3rd Test: New Zealand in control of series-decider

Fulton celebrates recall with back-to-back tons against England.

AUCKLAND: Black Caps opener Peter Fulton celebrated his recall from the cricket scrapheap yesterday by becoming only the fourth New Zealander to score back-to-back centuries in a Test.

The, at times, ungainly opener belted the prime of English bowling to all corners of the ground in a rollicking second-innings 110 to give New Zealand a stranglehold on the third and deciding Test in the series.

At stumps yesterday, with one day to play, England were fighting for survival at 90 for four with a target of 481 to win.

Fulton, who toiled hard to resurrect New Zealand’s second-innings after they were three down for eight, brought up his boundary-laden 110 in 165 balls.

In the first innings, when New Zealand were intent on building a competitive total, he made 136 off 346 balls.

“It’s not often in a Test match you get the chance to swing the bat with no consequence of getting out so it was nice,” said Fulton.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 26^th, 2013.