State XI Declares 76 Runs Behind

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32199, 19 January 1970, Page 20

State XI Declares 76 Runs Behind

(N.Z.P.A. stag Correspondent) SYDNEY. The New South Wales captain, J. Benaud, made an effort to salvage the rain-affected cricket match against New Zealand when he declared his side’s first innings 76 runs behind on the second day yesterday.

The morning session was abandoned because of heavy rain and play did not start until 45 minutes before tea. New South Wales resumed 44 for two in reply to New Zealand’s 212 but Benaud called his side in with the score at 136 for three.

This left New Zealand 25 minutes batting until stumps, and G. M. Turner and B. E. Congdon saw the side safely through the period, to be 14 without Joss.

When R. Collins and A. Steele continued the New South Wales innings, New Zealand looked for an early breakthrough and nearly had it

D. R. Hadlee found the edge of Steele’s bat when he was on four, but Congdon put the chance down at second slip when It looked as if Turner was lining himself up well to take the catch at first slip. It was a costly error; Steele went on to 49 when Benaud announced his declaration. New South Wales went to tea two down for 74, with Collins on 27 and Steele 11. They had added 30 runs in 47 minutes, and the 100 came up soon after the break when Steele lifted H. J. Howarth hard and high over the midon fence for six.

New Zealand gained its only success of the day through R. S. Cunis, who took over the attack from Collinge and found the edge of Collins's bat for Turner to take the catch at first slip. Collins made 47 and he and Steele added 87 for the third wicket, in 109 minutes. Steele’s 49 took .142 minutes and included five fours and a six. Brilliant Fielding Although New Zealand kept itself in the game by dismissing the two New South Wales openers in the hour before stumps on Saturday, the state side largely dominated the first day's play. Turner and Congdon put on 55 before the first wicket fell and there were valuable contributions later from G. E.

Vivian, K. J. Wadsworth and Hadlee. But the features of the day were the catching and fielding of -the New South Wales players, and the tight and accurate bowling of R. Collins and K. O’Keeffe. With the former Australian pace bowler, D. Renneberg, able to bowl only in short bursts because of sore feet, which have troubled him in recent weeks, Benaud had to call on the right-arm mediumpacer Collins for a prolonged spell. Like the leg-spinner O’Keeffe, Collins responded magnificently, and finished with five wickets for 54 off 19.6 overs. He had immediate success with the second ball of his second spell, having M. G. Burgess caught at mid-off by Renneberg. Acrobatic Catch Six balls later New Zealand slumped to 81 for four when G. Davies made a magnificent one-handed catch at short square leg as R. W. Morgan tried to force Collins away. New Zealand went to lunch four down for 82 after 112 minutes, and Collins had taken two wickets for three runs in the two overs of his second spell. He resumed the attack after lunch and had Vivian dropped by O’Keeffe in the slips when Vivian was on four. It was the only blemish in the field by the home side, but a costly one, for Vivian went on to 42. Benaud brought Renneberg back for another spell, during which he had Vivian brilliantly caught in the gully by Steele off a full-blooded cut, and then Collins came back for his final burst which finished off New Zealand. Power At Both Ends In 54 balls, Collins had R. S. Cunis caught by B. Francis in the slips for two. Hadlee snapped up by O’Keeffe in the slips off another powerful cut,

and then had Collinge caught by Davies from a skied drive to mid-off.

While Collins had dominated proceedings from one and O’Keeffe was in control to almost the same extent at the other. He got Turner's wicket with the fifth ball of his first over when the batsman was smartly picked up by Steele at leg slip as Turner tried to force O’Keeffe away to leg.

Then, with the fourth ball or ills third over, O’Keeffe had New Zealand’s other opener, Congdon, who attempted a cut but gave himself too little room arid the ball flew from the top edge of the bat to the wicket-keeper, M. Hendricks. O’Keeffe kept the pressure on the batsmen in the heat, apart from brief spells from the left-arm spinner, M. Pawley. He finished with fine figures of three for 38 off 16 overs and at one stage had three for 19 off 11 overs. Vivian In Form

Apart from the opening stand by Turner and Congdon, New Zealand's brightest moment was when Vivian was in full cry. Only a week after his magnificent 137 not out at Melbourne, Vivian looked in the same form again as he cut and drove his way into the New South Wales attack. Wadsworth produced some of his best batting of the tour. He and Vivian came together with New Zealand five down for 119 and they added 24. Wadsworth and Cunis added another 22 for the seventh wicket, and finally Hadlee and Collinge provided 30 valuable runs for the ninth. New Zealand’s 212 took 264 minutes to compile, off 62.6 overs.

Hadlee and Collinge struck New Zealand’s two blows in the last hour. Hadlee had A. Turner caught at the wicket for six, and New South Wales 15, and Collinge, with his third ball, bowled B. Francis. Steele was lucky to survive the second ball from Collinge which left him late as he played forward outside the off stump.