Aust. Likely To Keep Same Openers For Third Test

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30481, 1 July 1964, Page 17

Aust. Likely To Keep Same Openers For Third Test

(Frotn Richie Benaud)

LONDON, June 30.

Australia is unlikely to change the opening pairing of I. R. Redpath anfl W. M. Lawry for the third test, beginning at Leeds on Thursday. I believe, though, that R. B. Simpson will bat higher in the order in this test, probably at four, pushing P. J. Burge and B. C. Booth down to five and six respectively.

Just before the first test I wrote that I thought Simpson would bat at three and that he would drop N. C. O’Neill to four.

Redpath, at that stage, was a certainty to be in the side, and as he had always been an opener it was sensibly thought that he and the team would be best suited by having him retain the. position.

In fact,' Simpson batted at six then, and at Lord’s, and has been roundly criticised for doing so.. I am not. one who thinks that Simpson should open in this series. I believe that with I. Chappell, who Is not on the tour, Redpath is the best young cricketer in Australia and I am certain that in years to come he. will be one of the finest players Australia has produced. Redpath’s failures in the first test provided sftme ready ammunition for the critics and then, when Simpson made a duck in the first innings at Lord’s, it was blamed on the fact that he was batting far too low. Simpson has a most difficult job with this side for where in the last seven years Australia has been blessed with three all-rounders—A, K. Davidson, K. Mackay and myself who, between us, have scored 5000 runs in test cricket—now. there is a brittleness about the middle and latter part of the order that definitely needs bolstering. T. R. Veivers batted well at Lord’s, G. D. McKenzie is a talented all-rounder but not

a great rumgetter and A. W. Grout, though in younger days a fine bat, is now merely a courageous one; N. J. Hawke and G. Corling can generally be written off as run-getters. With only Veivers at the moment to hold the latter half of the .order together, some firm and authoritative batting is certainly needed at the other end,, whether it comes from Simpson, Booth or Burge.

It’s no good being critical of Simpson for trying to. find a way to defeat the weakness in the bottom half of the batting—the answer is to find three: or four more allrounders and let the Australian captain get rid of the worried frown he carries these days.