Trott is certain century-maker Compton is made of right stuff

Compton made exactly 100 – and shared in his second double-century stand in as many innings, alongside Jonathan Trott (121no) this time – as England reached 267-2 after being put in by New Zealand at the Basin Reserve.

Compton’s second 50 runs took 111 balls, eight more than his first, while Trott accelerated more conventionally to reach three figures from 174 deliveries.

The tourists, therefore, had the opportunity to take further advantage of a flagging attack, which bowled 170 second-innings overs in the stalemate in Dunedin, and pile the pressure on the Kiwis for the remainder of this second Test of three.

Trott certainly senses Compton, with whom he batted for four-and-a-half hours in a stand of 210, is made of the right stuff to be an ideal successor to Andrew Strauss at the top of the England order in this year of back-to-back Ashes.

“It’s a great start to his career,” he said. “I hope he can go on and open the batting for a while with Alastair.

“That’s what we want. Straussy managed to do that for a long time, and they were both very successful.

“It’s crucial to team success, having a solid opening partnership who understand each other’s game.

“I think the top three as well need to get on and work well together.”

Trott and Compton certainly did so here, with chanceless hundreds as the hard-worked Kiwis went 63 overs without a wicket – having got Cook relatively cheaply.

It took Trott 12 Test innings, and a tough tour of his native South Africa, to reach three figures again after his Ashes-clinching hundred on debut at The Oval in 2009.

Compton has wasted no time adding to his first major breakthrough innings, another characteristically patient performance serving England especially well.

There was no discernible change to his demeanour at the crease, and Trott is encouraged that Compton’s maiden hundred has bred confidence without diluting the opener’s determination.

“You can never go into a Test match relaxed – you are always quite nervous, especially at the start of your career,” said Trott, after his ninth hundred at the highest level.

“It could be a last Test match...you never know.

“You don’t want to take things for granted – but I certainly think he will take a lot of confidence out of it, knowing he can score runs at this level.

“You are never really quite sure until you score your first hundred. Maybe he felt more confident, but I don’t think it’s a case of being relaxed.”

Trott, much like captain Cook, is renowned for his powers of concentration and aversion to risk and Compton has worked his way into Test cricket at the age of 29 with similar virtues.

“That is the art in cricket, finding the balance between intensity of wanting it too much or being a bit too relaxed,” added England’s 
No 3. “I think his balance at the moment is really good. He has a good work ethic, so he fits right into this team. That’s the way he is, very thoughtful on his game thinking about cricket and batting.

“He is quite intense, but I wouldn’t say over-intense. He has to find the right balance between switching on and off, when he’s facing the ball and at the non-striker’s end.

“He’s done really well.”

Trott has, too, and on a true pitch there were many observers willing to predict from early in his innings that he was sure to reach three figures.

He, however, insists he did not start to think in those terms until he was on 99.

He said: “It’s a long way from nought – so in the context of starting an innings, you never want to look too far ahead.

“It was important that Nick and I got going after we lost Alastair early. I take it a couple of overs at a time. It’s nice to get some runs after Dunedin, where I should have maybe got a few more.”

Trott is thankful for the opportunity to do so, but confirmed everything would surely have been very different if Brendon McCullum’s coin toss had come down the other way.

The home captain must have regretted his decision to bowl first because the tinge of green in the surface never translated into any significant sideways movement.

“I think we would have done the same,” said Trott. “Alastair is probably very lucky, very happy, that it didn’t land on heads.”

However, England’s day had not begun with any great promise.

Cook, a little embarrassed perhaps to be described by opposite number McCullum as a “genius” batsman second only to Don Bradman, was unable to live up to that hype as he mustered just 17.

He fell in strange circumstances, too, to first-change Neil Wagner.

Cook was untroubled for 43 minutes of a sunny morning until he unaccountably pushed a length ball straight into the hands of mid-on at the start of the left-armer’s second over.

New Zealand had to wait until Compton had reached his century to celebrate again when, without addition, his edge to slip, driving at Bruce Martin, ended a stand of 210 and gave the Kiwis a breakthrough before the second new ball.

Kevin Pietersen just survived an lbw scare against Boult before the close.

Under-strength Australians are washed out

The opening day of the third Test between India and Australia was abandoned without a ball being bowled due to rain in Mohali.

A heavy downpour overnight delayed the start at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium and, although the rain stopped for a spell in the morning, it began to drizzle again and led to the umpires calling play off in the afternoon.

Australia trail 2-0 in the four-match series and have a depleted squad following the one-match bans handed out to James Pattinson, Shane Watson, Usman Khawaja, and Mitchell Johnson because of much-publicised disciplinary issues.

The quartet were told they would not be considered for the Test after the Australia team management opted to punish them for failing to make a presentation on how the side could improve following the heavy defeat in the second Test.

Of the remaining 13 men, wicketkeeper Matthew Wade, who has been struggling with an ankle injury, missed out along with all-rounder Glenn Maxwell.

Brad Haddin replaced Wade while Nathan Lyon, Steve Smith and Mitchell Starc were named in place of Maxwell, Watson and Pattinson.

A cash-strapped council has defended plans to grant Durham £2.8m of public money just months before they host the biggest game of their history.

Durham County Cricket Club asked for financial backing to ensure they can bring in more high profile internationals, like the Ashes Test that is coming to Chester-le-Street in August.

Durham County Council has agreed in principle to a £2.8m support package, and Simon Henig, the Labour leader of Durham County Council, said hosting international matches brought “huge economic benefits” to the area.

Scotland managed just one run and one over on the third day of their ICC Intercontinental Cup tie with Afghanistan before succumbing to an innings defeat in Abu Dhabi.

Scotland began on 144-9 in their second innings six runs adrift of the Afghans, but could not force their opponents to bat for a second time.