Healy puts Queensland back on the rails

Over the years England wicketkeepers have spent enough time staring at the back of Ian Healy to know every hair on his head, and no doubt the following weeks will give Alec Stewart the opportunity to increase the familiarity.

So when the chance comes to send him packing it generally pays to take it with both hands. This the England captain singularly failed to do yesterday, and although the visitors still enjoyed much the better of a first day against Queensland that began with a bizarre, 25-minute over and ended seven overs early in a tropical shower, his miss allowed Healy to help resurrect an innings that was in danger of total collapse.

Healy had made just seven when he offered his trademark, flat-batted swat outside off-stump to Dominic Cork, and although the ball looked to be heading towards Robert Croft at first slip, Stewart intervened, got both gloves to the ball at head height, and pushed the catch away.

The Queensland captain had arrived at the crease with his side at 69 for four - effectively five with the opener Matthew Hayden retired hurt with a broken finger that will keep him out of the rest of the match. Healy went on to make 57, adding 90 for the fifth wicket with the all-rounder Geoff Foley. The left-hander finished undefeated on 64, with a six and eight fours, having batted for three-and-a-half hours.

Their contributions, and 29 from Martin Love, were the only ones of significance as the England bowlers, taking advantage of some early moisture in a desperately slow pitch matched by an equally tardy outfield, made steady progress through the Queensland order, leaving them struggling at 193 for eight.

Despite some sapping humidity, it was another generally good day for the bowlers with two early wickets for Darren Gough, one each for Cork, Dean Headley and Alan Mullally (who might have had better figures with a more benevolent umpire than Tony McQuillan) and three for Croft, including that of Healy.

This is a rare cricket excursion to Cairns, which has never seen a Sheffield Shield match but staged Queensland's tour match against New Zealand last year. The ground, Cazaly Park, has a pleasant backdrop of rain forest-covered hills - with a swirling mantle of cloud for much of the day - and normally stages Australian Rules matches rather than cricket.

The start to the match had more entrances and exits than a French farce. Gough struck Hayden on his bottom hand with the second ball of the day. It did not seem a spiteful delivery, but the batsman, who was clearly discomfited, inspected the damage to the middle finger of his left hand for several minutes before gingerly replacing his glove.

Gough sent down two more deliveries without trouble, but, in bowling the fifth, slipped in the crease and went tumbling. At this point the Queensland physio ran on to attend to Hayden, while the concerned England team crowded in around the bowler, who had by now hauled himself to his feet.

Stewart, not unreasonably given that more than an inch of rain had fallen in 24 hours, asked for some sawdust. There was none.

So as the stricken Hayden was led from the field, Stewart and his side followed while the groundsman disappeared in his "ute" - truck to us - to a local sawmill. Only on his triumphant return did the game resume.

By lunch, Gough had already had Jimmy Mayer caught at first slip, and Headley had persuaded Stuart Law to top-edge a pull to point. Love became Gough's second victim after the interval when he played too early and poked a gentle catch to shortish mid-wicket, while Andrew Symonds, who came to fame with a century in this fixture four years ago, under-edged a pull shot and was bowled by Mullally.

Healy sounds as if he gargles with granite chips, and clearly some have got into his soul. With Foley, he set to pull the innings round with a mixture of straight defence and calculated attack: a drive here, a cut there, a dab to the third-man boundary off Mullally, a hook to the fence off Gough, and Croft swung sweetly and successively to the leg-side to take him to his half-century. He had hit five fours when, to the relief of the off-spinner, he found Mark Ramprakash's safe hands on the boundary.