Date-stamped : 16 Jul96 - 02:16 New Zealand v England Women, 3rd Test Guildford 12,13,14,15 July 1996 ====> REPORT (Day 1, 12 Jul 1996) Women`s Test: Kiwis set batting records By Cathy Harris at Guildford First day of four: New Zealand (362-5) v England SARAH ILLINGWORTH, the New Zealand captain, said she hesitated for less than five seconds after winning only her second toss on the tour and choosing to bat on the opening day of the third Test at Guildford. Illingworth has made no secret of her team`s intense desire to clinch the three-match series and return with an unbeaten record after hammering England 3-0 in the one-day internationals. On the evidence of an impressive batting display yesterday, their hopes could well be realised after the Kiwis set records for the opening and third wickets to reach 362 for five at the close of play. Debbie Hockley and Shelley Fruin put on 150 for the first wicket before Fruin, who had flayed England`s attack all round the ground, slipped and was run out after being sent back by Hockley. After Hockley perished, caught at the wicket off Clare Taylor, Emily Drumm joined Kirsty Flavell and the pair added 106 in a hugely entertaining stand. Drumm cut and drove her way to a su- perb half-century off 64 balls before driving the ball to mid- off where Taylor held a good catch. Flavell looked in ominously good form, falling tantalisingly short of her century when she holed out to Taylor at mid-wicket to leave Illingworth in complete control. THIRD TEST (Guildford).- 1st day: New Zealand (1st innings) 362-5 (K Flavell 97, S Fruin 80, D Hockley 65, E Drumm 62) v England. Source :: Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk) ====> REPORT (Day 3, 14 Jul 1996) Women`s Test: Drumm thumps England By Cathy Harris at Guildford Third day of four: New Zealand (362-5 dec & 219-4 dec) lead Eng- land (271) by 310 runs EMILY DRUMM is rated as one of the most gifted cricketers to em- erge from New Zealand. When she strutted to the wicket her side were in a bit of bother at 37 for three, but her swashbuckling unbeaten 112 has put her team in command. Put down at gully by Kathryn Leng when she had scored 10, her fourth-wicket partnership of 88 with her captain Sarah Illing- worth steered the side clear of danger, then she and Debbie Hock- ley cracked England`s weary attack to every corner of the ground. Drumm, 21, also a junior football and badminton international, eased to her second half-century of the match, walloping 10 boundaries off 173 balls to compile her second Test century. The strain of playing their 12th match in five weeks is also taking its toll on the tourists who gave an untidy display in the field as they tried to break the determined English ninth- wicket partnership between Taylor and Suzie Redfern. Justine Fryer eventually separated the pair when Taylor was stumped, and with Lucy Pearson following her back to the pavilion almost immediately, the stage was set for the Kiwis to score at a brisk rate. New Zealand 362-5 dec & 219-4 dec (E Drumm 112 not). England 271 (J Brittin 57; J Fryer 4-37, K Brown 3-47). Source :: Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk) ====> REPORT (Day 4, 15 Jul 1996) Women`s Test Match:Redfern and Taylor dig in and save day By Cathy Harris at Guildford New Zealand (362-5 dec & 219-4 dec) drew with England (271 & 225-8) NEW ZEALAND had hoped to celebrate the 100th women`s Test with their first victory over England. But after reducing the home side to 160 for eight, they were denied by a defiant ninth- wicket stand of 65 between Suzie Redfern and Clare Taylor, who steered their side to a draw. With as many eight players, including three wearing helmets, surrounding the bat as New Zealand moved in for the kill, the pair, who had put up dogged resistance in the first innings, held them at bay for 27 overs spread across nearly an hour and a half and 27 overs. It was a desperately disappointing result for the tourists who, despite finishing the tour with an unbeaten record, had done everything they could to earn their first Test victory in 24 years, and only their third since beating South Africa at Kingsmead in 1972. The New Zealand captain, Sarah Illingworth, was probably unaware that the target she set England on the placid pitch would have been the highest total reached in a fourth in- nings. What she did know was the value of an early break- through. Her opening bowler, Katrina Withers, duly obliged and although Charlotte Edwards, 16, was dropped at second slip by Kelly Brown in her first over, Withers captured the prized wickets of Jan Brittin and Barbara Daniels after both chased deliveries outside the off stump. Edwards batted with admirable composure for her 31 and while she could probably have left the ball she snicked to Illingworth, she can look back on a marvellous debut and forward to a bright future. At 39 for three, and reeling at 66 for four when Karen Smithies was out to the fourth ball after lunch, England were forced to consolidate. Metcalfe and Jane Smit put on 63 for the fifth wick- et but when Smit departed, the first of off-spinner Cather- ine Campbell`s victims, England`s only hope was to hang on for a draw. After the match, Illingworth was adamant that her decision to take the new ball four overs after Taylor and Redfern came togther was absolutely right and added: "I have no regrets. You have to fancy the new ball against tail-enders and the spinners have no problems using the new ball. We just couldn`t make the breakthrough. We are obviously very disappointed." THIRD WOMEN`S TEST (Guildford).- New Zealand 362- 5d & 219-4d; England 271 & 225-8 (S Metcalfe 63). Match drawn. Source :: Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk) Contributed by Shash (shs2@*.cwru.edu)