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 | |  Tuesday, 26 February, 2002, 11:10 GMT Astle gives forewarning  Astle passed 5000 career runs against England By BBC Sport Online's Martin Gough If England have learnt one thing from their 3-2 one-day series defeat in New Zealand it is to beware Nathan Astle. The Black Cap opener has played a major role in each of his side's three victories, culminating in a career-best 122 not out in Dunedin. He began it by carrying his bat for an unbeaten 67, providing a calm head at the non-striker's end as his colleagues succumbed to Darren Gough's four-wicket heroics.
Tuesday's innings saw him step-up an extra level, though, as he crashed five sixes, smacking Andrew Flintoff over midwicket to finish the job. Having returned from a broken finger to become New Zealand's highest one-day run-scorer, passing Martin Crowe's 4704, during the VB Series in Australia. And that boundary shot against Flintoff in Dunedin took him past 5000 career runs. Like the New Zealand team as a whole, Astle has a knack of pulling out the big performance when it is most needed. Frustrating bowler Astle's one-day batting certainly does not go unrecognised in his homeland, where he has been awarded the Walter Hadlee Trophy for the last two seasons. But it is ironic that, as he made his first-class debut for Canterbury batting at 10, his medium pace bowling is now increasingly valued.
His miserly line frustrates batsmen out as they are forced to take risks in order to make runs, but that is not something that will see him succeed with the ball at Test level. And, while his Test average of 32.21 is the third-best among experienced batsmen in the side - behind captain Stephen Fleming and Craig McMillan - it is well short of world-class. The key to his 13 one-day hundreds has been his ability to settle in, after an bludgeoning start, and continue to make runs as the fielding regulations are relaxed. In the five-day game he takes a different role, coming in at five either to up the pace or to consolidate after early trouble. He is keen to get onto the front foot and make shots square of the wicket with the cut, sweep and pull, although this can be his undoing, especially early on in his innings. He is particularly vulnerable to the full-pitched delivery as he looks to take on the bowler from the off. Century-maker England will not have written Astle off, though, as they prepare for their forthcoming three-Test series. While his average against the tourists is four runs lower than overall - proof of his propensity to get out early - two of his seven Test centuries have come in seven matches against England.
But the plaudits went to last man Danny Morrison, who managed to stay at the wicket for two-and-a-half hours as the pair batted out a draw. There was also a ton at Old Trafford in 1999, as the Kiwis replied to England's first innings 199 with a total of 496 for nine declared. The Manchester rain took the series to The Oval before the tourists dealt the final blow. New Zealand showed in that series that they thrive on being under-rated, much like the mercurial Astle. But at least England have been given forewarning this time of his potential to take them on single-handed. | |
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