Ronchi stars in New Zealand revival

LEEDS, MAy 29

Luke Ronchi marked his Test debut with a quickfire 88 as New Zealand fought back on the first day at Headingley today after James Anderson became the first England bowler to take 400 Test wickets.

New Zealand, after being sent into bat by England captain Alastair Cook following a washed-out morning session, slumped to two for two.

But a sixth-wicket stand of 120 between opener Tom Latham, dropped four times on his way to 84, and the dashing Ronchi helped New Zealand recover to 297 for eight at stumps.

New Zealand, in a fixture they had to win to square the two-match series at 1-1 after England's 124-run victory in the first Test at Lord's on Monday, were quickly in trouble. Anderson struck twice in three balls to reduce them to two for two after England captain Alastair Cook won the toss following a washed-out first session. The 32-year-old paceman removed both opener Martin Guptill and Kane Williamson for ducks. 

Anderson’s feat 

James Anderson became the 12th bowler to reach the milestone of 400 Test wickets. Former Sri Lanka spinner Muttiah Muralitharan heads the list with 800 victims. Anderson, 32, became England's leading Test wicket taker during last month's series in the West Indies, surpassing Ian Botham's record of 383 victims. — Reuters

Brief scores: New Zealand 297 for 8 (Ronchi 88, Latham 84, Broad 3-83)