The respective attitudes of competing skippers, Australia's Steve Waugh and New Zealand's Stephen Fleming were praised in newspapers on both sides of the Tasman as both teams made a silk purse out of a sow's ear of their rain affected first Test at the Gabba in Brisbane yesterday.

The New Zealand Herald: "Another explosive innings from Chris Cairns, who struck 43 off 37 balls, almost took the New Zealanders to the wire, but he was caught on the long-on boundary with three overs remaining and just 21 required.

"Fleming said afterwards he thought New Zealand had a couple of chances to win - when he and Nathan Astle put on 100 for the fourth wicket, and when Cairns was rampaging at the end.

'"I felt pretty exhilarated throughout, but in the end it was disappointing not to come away with a win, especially after getting ourselves in such a good position.

'"It was a good challenge and we have no complaints - you don't get handed test wins, and we knew we'd have to play out of our skins to earn it.'

"Fleming's counterpart, Steve Waugh, believed his side had created the best of the game-winning chances and rubbished suggestions that his bowlers had contravened the spirit of the game by bowling wide of the stumps.

'"New Zealand's bowlers pitched it pretty wide at times in our first innings, so I don't think it was a big deal.'

"Waugh said New Zealand might have thought they were going to win the match, but felt Australia had dominated the game generally, and would have been unlucky to lose."

Peter Roebuck, The Sydney Morning Herald: "A glorious cricket match ended with honours even as the Australians and New Zealanders threw themselves at each other with all their might.

"Australia had the fright of their cricketing life. Under the Gabba lights and with spectators spellbound, the visiting batsmen chased hard and almost reached the end of the rainbow.

"Magnificent blows from Chris Cairns and Craig McMillan took the tourists close to their target, only for prospects to recede as wild shots were played in the last couple of overs. Finally Cairns was held on the boundary and the home captain sighed the longest sigh of relief in his eventful career. At the end the teams retreated to the pavilion, bruised, blooded and unbowed.

"New Zealand refused to go away and were stopped only by the stiffness of the target and the experience of their opponents.

"All praise to both teams for having a go. All praise to the captains for breathing life into a game that was dying on its feet. Steve Waugh can hardly have expected the Kiwis to bat as well in pursuit of a tempting total."

The Daily Telegraph: "It was a fitting result - neither team deserved to lose but neither dominated enough to win and there was genuine warmth and respect among the sides when they shook hands after stumps.

"Captains Steve Waugh and Steve Fleming can take a bow for putting the reputations of themselves and their countries on the line with last-day declarations which gave the match a wonderful finale.

"The waterlogged game, which will enrich the experience of those who played in it, finished under lights at 6.20pm with a small crowd spellbound.

"Chris Cairns (43) almost stole it for New Zealand when he joined Shane Lee and Carl Hooper in the exclusive club of people who have driven balls into the top deck of the Northern Stand.

"He twice inflicted this treatment on Shane Warne who conceded 17 off his last over which left the Kiwis needing 21 off their last 18 balls with five wickets in hand for victory."

The Australian: "Three previous days of rain in Brisbane threatened to rob the match of any life but opposing captains Steve Waugh and Stephen Fleming deserve enormous credit for declaring to set up an enthralling and unexpected contest.

"It was a spectacular chase, with Steve Waugh forced to spread the field far and wide and Glenn McGrath testing the limits of what is an off-side wide to prevent New Zealand snatching an amazing victory.

"Only when the brutal Chris Cairns was well caught on the boundary by Ricky Ponting for 43 from 38 balls, having twice belted Shane Warne deliveries to the top tier of the redeveloped northern stand, could the Australians feel safe."

The Herald Sun: "There is no doubt one of the $64 questions before the Test started was whether New Zealand had the ability to bowl Australia out twice.

"On the evidence offered during this rain-affected match, the Black Caps have not made ground on the Australian batsmen. This was despite the first-innings failures of Ricky Ponting, Mark Waugh, Steve Waugh and Damien Martyn.

"New Zealand will have no better chance than having its rivals 6-263, yet it was still on the receiving end of a 486 first-innings scoreline.

"Despite New Zealand's failure to nail Australia when the gate had flung open late in the second-innings run chase, there is a positive culture within a squad that has had no alternative other than to learn the hard way."

Robert Craddock, The Herald Sun: "They don't have many big names, they don't do much big talking. They haven't got the greatest record and they don't win all that often.

"But there is one thing you simply have to give the New Zealand cricket team - it's got guts.

"Quite frankly, its attitude puts England to shame.

"Both teams deserve great credit for the show they put on yesterday, proving it is not a crime to risk losing a cricket game in the hope of winning it.

"You sense Australia will learn more from yesterday's experience than it did in all five Tests against the West Indies last summer.

"Waugh's declaration dragged players out of their comfort zone, which is the very philosophy the captain and the coach are all about."

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