Before today Andy Caddick hadn't bowled in a first-class match since the Oval Test against Australia, which was more than six months ago, but he was pleased with the way he overcame an erratic first few overs to finish with figures of 18-6-42-4. "It took me about seven overs to hit the straps and get myself going," he said. "I was wondering what I was trying to do at one stage. But I finally came through, and in the last few overs I got myself back into rhythm. I told Marcus [Trescothick, the stand-in captain for this game] that I wanted to keep bowling. I was struggling to get my rhythm going. But once it came I wanted to keep it going." Caddick felt that the conditions eased slightly after England were dismissed for 153. "The wicket has dried out a hell of a lot. This morning, when I was at the crease, there were still green marks coming through where the ball was pitching. It's not doing much off the seam, but it's still swinging quite a bit."

He admitted that being left out for the last four games of the recent five-match one-day series hadn't helped. "If I'd bowled through all the one-dayers I'd have been hitting the spot a month ago," he explained. "The reason I was struggling was because I haven't bowled. You can bowl in the nets as much as you like, but when you're bowling against the opposition, who are totally different batsmen from your team-mates, then it does help."

Caddick described the experience of watching most of that series from the sidelines as frustrating. "But I look at the fact that my spot was taken by a young man, who's come in and has experienced one-day cricket against two very good sides. Matthew [Hoggard] did very well. He knows what is required in the future, and you need that little bit of competition. It doesn't bother me whatsoever. I've been there, done that, I knew what I had to do to get back into it."

Now that Darren Gough is no longer with the side, Caddick is England's most experienced bowler, a position he says he enjoys. "I like it, I like it. I do like a bit of responsibility when I'm bowling. It's going to be slightly different with Hoggie and Jimmy Ormond at the other end, and the likes of Chalky [Craig White] and Fred [Andrew Flintoff], so it's going to be an experience for everyone to learn how to bowl with each other. Goughie is a key member of the side, and we're going to miss him. But life goes on."

Caddick was also sanguine about some of the abuse he's been getting from his former countrymen in the crowd. "I always get stick, no matter where I am," he smiled. "But I've had more stick this year than I had on the previous tour. I've put up with it for the last 14 or 15 years so I'll continue to live with it as long as I continue to play Test cricket."

If Caddick can keep his cool – and his rhythm – he should be England's most lethal weapon in the three-Test series that starts at Christchurch on March 13.

Lawrence Booth is assistant editor of Wisden.com. You can read his reports here throughout the tour.

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