Gallant Knight cannot rescue England

THERE have been cricket pitches as bloodstained as the Culloden moor, and when a book is written about the game's half-slain heroes it will doubtless include a mention of Denis Compton, his head swathed in crimson bandages, facing Lindwall and Miller in 1948, and of Colin Cowdrey plodding out to bat, his arm in plaster, to face Wes Hall to save the Lord's Test of 1963.

Nick Knight's innings at Eden Park yesterday will not get a footnote, let alone a mention in the tome's foremost chapters, yet his brief, one-ball re-appearance, with his left index finger broken in three places, almost led to a most gallant victory over New Zealand, and one which would have given England a conclusive 3-1 lead in the five-match series. As it was New Zealand won by nine runs and can level the series if they win in Wellington tomorrow.

This was one of those exciting one-day games of very inferior quality which has the purist sitting on the edge of his seat, guilt-ridden by the vulgar frisson of it all.

Knight's finger was so painful he actually limped to the wicket. England had lost three wickets in the 40th over of a 43-over game, so that when he returned 21 were needed from 19 balls with Number 11 Chris Silverwood at the other end.

Knight, batting one-handed, fended off the final delivery of that over and left the rest to Silveiwood, who almost carried off the prize. The Yorkshireman struck Simon Doull for four, two and, from the final ball, a single to make the sum 14 from two. He then struck each of Gavin Larsen's first two deliveries for two and would have heaved the third for six over mid-off had Geoff Allott failed to take a fine running catch. Had the ball carried over the rope the equation would have been four from nine balls and England would have been the slender favourites.

Knight was undergoing surgery this morning and could be out of the game for two months, forcing him to miss the start of the English season. This could prove serious for him. He averages 58 from 10 one-day internationals, but his recent Test record makes him the most vulnerable of England's top six, although Nasser Hussain's position is less than established. If Knight misses Warwickshire's opening fixtures, his England place for the summer's Ashes series will come under siege.

Wayne Morton, the team physio, said yesterday: "Nick's got a tough road in front of him. The recovery period will be between six to eight weeks. Because the break goes into the knuckle, the surgery requires accurate placing. It needs pinning and it needs doing before we get back to England on Thursday."

When asked whether Knight had risked further injury by continuing his innings, Morton's reply had the England captain Mike Atherton in stitches - metaphorically, of course.

"There was not too much risk because he batted one-handed with his finger bandaged and stuck between the cheeks of his arse, so it would have required a great ball to hit him there again.

The slow pitch suited New Zealand's Dobber Army of bowlers, but the surface was true and England should have made a ribboned parcel of their target of 154 after choosing to bat second on a rain-splattered day.

Knight suffered his injury from the first ball of the innings, bowled by Heath Davis. It was short and lifted, smashing the batsman's finger against his bat handle, and although he managed to turn it round the corner for a single he had to leave the field to be replaced by Alec Stewart.

With an asking rate of a little over three runs per over, the normally flamboyant Stewart played with commendable care until, after scoring 42 in almost two hours, he attempted to pull a ball that was of too full a length.

After that, until the brief last alliance, only Robert Croft, who was narrowly run out for a cunning 20, looked capable of seizing the game third time in four games.

New Zealand had batted badly and were bowled out for 153 in 39.5 overs. Only Nathan Astle, with 51, and Stephen Fleming, with 37, offered significant resistance. Poor Lee Germon, the beleaguered captain-wicketkeeper who was later to drop Croft, made a two-ball duck.

Knight is not England's only immediate problem. Dominic Cork missed yesterday's game with a hamstring injury.