SIMPSON STOPS COLLAPSE Crippled N.Z. Team Has Great Day

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31548, 9 December 1967, Page 15

SIMPSON STOPS COLLAPSE Crippled N.Z. Team Has Great Day

(From

D. J. CAMERON)

SYDNEY.

Held together by sticking plaster, pain-killing injections and a do-or-die spirit, the New Zealand cricketers had a minor triumph yesterday when, with a growing list of walking wounded, they took eight New .South Wales wickets for 236 runs.

The gallant New Zealanders, with R. C. Motz bowling 20 overs with a broken finger, R. I. Harford taking four catches at the wicket in spite of a painful foot injury, and B. R. Taylor bowling magnificently with a strained side, played like men inspired.

And yet New Zea-

land did not own all the heroes. R. B. Simpson, the Australian opening batsman, was so affected by dysentery that he dropped to number seven in the batting order.

N.S.W. could thank its lucky stars that he did so, for Simpson propped up the second half of the innings after five wickets were lost for 110, and at stumps this prince of batsmen was 86 not out.

Before Simpson gritted his teeth and stayed there for almost three hours, it seemed as if the New Zealanders would take this famous ground by storm. . R. 0. Collinge bowled su-

perbly in taking three wickets for 54 from 18 overs, Motz and Taylor were equally as menacing, and the surprise caused by the preference of B. W. Yuile to J. C. Alabaster was wafted away when Yuile took the last three wickets to fall.

perbly in taking three wick<

Best of all, the New Zealanders fielded like men possessed. M. G. Burgess must have saved 20 runs himself in the covers, B. E. Congdon was incredibly swift in the gully, and B. W. Sinclair, T. W. Jarvis and V. Pollard were wonderful in the deep. Not one catch of the seven offered was dropped, and this was a triumph in itself. Backed by this dynamic fielding, the New Zealand bowlers tied down N.S.W. and only Simpson was gifted enough not to wilt under the pressure. Motz’s Decision The drama began even before Sinclair, after losing the toss, led his men out under the hot sun. Motz was having treatment for his injured hand and sore ankle—a legacy of his Adelaide injury—when Simpson and Sinclair tossed. By rights, Simpson could have asked for the New Zealand team then, but he allowed Motz time to have a fitness test. So there was a dramatic little scene in the nets behind the main ground as Motz bowled, his injured finger bandaged and slightly askew, and told Sinclair that he could play. The tension slackened a little as Collinge and Taylor, and then the gallant Motz attacked C. Blackman and L. Marks. They played and missed too much for their own comfort, and Blackman got the inevitable touch at 31. But when N.S.W. went to lunch at 71 for one, it seemed as if the powerful state side was on the brink of crushing the New Zealanders. Harford Hobbling It was hardly heartening, either, for the New Zealanders to see Harford hobbling on to the field after lunch. However in 23 minutes, the New Zealanders found that Harford, even on one good foot, was wonderful value. The menacing K. D. Walters drove at Motz, but the New Zealander made the ball move slightly, and Harford took the catch. Six runs later, the steadfast Marks slashed at Collings, and Congdon took a superb catch on his toes. Then G. R. Davies made two thrilling cover drives for four off Collinge, and it seemed as if the giant had

been tamed. Straight away, Collinge beat Davies off the pitch. With his next ball he did the same, got the edge, and Harford dived for a brilliant one-handed catch. In those 23 dramatic minutes, N.S.W. had lost three wickets for 19 runs and had toppled from 71 for one to 90 for four. Slow To Start B. C. Booth was most uncertain, and when Taylor returned, his second ball persuaded Booth to give Yuile a gentle catch at second slip. This brought Simpson to the wicket, listless and paler than usual, with the score 110 for five. Partly because of his illness, but mostly because of the accuracy of Taylor and Collinge, Simpson was dreadfully slow at the start. He took 50 minutes to reach double figures, and when tea was taken, at 114 for five, all the honours belonged to New Zealand. However, after tea Simpson was looking healthier, and Rothwell more certain with his strokes. With growing speed runs were gathered and it seemed, with the field slackening off just a little, that Sinclair was taking a risk by bringing on Yuile instead of Pollard.

The risk paid off. At 162, Yuile got the ball through Rothwell’s defence and bowled him.

Hit For Six

By now, however, Simpson was taking command. He hit Yuile over the long-on fence and drove the quicker bowlers. B. Taber did his share and the score galloped along to 200—in 300 minutes. But Yuile kept nagging away, sometimes forcing the hasty stroke, and at 204 Taber went for a cut, got a tickle, and Harford held the catch. In his majestic manner, Simpson held New Zealand at bay, and gradually he found his strokes—rich, straight drives. For 23 runs J. W. Gleeson stood and admired Simpson’s mastery. Then Gleeson got an edge to Yuile and B. A. G. Murray dived low to his right to pick up a brilliant catch an inch or two from the ground. By now, the New Zealanders were almost on their knees. Simpson, too, was almost done, and they went quietly to stumps, at 236 for eight