N.Z. Bowlers Have County Batsmen In Trouble

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32035, 9 July 1969, Page 19

N.Z. Bowlers Have County Batsmen In Trouble

(From R. T. BRITTENDEN, N.Z.P.A. special correspondent) CHESTERFIELD. The New Zealand bowlers took all the morning’s honours on the final day of the three-day cricket match against Derbyshire yesterday.

Both spin and pace combined to take four county second innings wickets for 56 runs by lunch.

After New Zealand had declared at its overnight total of 283 for nine, Derbyshire was immediately in trouble when the opener, D. Smith, was caught off R. O. Collinge with only a single scored.

V. Pollard and H. J. Howarth came into the attack with 31 on the board and had quick successes, Pollard getting two wickets (his first of the tour) and Howarth one. Splendid Recovery

On Monday, New Zealand recovered from four wickets down for 89 to gain a firstinnings lead with the last two batsmen together. A composed and cultured innings by M. G. Burgess for 54 and a dashing innings of 77 by K. J. Wadsworth led the New Zealand counterattack, with Pollard and R. S. Cunis also playing very valuable roles. Deep inroads were made into New Zealand’s batting in the two hours before lunch on Monday. G. T. Dowling and B. E. Congdon progressed steadily until H. J. Rhodes beat Congdon with one which seemed to leave the batsman a little, and 10 runs later Dowling was out l.b.w. trying to swing T. J. Eyre to leg. B. F. Hastings and Pollard became very conscious of vagaries in the height at which the ball came through at one end and their problems were not diminished by having such strange bowlers as Rhodes and Eyre on at the same time. Actions Looked Illegal Rhodes has been called for throwing on several occasions and after years of argument was finally judged last December as having a fair delivery. Eyre was reported in 1965 by an umpire who was “not completely satisfied with his bowling action.” Without all the modem scientific equipment apparently necessary to adjudicate

on such matters, any impartial observer would conclude that the actions of both look highly illegal. It was certainly nothing to do with the action of Rhodes which led to Hastings’s dismissal. He had played very safely and well until 10 minutes before lunch he chased one, shortish and wide, but succeeded only in getting a touch to the wicket-keeper. At the interval, New Zealand was in parlous plight at 89 for four, but Burgess and Pollard in a determined stand added 51 before Pollard was superbly stumped on the legside by R. W. Taylor off D. C. Morgan. Tantalising Off-Spin

The batsmen had problems of pace to meet and also some tantalising off-spin bowling from Smith, who was the first to use six on-side fieldsmen against the New Zealanders. A long line of them about 30 yards from the bat stretched from backward of square to deep and wide mid-on, and he turned the ball enough to be decidedly awkward.

Burgess took 10 off one over but it was a protracted struggle to penetrate the field until Pollard twice charged down the pitch to hit straight fours. When a man dropped back, he crossed the line to thump another boundary to mid-wicket.

Then Wadsworth, with his uninhibited approach, helped restore New Zealand’s fortunes further by sharing a fine partnership with Burgess which reached 50 in 47 minutes.

Burgess went on to 54 and the partnership was worth 67 before Rhodes, with the second new ball, had one lift and leave Burgess. Attacking Batting

Wadsworth gave a remarkable display for a batsman whose first class career is not much more than six months old. Positively oozing confidence, he attacked everything that looked vulnerable. Before he went in be observed that Derbyshire seemed to be a bit confident and that “a bit of stick wouldn’t be a bad idea.” He applied it pretty sensibly although there were times when he seemed to take distinct risks.

But to a young man with such a keen eye and a belief in the ball being hit, these were probably not regarded as risks at all.. He hit Rhodes straight back overhead for 4, new ball and all, hooked Morgan for 4 and 6, and pulled Smith for a tremendous 6.

There were dazzling drives, some clean cuts and a broad defensive bat when really required. He hit 11 fours and two sixes, and with Cunis,

who was encouraged in his defensive role by avid observations from the crowd, added 48 for the eighth wicket. DERBYSHIRE First Innings 270 Second Innings D. H. Smith c Congdon b Collinge 0 P. J. Gibbs c Turner b Pollard 28 H. Page retired hurt .. 1 J. F. Harvey c Dowling b Howarth 4 I. R. Buxton c Turner b Pollard 17 D. C. Morgan not out 1 R. W. Taylor not out 2 Extras 3 Total for four wkts 56 Fall of wickets: one for 1, two for 31, three for 52, four for 52. NEW ZEALAND First Innings G. T. Dowling lbw b Eyre .. 29 G. M. Turner c Taylor b Ward 2 B. E. Congdon b Rhodes .. 17 B. F. Hastings c Taylor b Rhodes 13 V. Pollard st Taylor b Morgan 38 M. G. Burgess c Morgan b Rhodes 54 K. J. Wadsworth b Smith .. 77 R. C. Motz lbw b Rhodes .. 3 R. S. Cunis not out .. .. 19 R. O. Collinge c and b Smith 5 H. J. Howarth not out 7 Extras (byes 6, leg-byes 11, no-balls 2) ..19 Total (for 9 wkts dec.) 283 Fall of wickets: one for 11, two for 49, three for 59, four for 85, five for 136, six for 203, seven for 215, eight for 263, nine for 269. Bowling: Ward, 20, 7, 37, 1; Eyre, 19, 2, 63, 1; E. Smith, 35, 13, 79, 2; Rhodes, 21, 4, 52, 4; Morgan, 22, 12. 33, 1.