Lawry Ready To Make 2000th Run

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30712, 30 March 1965, Page 15

Lawry Ready To Make 2000th Run

(N.Z. Press Association —Copyright) PORT OF SPAIN (Trinidad), March 29. The iron man left-hander, W. M. Lawry, poised to top the 2000-run mark in test cricket, is Australia’s chief batting hope today, the crucial third day of the second test against West Indies.

The Australians believe Lawry could play a leading role in laying the bogey of the West Indian fast bowlers, Charlie Griffith and Wesley Hall.

The West Indies resumes its first innings at seven for 400 this morning. J. Solomon (17 not out) has only Hall, Gibbs and Griffith left in the West Indies batting rearguard to support him. The Australians could be batting before lunch. Lawry, playing in his twenty-seventh test for Australia, has acumulated 1952 runs in test cricket. He could scale the 2000 mark in this test, thus joining R. Simpson (2627) and N. O’Neill (2575), the only other members of this touring team to have achieved the feat. COOL UNDER FIRE

Lawry’s coolness under fire in the first test contrasted with the nervousness of so many of the other Australian batsmen.

He was out for 19 to a questionable lbw decision in the first innings and for 17 in the second innings when a ball unluckily rolled down off his body into the stumps. Lawry has figured in century stands with R. Simpson in the matches against Jamaica and Trinidad this tour and his most recent innings of 134 not out last week at Queen's Park Oval showed that he has now arrived at his peak. Australian batsmanship has rarely faced such a challenging task as West Indies are likely to set it in the next day or two.

Simpson, Cowper, O’Neill, Booth and Thomas can all look back on disappointing dismissals in the first test at Kingston, most of them when they had established themselves with some runs on the board.

On a slowish Port of Spain pitch, these batsmen have the chance to atone when they come to grips with Hall, Griffith, Sobers, White and Gibbs a second time.

White, whose nagging short-of-length offcutters accounted for the wicket of O’Neill and McKenzie twice in Kingston, is suffering from a bout of tonsilitis. It was revealed yesterday he was off colour and running a temperature when he batted late on Saturday and was quickly dismissed. The West Indies will be anxious to have him on field today because in the role of an economical stock bowler. White can give Hall and Griffith valuable spells. The Australian captain, R. Simpson, believes Australia could win this test depending on his batsmen producing a huge total in reply to the West Indies 400 plus score. But that seems wishful thinking and at this stage the best it seems Australia can set its target for is a draw.

RESTRICTING RUNS Simpson will be anxious to restrict the West Indies tailend to as few runs as possible this morning to make the tourists’ task easier. With the addition of five runs Simpson can call for the new ball.

Simpson plans a few overs of spinners to see if he can achieve a quick breakthrough. Failing that he will summon his speed men into the attack in a bid to finish off the West Indies innings.