd was present on all five days to witness the proceedings. 28,000 is what the ground can accommodate at present. England has packed audiences at all their venues for the test matches at home. An indication that those who follow the game have an interest in the finest and absorbing battles of the game which can only be witnessed in a grueling test match. It is those who are knowledgeable and have a passion for the sport, that follow five-day cricket.

It's the last days of spring and yet there must be a lot of moisture just below the top surface. For all that the pitch behaved splendidly through out the duration of the game. The spinners did not play much of a role in the game. Both teams played one left armer. Ashley Giles and Daniel Vittori are the best two in that trade in the world today. There is a dearth of left arm slow men, with most delivering with a round arm - a result of one day cricket.

The quicker seamers were the bowlers who could impress and England had a distinct edge in this department. They now have got together a formidable quartet. On conditions that help, Harmison, Hoggard, Jones and Flintoff can trouble the best international batting line-up. The tall, gangly Steve Harmison leads the group. He has sufficient pace, gets movement off the pitch and being very tall delivers from a pretty high point. He picked-up eight "Black Caps" and set the pace.

In the batting department England's experience got them that extra one hundred runs. But the hero was a debutant. At twenty-seven years of age Andrew Strauss is a mature first class cricketer. And as luck did love it he got the opportunity on his home Middlesex CCC turf. It would have been awesome for many but for Strauss it was another knock on an accustomed venue. He made the most of the opportunity scoring 112 and 83 (run out).

Marcus Trescothick, Andrew Flintoff, Graham Thorpe and Nassar Hussein also contributed with the bat. The final day was a dream ending for Hussein who not only scored an unbeaten century but knocked off the winning run. It set the stage for the former captain to call it a day having participated in 96 test matches. England will miss his experience and stubborn batting in the middle order.

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