NOTTINGHAM, 12 June 2004 — Chris Cairns, in his final Test before retirement, took three prize wickets to leave England on the defensive in the second Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge here yesterday.

At the close England were 225 for five, 159 behind New Zealand’s first innings 384 with Graham Thorpe unbeaten on 30 and nightwatchman Matthew Hoggard not out zero.

All-rounder Cairns, in his 62nd Test and playing on the ground where he starred for Nottinghamshire, took three for 61 including the wicket of Andrew Flintoff, who made a rapid 54.

England, after losing two early wickets, resumed after tea on 99 for two with Marcus Trescothick 45 not out and captain Michael Vaughan 44 not out. Vaughan was first to his fifty, getting there in style with a pulled six off James Franklin, his half-century coming in just 49 balls with eight fours.

Left-hander Trescothick followed his skipper to the landmark but both men fell soon afterwards.

Vaughan went first when pace bowler Cairns’s slower ball, an off-cutter, kept low and had the Yorkshire batsman plumb lbw for 61.

Together with Trescothick, Vaughan put on 110 for the third wicket after England had been in dire trouble at 18 for two.

But 128 for three became 140 for four when Trescothick, on 63, edged a drive off left-arm swing bowler Franklin and was caught by Scott Styris at wide third slip. Franklin ended the day with two for 64.

Flintoff, who scored 94 in the second Test, maintained the attacking tone by pulling a Cairns bouncer for four before a sliced boundary off Styris saw England past the follow-on target of 185.

England needed just 18 balls after lunch to wrap up the New Zealand innings with Matthew Hoggard, taking his 100th Test wicket, involved in all three dismissals as the tourists subsided from their interval score of 374 for seven.

S. Africa to Play Two Tests in India in November

South Africa’s tour of India in November will comprise two Test matches only and no One-Day Internationals.

Because of time constraints, the South Africans had wanted to play only one-dayers, but United Cricket Board of South Africa (UCB) spokesman Gerald de Kock said in Bloemfontein yesterday: “The South African team will now arrive in India on Nov. 4 and leave on Nov. 30, during which time they will play two Tests.”

A formal announcement is expected in the next couple of days from both sides.