N.Z. Backs To The Wall After Batsmen Surrender Initiative

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31549, 11 December 1967, Page 24

N.Z. Backs To The Wall After Batsmen Surrender Initiative

(From D. J. CAMERON)

SYDNEY.

The New Zealand cricket team which had promised so much with its aggressive fielding and bowling on Friday, became a side of timid, mostly ineffectual batsmen on Saturday, and now faces defeat, or a bitter struggle for a draw, against New South Wales in the next two days.

New South Wales, largely due to R. B. Simpson’s majestic 137 not out, stands at 301 and 24 for no wicket.

New Zealand, out for 159, is already 166 runs behind—and with only the hope born of so many similar desperate situations.

Saturday’s play belonged to Simpson, to his quicker bowlers, D. Renneberg and G. E. Corling, and to the swift catching of the edged chances which the New Zealanders offered so readily. When play resumed, New South Wales was 236 for eight and Simpson, much more hale and hearty than the sick man of Friday, 86 not out. This ticklish situation brought out the wondrous control of Simpson.

He could score runs quickly, keep out the good balls and also protect with fascinating ease Corling from R. O. Collinge and B. R. Taylor with the new ball. SNICK OVER SLIPS

He completed his century —the fifty-fourth in first-class cricket—in another 27 minutes, and the only flaw was a flying snick over the slips from Taylor. The next lapse came when R. C. Motz made his belated appearance and Simpson, 109, gave a catch to second slip which B. W. Yuile should

have gobbled up, but which went quickly to the ground. By now Simpson was dictating terms to the bowlers, driving, cutting, pulling—it all looked so simple as he increased the tempo of his innings. It was as well that New Zealand had Motz for he managed to get a ball past Corling and bowl him. However, the damage was already done. Simpson had taken the initiative away from New Zealand with his 58-run stand with Corling, and when the score reached 301 and Motz had Renneberg legbefore, one sensed that the damage had been done. MADE AMENDS And so it proved. New Zealand had only 20 minutes to bat until lunch, 20 minutes in which runs did not matter while Simpson could call for a sudden, sharp attack from Renneberg and Corling. Renneberg seemed to have given New Zealand a bonus when he dropped B. A. G. Murray at leg-slip in the second over. But he struck back himself, persuading T. W. Jarvis to follow an outswinger and then removing B. E. Congdon with a marvellous delivery which started about leg stump, dipped across Congdon and flitted away from the edge of the bat to Simpson's safe hands. It was 18 for two at lunch,

with Murray and V. Pollard carrying the burden. New Zealand hearts were lifted as Murray struck back after lunch. A four over slips off Corling was followed by a superb hook to the fence. Even Renneberg, still able to swing and seam the ball, felt the full blade of Murray's bat. INNINGS WRECKED Just when it seemed as if Murray and Pollard, bringing up 50 in 54 minutes, were out of trouble, Simpson changed Corling to Renneberg’s end. In 19 more minutes, the energetic and accurate Corling wrecked the innings by taking three wickets for three runs. Pollard got a faint touch to a drive, Murray nudged rather than hit a catch to forward square leg, and Burgess fossicked outside the off stump. B. W. Sinclair and Yuile buckled down and kept their wickets intact, but it was merely a holding action rather than a counter-attack. Corling still had a sting to his bowling, and Simpson’s hands were as rapacious as ever, as Yuile departed at 104 and, one cover drive later, Taylor at 114.

Now the dreaded spectre of the follow-on began to hover over the innings with, apparently, only the doughty little Sinclair to save this indignity. However, Simpson, by keeping Corling and Renneberg working alternatively from one end, had to leave the other open to spin and this was something Collinge understood. Sinclair scored three and Collinge 10 from four balls from G. R. Davies. UNTYPICAL SINCLAIR

J. W. Gleeson quickly yielded a mighty six and a four to Collinge. With a rush, then, the score raced just past the follow-on mark of 151 before Sinclair was out trying to cut Gleeson. There were a handful of authentic Sinclair strokes in this valiant 150 - minute struggle, a cover drive or two of peerless quality. But mostly Sinclair batted with such a heavy burden on his shoulders that his real ability had to be stifled. Collinge was spectacular and wonderful value, hitting the ball powerfully. He died as he lived, taking the most tremendous swing at a ball from Renneberg which plucked out his middle stump. After that there were 37 rather peaceful minutes as Collinge and Motz, their sting not as sharp as on Friday, worried Simpson and L. Marks only a little as New South Wales scored 24 for no wicket. TENTATIVE PRODB Where did the New Zealanders, the confident, dynamic force of Friday, go wrong on Saturday? Neither Renneberg nor Corling was blindingly fast and there was no apparent need for panic. Congdon, as seemed inevitable to a man out of form, got an extra-special ball from Renneberg, who is inclined to be erratic. Coding kept nagging away, feeding his bait outside the off stump, and tentative and unnecessary nrods did the rest. Six New Zealanders died of self-inflicted wounds to the semi-circle of fieldsmen behind the wicket that Simpson was able to post for the whole innings. This was the second innings at Adelaide all over again. At least there the New Zealanders might have pleaded some ignorance of the speed and bounce of an Australian pitch. They would be hard put to make a similar excuse for Saturday’s failure. They have platted an erratic course during this tour. Even with all the good will in the world, it is hard to see how they can steer clear of the rocks in the last two days. Simpson has, by his own mastery, this game in his hands. Now 166 ahead, it seems likely that he will call on New Zealand to score between 350 and 400 on a pitch which is likely to favour the bowlers more and more. The prospect for New Zealand is hardly encouraging.