Eight Magnificent Overs By “Reject”

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30971, 29 January 1966, Page 3

Eight Magnificent Overs By “Reject”

[From W. J. O’REILLY, N.Z.P.A. special correspondent]

ADELAIDE OVAL. In eight magnificent overs yesterday morning D. McKenzie gave Australia an inspiring chance of winning this seriessaving test.

Encouraged by the discovery that he could get the ball to lift awkwardly from a good length, McKenzie delved so enthusiastically into the important task that he not only got rid of R. W. Barber, before the devastating Englishman could start using the middle of his bat, but went on to have J. H. Edrich snapped up in slips where Simpson took a splendid catch low to the ground.

It was a great personal triumph for the young West Australian after the thoughtless selection decision which had originally omitted him from this vital game. My sympathies were with him from the first ball—but he needed no sympathy from anyone once he saw the ball getting lift. A remarkable in-swinger stranded Barber who could do no better than get the inside edge of his bat to it before it hit the stumps. Signs Of Delight It was good to see the happy reactions of the Australian fieldsmen as they crowded round McKenzie admiringly. A lot of it, of course, came from unbounded relief at seeing the hard-hitting left hander beating such a hasty retreat, but there were many obvious signs of delight over McKenzie’s spirited re-entry. Edrich found so much difficulty in handling the McKenzie “lifter” that his mis-hit to Simpson could well have been forecast from the start. I have believed right from the start of this series that England’s greatest individual match winning asset is Barber. His wonderful Sydney innings proved that conclusively. If Barber gets well away, opposing bowlers face an almost impossible task. By bowling right up to him and forcing him to play defensively. McKenzie was able to get that in-swinger to dip in past his bat.

Support Job By comparison with McKenzie, N. J. N. Hawke did not bowl noticeably well. As in the first Sydney session, he was inclined to bowl short and his direction was often badly astray. But he did a magnifi cent support job for Simpson when the Australian captain was anxious to maintain the pace attack even when McKenzie had to he spelled. Hawke’s wicket, Boycott, was admittedly a splendid contribution to the day’s result but coming as it did from one of the greatest slip catches I have ever seen I am rather inclined to credit the wicket to I. M. Chappell. Lunging into an attempted cover drive which he had been employing to startling effect. Boycott mishit and the ball went lightning fast past young Chappell, who threw out his right hand, grabbed it and collapsed in a heap on the ground. This was a classic example of a “match winning” effort. Australia’s fielding was easily its best seen this season. Boycott, whose test per-

formance this season have been lavishly aided and abetted by Australian fielding errors, must have thought his ledger account in luck had been adequately squared when Chappell brought off his spectacular catch. Leg Before Barrington, enjoying the task of sheet anchoring, allowed the crowd to rattle his concentration long enough to let K. D. Walters through with a delivery which kept low enough to get him legbefore. T. R. Velvets bowled well. Noone thought fit to take liberties with him until M.

J. K. Sr'ith went for a big hit and missed. This is certain to be a deeply interesting match.