Lawry was not surprised

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32524, 6 February 1971, Page 44

Lawry was not surprised

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) ADELAIDE. Australia’s discarded cricket captain, W. M. Lawry, was not asked by the selectors if he would play under I. M. Chappell in the Ashes-deciding seventh test against England.

“The first thing I knew about the team, and that I’d been dropped, was when heard it with some of the other playes on the midday news,” Lawry said yesterday. “I’m not really disappointed. I had a fair inkling of what they would do. "I’m still enjoying my cricket but I'll have to think seriously about my future in the winter. A lot depends on my pre-season form next season.

CHOSEN ON FORM “Ken Eastwood is playing well, good luck to him. He was chosen on form and that is what they wanted for the last test.”

Cricket observers reminded Lawry he had carried his bat for 60 not out in the second innings of the fourth test in Sydney last month—the test which England won by 299 runs to take its 1-0 lead in the series.

“That was two tests ago,” Lawry said, philosophically.

His innings in the present series have been: 4 and 84 (Brisbane); 0 and 38 not out (Perth); 9 and 60 not out (Sydney); 56 and 42 (Melbourne); 10 and 21 (Adelaide). He had made 324 runs at an average of 40.5. SCORED 5234 RUNS Lawry, aged 33, had captained Australia in 26 of his 68 tests since he made his debut in 1961, during which time he made 5234 runs. He was the eleventh player to pass 5000 runs in tests. The news that the 23-year-old Queenslander, Tony Dell, had been selected stun-. ned Dell almost as much as lit did cricket followers. This is his first season in first-class cricket. I “It knocked me sideways,” he said, but, realistically, he 'wasted no time. He turned out to practice at the nets at 4 pm. Dell’s most impressive feature is his size—6ft 4|in and 16 stone. He was bom in England and went to Australia with his family when he l was 12.