ONE WICKET LEFT, ONE DAY TO GO Rain is N.Z.’s only hope of saving first test

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33776, 24 February 1975, Page 26

ONE WICKET LEFT, ONE DAY TO GO Rain is N.Z.’s only hope of saving first test

( Front

R. T. BRITTENDEN

AUCKLAND.

New Zealand cricket, which has fought so hard for success in recent years, slid down a steep slope at Eden Park yesterday and is on the very brink of a crushing defeat by England.

The scoresheet is a proper reflection of the manner in which England has outplayed New Zealand throughout the game.

New Zealand, out in the morning for 326, collapsed in the afternoon to 161 for nine.

England's huge first innings score set the home team a task for which it was just not equipped. Although the pitch remained a good one, it was inevitable that on the third and, especially, the fourth days, the bowlers had rather more going for them. The spinners, Derek Underwood and Tonv Greig, were able to turn the ball, particularly Greig, who was the chief executioner, with a match analysis so far of 10 for 149 And when the soft-treading Underwood had finished his stint, he had taken his test figures in matches against New Zealand to 4fi wickets at an average of only 11.7. Underwood has only to pick up the ball to cause furrowed New Zealand brows. Swift collapse From the wreckage of this match New Zealarfd could salvage a little hatting pride. John Parker made a fighting first-innings century. John Morrison was twice oast 50. Ken Wadsworth made a halfcenturv, and vesterdav afternoon Geoffrev Howarth hatted with some distinction. New Zealand’s first innings batting was a beleaguered city, surviving on a meagre ration of runs, and never able to sally forth on a counterattack. Parker. Wadsworth, and Morrison fought desperately hard, hut the final collaose of the defence was swift.

There were two very fine periods of play for New Zealand, when Parker and Morrison batted through the third morning on Saturday, and when Parker and Wadsworth stayed together from tea to close of play. It was a titanic struggle for them, for England’s lively! pace men bowled hardly a ball of driveable length It was only the absence of a third man, almost throughout; the day, which permitted pro. ■ gress at a reasonable rate. ' Lethal mixture The 6ft 7in Greig was the| principal worry. He mixed i genuine off-breaks at brisk pace with outswingers, and he! was able to get an awkward; bounce from a shade short' of a length. Parker played him better; than any of the others, fori he alone showed an ability toj get on to the hack foot. The; others unfailingly pushed; forward, and it was not always safe, with Greig dig-; ging the ball in. Parker was not flawless. He i was almost caught and; bowled by Chris Old at 71. | and 20 runs later he survived; an appeal for a catch at slip.! He sometimes played and; missed but, generally, it was; cool, determined batting! which brought him his second | test century. Century stands j He battled it out for 408; minutes, sharing second-; wicket partnership of 116’ with Morrison, one of 112; with Wadsworth for the sixth | wicket. Morrison, getting on! to the front foot, played the; pace bowling with style and; certainty, but similar methods I

against Greig brought an air of frailty to his batting.

It was a particular triumph for Parker. When he last played against England, the seamers had beaten him repeatedly. But this innings, ' which began on his twenty- : fourth birthday, vindicated faith in him. He brought off (some delightful glances and i CUtS. Wadsworth, too, won admiration for bis disciplined display. He batted for 217 minutes — a remarkably patient performance from a batsman who dislikes bowling restraints. Seagull pie It was a fascinating struggle, as Greig worked on the batsmen in a testing spell of bowling lasting almost three hours and a half. The enthusiasm was immense when a weary "*arker moved to his century, and there was the usual delay as hundreds of children swarmed on to the ground, out-pacing with ease the posse of 25 constables who moved out to intercept them. In the excitement, someone evidently dropped a pie, for when the crowd went, there were 25 seagulls in a tight little group, nodding their heads learnedly and looking rather like spectators who come out to discuss the pitch at the intervals. 100th wicket During the innings Greig took his test wickets to 100. And there had been a milestone earlier in the game for Hedley Howarth who. in his marathon stint of bowling, took his total of test deliveries beyond John Reid’s 7727. The faithful Howarth set his record after only six years of tests. Underwood, used surprisingly little on Saturday, roled up the innings rapidly yesterday — three for eight in his five overs, with far more flight than usual.

The New Zealand resist-

ance movement lasted 495 minutes, and it had seemed almost endless. Yet it had to start again with a great gulf of 620 minutes to be crossed, and a run deficit of 267. Turner fails It was a depressing situation psychologically, and one almost for despair with the second overthrow of Glenn Turner. He was defeated by a fine out-swinger from Peter Lever which committed Turner to the stroke before moving late. Bevan Congdon and Morrison played some assertive strokes in company until Underwood beat Congdon through the air and bowled him as he tried to cut. So it was the afternoon of the fourth day before the stumps were broken for the second time. Brian Hastings came and went, caught at leg gully from a stroke of which he was not in full control. There was some more stout defence from Parker as Morrison batted with maturity and sometimes with majesty. Mature batting He brought off some glorious shots—cuts from Arnold and a fine straight drive off the same bowler, a couple of beautiful cover drives off Greig and Underwood. He looked a very good test player in an innings of 160 minutes which brought him his second half-century of the match. But an assertive England side had Greig, with sharp spin and an occasional nasty bounce, to worry the batsmen out, and they came and went. England taking a succession of sharp catches. Geoffrey Howarth batted with much skill and style, and in an over from Greig took three boundaries with magnificent strokes. He had a rather unexpected ally in Ewen Chatfield, who prolonged the end with defiant defence, winning noisy cheer-

ing every time he survived a delivery. Howarth was cool of head during this last-ditch stand, which, with a little assistance from the elements, took New Zealand on to live another day, however briefly. The last over was bowled by Underwood, in appalling light. The first one was edged by Howarth and the ball raced towards the boundary. But an eager youngster ran out and stopped it, costing Howarth two runs. Tropical downpour After the second ball, the umpires ruled the light was unfit—which it was—and as if to emphasise that fate meant New Zealand to survive a little longer, there was a tropical downpour as the players left the field. It is only a small dignity, but New Zealand is probably pleased that its five-day matches do go into a fifth day. The tour-weary Englishmen may not share that feeling.