THE NAME Ambrose always used to conjure up an image of a man 6ft 8in tall who became one of the finest quick bowlers in the world, and whose mum reputedly rang a bell outside her house in Swetes Village every time her son took one of his 405 Test wickets. With his strike-rate the housework could stay undone for weeks. Curtly used to specialise in the fast, short, rising delivery at or around off stump, which I can tell you is bloody hard to play, but now plays bass guitar in a band called the Big Bad Dread and the Baldhead alongside his former captain, Richie Richardson.

The new Ambrose on the block, Tim, could hardly be more different, but he does have one thing in common with Curtly - a talent with the guitar. He can also sing a bit and can be found on YouTube, but I am told that takes some doing and a little insider knowledge. We are currently finding out that he can bat and keep wicket too.

It was tremendous to watch him in England’s first innings at the Basin Reserve, and a shame he was brought down to earth in the second. That will do him little harm, serving merely to remind him that Test cricket is a series of up-and-down experiences. Nothing comes easily, and the best merely manage to stay with the ups longer and more often.

There were a lot of good things about that maiden hundred, and one of the things I enjoyed most was the way he was able to smile during that final over on day one, when with three runs to go to reach his hundred Jacob Oram had him playing and missing at five out of six deliveries. There was one just short enough to have a real go at, and there was a lovely juxtaposition of Ambrose’s smiling face in the foreground and a slightly out-of-focus Stephen Fleming in the back of the frame, grimacing as he imagined how quickly the chance might have come in his direction had Ambrose edged it.

Later on he said he wanted to try to get to 100 that evening both for his own chances of a decent night’s sleep and for the sake of the crowd, whose support he had enjoyed throughout his innings. I can applaud the spirit of both aims but I daresay that if he holds his place in this England team for some time, as we hope he will, then a more sanguine approach might emerge. Let’s not worry too much about that now.

Without taking anything away from that knock, he would have to admit he needed a bit of luck early on, and again on that first evening and second morning when he sparred at plenty of balls before the thick outside edge eventually took him to three figures. But on this pitch, with its life and movement, every batsman has needed elements of good fortune to progress.

What he gave England, especially on Thursday, was fight. He was able to lead a genuine counterattack to the extent that Paul Collingwood at the other end was able to play the less exuberant role without any sense that he, the senior player, had to make the running. The partnership seems to work. Collingwood was also able to show the new man how to play those same problem deliveries, getting himself into line better to allow him to get bat on ball more often.

The New Zealanders had been pleasantly surprised that nobody had really counterattacked in the first Test, and Ambrose was obviously determined that should not be the case again. It takes a certain courage to play that way, and the ability to gamble on one’s ability to play shots in adversity is a handy one.

His strengths are what one would expect of a man of his diminutive stature. The cut is a strong weapon, and if the ball is up on a full length he drives well and clips it away through the leg side, all with some deft timing. The short, rising ball that was his namesake’s speciality could be a problem. Those shots into thin air at Oram point to work that has to be done to tighten up when there is some bounce in a pitch. However, the feistiness that came through will stand him in good stead, I am sure.

In getting a century and a fifty on the board in his first two Tests he has emulated his predecessor, Matt Prior. Keeping up this rate of production will not be easy and the most important thing, as Prior will testify, is that any mistakes with the gloves are kept to an acceptable minimum. So far his keeping has been very much up to the grade. There are many tests still to come, in the final innings of this match first, and I have yet to see him keep when the ball is turning much, but for now the signs are good.

England’s man with the gloves

TIM AMBROSE

- The 25-year-old was born in New South Wales, but realised he had little chance of being picked by Australia so moved to England at 17

- His mother is English and he holds a British passport

- He started his county career at Sussex and made a solid impression, but he played second fi ddle to Matt Prior and realised regular fi rst-team cricket, and importantly keeping opportunities, would be limited so moved to Warwickshire in 2006

- Injury restricted his chances, but he eventually proved himself as both a wicketkeeper and batsman

- In 2007 he was tipped to be capped by England, but the position went to former teammate Prior instead n He scored a half century on his Test debut

- His best score is 251 and his century in the fi rst innings against New Zealand was his fi fth fi rst-class hundred

- What he lacks in height (he is 5ft 7in), Ambrose makes up for in agility

- Since Alec Stewart retired, England have picked Chris Read, Geraint Jones and Prior as wicketkeeper - Jones briefl y looked the part, but his erratic keeping and batting cost him his position

- Ambrose is an accomplished guitar player