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For 20 years Ed Giddins had planned and dreamt of his first ball in Test cricket.

As he described it last night it should have been the perfect delivery - pitching and just missing the bat.

``But the game plan probably wasn't quite right,'' he admitted. In fact, it pitched so wide that Alec Stewart had to take the ball at the feet of first slip.

That apart, Giddins thoroughly enjoyed his baptism. For a man who admits to being hyper-critical of his own performance the Warwickshire player found it ``tremendous, most pleasing''.

But he was ready to agree that the Oval wicket is ``a seamer-friendly pitch and maybe I should have made the batsmen play a little bit more.

``It's a funny one. With a bit of luck a batting side could score 400 because the bowlers can go past the bat so often.''

Giddins was fulsome in his praise for England captain Nasser Hussain who he twice referred to as ``an extremely astute bloke''.

Giddins was equally magnanimous towards New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming. ``He has left the ball extremely well, which is so important on this pitch because the ball did swing.''

England manager David Graveney was another to praise Fleming's unbeaten half-century. ``It was a great battle of wills out there, particularly between Fleming and fine disciplined bowling, supported by splendid fielding. Altogether an intriguing day's cricket.''

Graveney said Yorkshire fast bowler Chris Silverwood had been left out of the team ``for cricketing reasons'' rather than as a result of the accident which left his wife in hospital.

``The ball has swung consistently all season here, which is why we chose the attack we did.''

Graveney said no one in the England dressing-room underestimated the importance of the present game in the light of recent events. He said: ``The atmosphere since we got here on Tuesday has been very good.''

But the view of New Zealand coach Steve Rixon is that a first-innings total of over 200 could be a winning score here if his bowlers find the right line and length.