Ton-up Richardson predicts close finish

New Zealand batsman Mark Richardson said he expected the first Test against England to go right down to the wire after scoring a century on Sunday.

New Zealand batsman Mark Richardson said he expected the first Test against England to go right down to the wire after scoring a century at Lord's on Sunday to set alongside his first innings 93.

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At stumps England were eight without loss in needing a further 274 second innings runs in a minimum of 90 overs on Monday's final day to reach their victory target of 282.

Obdurate left-handed opener Richardson, who batted for over 13-and-a-half hours in the match, told reporters after Sunday's close: "There will be a result in this game and it will go to the last session.

"All too often at home the result is decided after the first innings by who had the least luck to get wiped out on a green one (pitch)."

Richardson's 101 was the cornerstone of New Zealand's 336 all out and he insisted the team were happy with the match situation heading into the climax of the first match in a three-Test series.

"It's easy to sit here and say we'd have liked to have batted them out of the game. But 270 on the last day, at three an over, on a wicket that is wearing is still a tall order.

"It's going to be a very tense day of cricket and emotionally very difficult for everyone, especially the coaches."

Richardson said he was surprised to get his name on the Lord's honours board so soon after falling agonisingly short of a hundred at the 'home of cricket'.

"I'm pretty pleased to be sitting here explaining a hundred not a 90," the 32-year-old Auckland batsman said. "I never thought I'd get two shots at it in the same match."

Richardson, the eleventh New Zealander to make a century at Lord's, paid tribute to wicket-keeper Brendon McCullum who made a Test-best 96 during the pair's second-wicket stand of 173.

"Brendon pulled me out of my shell and upped the tempo. I didn't want to follow a good performance in the first innings with a bad one."

Richardson reached his fourth Test hundred, in his 32nd Test, shortly before tea but fell soon afterwards when he was caught behind off fast bowler Stephen Harmison.

"I'm disappointed with myself for not absorbing more pressure after tea... emotionally, after tea, I came down too much."

Richardson marked his hundred by leaping up and punching the air in the direction of spectators in the Grandstand.

Explaining his celebration, he said: "My partner (Mary) was sitting over there. She was disappointed I got out in the 90s and I wanted to give her a signal."

Stephen Harmison, England's most successful bowler in New Zealand's second innings with four for 76, admitted that bowling at Richardson had been frustrating.

"He was strange. Bowling outside off-stump against him was a waste of time because he left the ball and made you bowl to him in his areas.

"I've never played against someone who leaves the ball so well," the Durham quick added.

"But credit to him, he's batted nearly two full days for a very good hundred and a 90. Sometimes you've got to take your hat off."

England stand-in captain Marcus Trescothick, deputising for the injured Michael Vaughan who missed this match because of a knee injury, chose not to take the new ball at all during New Zealand's second innings.

However, Harmison had no complaints about Trescothick's tactics which saw spinner Ashley Giles (three for 87) bowl a marathon 35 overs unchanged Sunday. "We didn't have a big discussion about it (the new ball). I wasn't really fussed. I took three with the reversing ball and while it was doing that, it was doing enough for me."