Hard Practice By N.Z. Team

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31522, 9 November 1967, Page 17

Hard Practice By N.Z. Team

(By

R. T. BRITTENDEN)

The serious business of New Zealand’s cricket tour of Australia began at Hagley Oval yesterday when the touring team worked diligently and well for two hours and a half.

The ancient serenity of the ground might not have provided a proper background for the harsher surroundings and circumstances of Australia.

However, the practice hinted that this team will be at the top of its bent before the tour begins in Adelaide at the end of next week.

It had been planned to hold two practices at Lancaster Park yesterday, but when the team went to the nets there in the morning the practice pitches, which have been extremely good this season, were found to be quite unsatisfactory. The spinners turned the ball violently, and often a medium-pace delivery would rear up dangerously. Alabaster Impresses

Batting practice was abandoned after about an hour, but there was some useful fielding and the wicketkeeper, R. 1. Harford, was in a net to have his first look at J. C. Alabaster's spin from behind the stumps. There was some impressive batting at Hagley in the afternoon, with B. E. Congdon in particularly good form. K. Thomson, who has had very little opportunity to practice because of his overseas hockey tour, middled the ball very well and the captain, B. W. Sinclair, was another who impressed particularly. It was heartening to see Alabaster, another whose practice has been very limited, bowling so well. He kept the ball on a consistently good length and he was better able to contain Congdon than the others. The New Zealanders will have a final practice at Hagley this morning. The threeday match against a Canterbury invitation team will begin at Lancaster Park at 10 a.m. on Friday.