Ambrose hits milestone for England

Updated 22.16 Thu Mar 13 2008
Keywords: jacob oram, michael vaughan, paul collingwood, tim ambrose, second test, wellington, new zealand, england, cricket, sport

Tim Ambrose became the first England wicketkeeper to score an overseas Test century for 11 years.

But the new record holder fell early on the second morning against New Zealand.

Collingwood met him in the middle of the pitch and the ground stood to applaud his efforts

The 25-year-old Warwickshire wicktekeeper began the second morning at the Basin Reserve just three runs away from his maiden Test century after helping England recover to reach 291 for five.

He reached his maiden century off the 19th ball of the day with a streaky four off all-rounder Jacob Oram through the slips for four to reach three figures off his 149th ball.

But he lasted only to the next over before edging seamer Kyle Mills to Ross Taylor at second slip for 102 as England slipped to 300 for six early on the second morning.

Ambrose had to wait for his chance to reach the milestone with Paul Collingwood batting out a maiden to the first over of the day from seamer Kyle Mills.

He then followed suit in the next over of the day from Jacob Oram which included two narrow escapes - an attempted force off the back foot which narrowly escaped an edge behind and an appeal for lbw two balls later.

But it was Durham all-rounder Collingwood, who resumed overnight on 48, who brought up the first milestone of the day when he square cut the 15th ball of the day for four.

Ambrose followed him in the next over from Oram when he managed to steer a short ball off the splice beyond the slip cordon down to the third man boundary to bring up his century.

He became the first England wicketkeeper to score an overseas century since Alec Stewart hit 173 against New Zealand in Auckland in January 1997, 66 overseas Tests ago, and had hit 16 fours and two sixes in his innings.

Collingwood immediately met him in the middle of the pitch and the ground stood to applaud his efforts, which helped England progress to 300 for five.

But he was unable to turn his maiden century into an even bigger innings when he fell in the next over to a full-length delivery from Mills in conditions still favourable to New Zealand's seamers.

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