McMillan, Vincent shine amid more rain for Kiwis

New Zealand's cricketers and the advent of rainfall in a predominantly dry centre formed an inextricable connection again today - this time at the Adelaide Oval. And, by the end of a generally frustrating second day of the tour match against South Australia, the Black Caps accordingly looked no closer to breaking their win drought on this 2001-02 tour of Australia.

In overcast conditions, play opened on time and remained uninterrupted until 40 minutes before tea. But the presence of a blanket of grey cloud had always threatened the prospect of a full day's action and, beyond the advent of a heavy shower in the middle of the afternoon, there was ultimately little option for the umpires but to call a very early halt to proceedings.

In such play as was possible, not all ran smoothly for the visitors either.

Before a South Australian declaration at 9/297 less than 15 minutes into the day's play, there was time enough for paceman Shane Bond (1/43) to lure wicketkeeper-batsman Graham Manou (34) into a mistimed drive to wide mid off and snare his first wicket of the tour.

And for Craig McMillan (49*) and Lou Vincent (26*) to lead a fine recovery with an unbeaten partnership of 70 runs that carried the Kiwis to a scoreline of 3/110 by the early close.

Otherwise, though, it was another lacklustre effort by the New Zealand top order which loomed as the major talking point of the day. Matthew Bell (0) and Mathew Sinclair (10) again failed to impress, and Mark Richardson (16) was another to succumb without making a major contribution. The form of Bell and Sinclair must remain a major concern ahead of next week's Second Test in Hobart.

It would be wrong to say that the New Zealand innings had barely begun before that pair was in trouble - but only because it took Richardson and Bell as many as 32 minutes to accumulate the first six runs of the innings.

It was after that time that the sort of disaster that he could probably least afford befell the out-of-form Bell.

Richardson had pushed a delivery from paceman Paul Rofe (0/11) just to the left of Ben Higgins at cover, encouraging Bell to run close to one-third of the length of the pitch in the quest for a quick single before being forced to retreat. As Higgins aimed a brilliant left handed throw at the stumps, it proved a fatal error of judgement.

Sinclair similarly elected upon pure occupation of the crease during a period in which the New Zealand total barely managed to exceed the number of overs bowled. His vigil ended after 56 minutes when he top edged a cut at veteran leg spinner Peter McIntyre (2/42).

By this stage, McIntyre and left arm spinner Brad Young (0/41) were creating havoc for the New Zealanders with a beguiling combination of bounce and appreciable turn on a pitch that will almost certainly be a veritable slow bowling paradise by the time that this match reaches its fourth day.

Shortly after lunch, Richardson was neither forward nor back, and was late on his shot, as he tried to defend a looping McIntyre leg break that turned sharply back in at him.

Mercifully for the Kiwis, a complete change came over the game with Vincent's arrival at the crease.

Where the batting of their predecessors in the order had lacked nous, both McMillan (49*) and Vincent (26*) suddenly brought composure to the innings. Importantly, they also joined in the process of at last ticking the New Zealand scoreboard over with some consistency.

Vincent - a player who spent the formative part of his career in Adelaide - looked very lucky to survive a huge appeal for a bat-pad catch off McIntyre at 25. And McMillan had an escape of his own at 2 when short leg fieldsman David Fitzgerald grassed a catch off the bowling of Young.

But there were lovely strokes on both sides of the wicket from each of the two players, particularly to the oval's famous short square boundaries.

Though the impact of the rain was to largely scuttle the day's events, one glorious McMillan six over the straight boundary in the second over after lunch will live especially long in the memory.