Illingworth’s Off-Spin May Upset Australia

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31726, 9 July 1968, Page 15

Illingworth ’s Off-Spin May Upset Australia

(Special Correspondent N.Z.P.A.) LONDON. The all-rounder, R. Illingworth, has been brought into the England cricket team for the third test against Australia, to start at Edgbaston on Thursday.

K. Fletcher, the Essex batsman, has also been included by the selectors, but his role will probably be as twelfth man.

The England team is: C. Cowdrey, K. Barrington, G. Boycott, D. Brown, J. Edrich, K. Fletcher, T. Graveney, R. Illingworth, B. Knight, A. Knctt, J. Snow, D. Underwood.

The selectors probably do not plan any batting replacement for C. Milburn but rather will play Illingworth. Illingworth has been restored to test cricket by virtue of his “double” for the triumphant Yorkshire team against the Australians at Sheffield. Not Welcome

Never at ease against class off-spin, the Australian batsmen will not view Illingworth's recall as a spin partner to Underwood with any relish.

Otherwise England has retained all its impressive Lord's line-up, the only absentee being the injured Milburn.

The Australian wicket-keep-er, B. Jarman, still holds out hope he may be fit for the test. Jarman has not played since he broke the index finger of his right hand in three places during the Lord’s test.

Yesterday he said today the finger was still a little tender but that there was a lot of movement there. The Australian manager (Mr R. Parish) said that the next couple of days would be all-important, but there had been a very quick improvement.

However, there seems to be an unnecessary gamble in considering Jarman for the crucial third test. Another severe blow could conceivably put him out of the test, as happened at Lord's. Sound Understudy

Besides, B. Taber, Jarman’s understudy, is keeping soundly, and playing some useful innings with the bat. Australia's third test lineup should become clearer after the match against Nottinghamshire, at Trent Bridge, where the Australians scored 357 for seven on the first day.

There should be keen competition among the Australian pace bowlers, N. Hawke, D. Renneberg and E. Freeman.

Hawke's third test position must be shaky, to say the least. He has had a poor tour, with only one victim in the two tests so far, and an equally disappointing record with the bat. Good Chance Renneberg, who took eight wickets for 72 against Essex, has come strongly into calculations as McKenzie’s newball partner at Edgbaston. Freeman also has undeniable claims. Although his 13 wickets at 31.38 are inferioi to Renneberg's tour record of 19 wickets at 21.36, he is an all-rounder. Freeman was second in the Australian batting, at 44.25, before the game against Nottinghamshire. His batting po tential would stiffen the lateorder Australian batting, which has been so brittle in recent games. Aggressive Note

And his capacity to take any bowling by the scrufl of the neck could introduce a new note of aggression to the Australian batting at Edgbaston. The enigma of the Australians must be the opener, 1. Redpath, who is batting well but has not succeeded in the His 84 at Trent Bridge lifted his tour aggregate to 703 runs—easily the highest of all the Australian batsmen. Yet in four test innings he has made only 73 runs, including one effort of 53 at Lord’s. If Redpath can take his county form Into the Edgbaston test, Australia’s hopes will rise appreciably.