BURGE, BOOTH 192 RUN STAND FOILS N.Z. Dead Pitch Choking Life Out Of Final Test

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31330, 29 March 1967, Page 15

BURGE, BOOTH 192 RUN STAND FOILS N.Z. Dead Pitch Choking Life Out Of Final Test

(From

R. T. BRITTENDEN

AUCKLAND. The Australians closed their ranks at Eden Park yesterday as the fourth test ground through its third day.

Burge and Booth, two of Australia’s most accomplished batsmen, shared a stand which all but disposed of New Zealand’s slim chance of beating the Australians for a second time.

They were together for 282 minutes, adding 192 for the third wicket and they were still in possession at the close. Australia had scored 246 for two, Booth just past his 100, Burge almost there.

It was a fine blend of soundness and style by two players who have not, on this tour, done as much as was expected of them.

The pitch has so far shown only very occasional signs of allowing the ball to do anything untoward. Yesterday a couple from Yuile came through low, but the New Zealand spinners could not turn the ball as readily as the Australians had done and the abrasive surface and lack of pace combined to give the faster bowlers a heavy burden. After the second ball had been bowled in the Australian innings on Monday, Sinclair was able to pick up the ball by a piece of the skin, and

by tea yesterday it was so battered and broken that it had to be replaced. Defensive Bowling The long partnership between Booth and Burge began on a quiet note, and the New Zealand bowlers, particularly before tea, were successful in denying the batsmen runs at more than a modest rate. Cunis, before lunch, bowled 10 overs and had only four runs taken from him. But it seemed that the bowling policy was too often based on the belief that if the batsmen were pinned down to a trickle of runs, they would get themselves out. The defensive look about the bowling really began after lunch, and after about three overs with the second new ball, later in the day, Motz and Taylor had but a single slip and run-saving ring of fieldsmen. New Zealand was in a sufficient safe position to have encouraged the batsmen to go for their shots by keeping the ball further up to them.

Sleepy Period

New Zealand had to have wickets, and the batsmen never looked like getting out as a sleepy middle period of play proceded with the bat meeting the ball regularly, and the white sea of fieldsmen ebbing and flowing gently. It took the Australians a long time to get the pace of the pitch, but after tea they

scored very briskly, even when New Zealand was making its most determined economy drive.

Australia had lost Favell, bowled by Pollard when playing outside an off-break, at 36, and Cunningham, brilliantly caught by Harford, who scurried round the stumps to make a wonderful diving catch, at 54. In the first hour New Zealand looked as if it might make sufficient progress to bring the game to life. Just before Favell went, 26 runs had been added in 40 minutes, and of them 18 had come from inadvertent snicks. It was not that Motz and Taylor were able to swing or cut the ball very much, but they both mustered considerable pace and the batsmen seemed strangely ill at ease. Burge Was Lucky And in the over that Cunningham departed. New Zealand might well have ended

the Booth-Burge partnership almost before it had begun. From an inside edge of Burge’s bat the ball flew to Harford, but it rebounded from a glove and its change of flight gave Dowling, short at backward square, no chance to do anything about a catch which went over his shoulder. At this time, Pollard was in his most authoritative mood, bustling in to bowl, racing this way and that to cut off strokes which threatened singles. But the calm accomplishment of Booth and the broad bat of Burge slowly took the sting from the bowling. For the rest of the day if was merely a matter of waiting to see if the batsmen would fall into error, measuring their progress, and admiring the many splendid strokes they brought into play as their monarchy became firmly established. Nervous Forties Booth spent an interminable period between 46 and 50, and took nearly three hours to reach the half-century: he was again becalmed in the nineties: Burge took 70 minutes to attain double figures, but reached his 50 in 140 minutes.

But they had no alternative to batting as long as they could: at the start of the day, the Australians had to concede that their only target would be a draw. It was calm and cultured batting by Booth, whose lean build lends itself to the production of lovely, flowing strokes, and the implacable defence, relieved by the occasional booming hit, of Burge, a massive man in whose hands the bat looks like a matchstick. There were handsome strokes made by both batsmen, but it was not really a day’s play to fire the imagination, for the New Zealand bowlers seemed to have a hopeless task and the Australian batsmen no possible policy but to make sure they did not get out. Booth went to his century just before stumps, after bat ting 311 minutes. Jarvis Off Field With Jarvis injured, some rearrangement of the New Zealand field settings was necessary. Motz had Yuile, Pollard and Taylor as his slips, for the brief period such expensive luxuries were retained, and when Taylor bowled, Thomson joined the clutch.

The New Zealand fielding was generally good, although Thomson was below his best. Dowling made some astonishing stops round the corner and the substitute Vivian also distinguished himself frequently. Taylor and Motz showed some penetration at the start of the day, but they were drudges after that and Pollard, unable to turn more than a very little, was too quick and fiat to bother the batsmen much. Yuile looked New Zealand’s best prospect. He could not spin the ball but at least he had Burge coming forward to him to drive, and hitting at the prospect of error.

Economic Cunis Cunis would have won a prize for good bowling housekeeping, but he seemed merely to put the ball on the bat. Booth, a splendid driver, straight or on either side of the wicket, brought off some fine deflections. Burge also drove strongly and pulled and swept vigorously when he was permitted. It was the most disciplined innngs Burge has played on this tour. The Australians owned the day, and there is nothing to suggest that they will not be in charge again today.