Lawry Says Aust. Will Not “Sit” On 1-0 Lead

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31727, 10 July 1968, Page 15

Lawry Says Aust. Will Not “Sit” On 1-0 Lead

(N.Z. Press Association—CopvrlffhO NOTTINGHAM. The Australian captain, W. M. Lawry, yesterday outlined a policy of all-out aggression for the third test against England, which will start at Edgbaston tomorrow.

Lawry said it would be fatal for Australia to try to sit on its 1-0 lead in the aeries. "We have got to forget we are'' one up and start from scratch. “At Manchester, we went into the first test with nothing -to lose. Nobody thought we would win it but ourselves. Meeting Bad Patch "Since then, we have had the bad patch that seems to affect every tourist team at some stage. We were beaten by Yorkshire, the best county in England, and we managed to ..struggle through the Lord’s test, so we have had this- slump at. the best time. “It. would be fatal fa the three remaining tests for us to try .to hol,d on to our lead because we are not a good enough side for that” England’s policy is all-out aggresalon too, judging by the heavy, emphasis on bowling strength in the side chosen last Sunday. Cannot Afford Draw

So thia Edgbaston test shapes as the most crucial of the series. England being unable to afford a draw because it would then be faced with the task of winning the last two teste to recover the Ashes. The Warwickshire secretary, Mr L. Deakins, said he was happy with the preparation of the test pitch. It will be on an area dug up and replanted several years ago. It is the same pitch that was used for the Pakistan test last year and proved a good one on which 880 runs were scored.

The ground can seat 24,000 people and another 3000 can be accommodated on the

actual arena behind the boundary ropes. Rain, never far distant from the Australians this summer, washed out the second day’s play in their match against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge yesterday. The rain eased off after lunch but the ground was too wet for play.

Unless the Australian bowlers can have a day’s action on the final day there will be complications in the selection of the test team. The selectors wanted a last minute comparison between the fast bowlers, N. J. Hawke, E. Freeman and D. Renneberg. Hawke Is being strongly challenged by the other two.