LONDON, 13 June 2004 — New Zealand reached 190 for five and were building a healthy lead at the end of day three of the third Test at Trent Bridge after Chris Cairns had helped dismiss England with a five-wicket haul yesterday.
The tourists were 255 runs ahead at the close and in a commanding position despite some controversial umpiring decisions.
Craig McMillan was 28 not out with nightwatchman James Franklin on two in the tourists’ second innings.
Australian official Simon Taufel adjudged Scott Styris (39) had nicked a wide Steve Harmison delivery behind but television replays showed clear daylight between bat and ball.
Captain Stephen Fleming (45) was also unlucky with an lbw decision from Taufel when a ball from Andrew Flintoff appeared to strike him too high and wide. Flintoff also dismissed Nathan Astle lbw for nought but the call was again debatable.
Both umpires had been cautious with lbw decisions earlier in the game after countless appeals.
New Zealand opener Mark Richardson, normally a dogged, uncomplicated player, hit a flurry of drives before perishing lbw for 49, playing back to Ashley Giles, who looked unusually threatening.
The England spinner then snared Brendon McCullum for four, the wicketkeeper-batsman flashing against the spin and edging to Flintoff at slip.
New Zealand, trailing 2-0 in the three-match series, began their second innings 65 runs ahead, after bowling out the hosts for 319 in the morning session.
Cairns took five for 79 with an array of slower balls and yorkers to end the England innings, despite some explosive hitting from No. 9 batsman Giles, left unbeaten on 45.
Former Nottinghamshire player Cairns, who has decided to end his Test career at his old county home ground after 62 matches, bowled Harmison for a duck to complete his 13th five-wicket haul in tests.
He had earlier dismissed Martin Saggers for nought with another yorker, the tailender having blocked the ball with the toe of his bat only to see it roll back on to the stumps.
The impressive Franklin, playing in his third Test, supported Cairns with figures of four for 104. The left armer had been brought into New Zealand’s injury-ravaged squad from local league cricket in England earlier in the week. Franklin was fortunate, though, with his dismissal of Graham Thorpe, who was adjudged caught behind for 45 by umpire Taufel.
Television replays indicated that Thorpe had missed the ball, with it appearing to flick his trousers instead.
Franklin had earlier removed Matthew Hoggard for five when the nightwatchman edged to Styris in the slips.
Styris then got in the act with the ball, dismissing second test centurion Geraint Jones for 22. The wicketkeeper had played some audacious shots but attempted an ambitious stroke through the legside to be trapped lbw.
