Two-ton Fulton rises from New Zealand scrapheap

Black Caps opener Peter Fulton celebrated his recall from the cricket scrapheap on Monday 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 on Monday, 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.After scoring 55, 1 and 45 early in the first two England Tests, the 34-year-old Fulton has now raised his average to 33.05, from the mediocre 20.93when he was cast into the wilderness four years ago after 10 Tests. The Canterbury opener, who has a first class 301 not out to his name in domestic cricket, said he always backed himself as a batsman with a range of shots in his repertoire.

AFP