RECORDS MUST COUNT Changes not likely in N.Z. test team

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33777, 25 February 1975, Page 28

RECORDS MUST COUNT Changes not likely in N.Z. test team

(From R. T. BRITTEN DEN) AUCKLAND.

The New Zealand team for the second test with England, which begins at Lancaster Park on Friday, will be announced after the formal burial of the first

one is completed at Eden Park today It is not likely that any changes i will be made. There were many failures at Auckland, but the batting ones came from established and successful players who cannot be dropped on a single match.

Glen Turner, Bevan Congdon, and Brian Hastings totalled 43 runs in six innings, but their records demand their retention. Of the bowlers, Ewen Chatfield was the least impressive, but he improved as the long England innings wore on, and it would be difficult to drop him on one performance. New Zealand cricket suffered from that sort of treatment years ago. Chatfield bowled well for Wellington at Christchurch earlier in the season. Batsmen's puppets A better performance from New Zealand can be expected. At Auckland, evervthing went wrong, after the first hour. The life in the pitch was exploited well enough for a couple of early wickets to be taken, and then John Edrich and Mike Denness felt their way, a little fortunately, through a tenta-

| five period before full comImand was established. After that, the New Zealand bowlers were puppets. iDenness and Keith Fletcher, | on a perfect batting pitch, and with a spectacularly swift outfield, hardly ever lifted the ball, but scored at almost four runs an over, steadily and remorselessly. New Zealand helped them, to some extent, by having fields set at single-saving depth, so that just about every time : ball was through it went to the fence. Heavy burden Once England had made that huge score, 593 for six wickets. New Zealand had to carry a very heavy burden. There was stout resistance for much of the first innings, but when a weary John Parker got out in the first over of the fourth day, the defence crumbled. The second innings performance, in general, was very disappointing, and recalled the day when New Zealand collapses were simply part of the programme.

I The character of the cricket |at Lancaster Park might be very different. If the pitch resembles that on which Australia played New Zealand last season, England will again hold a very strong hand, but runs would be at a different rate of currency. Fighting spirit New Zealand does not have a really strong attack, and even if Lance Cairns came in for Chatfield, it would hardly alter the balance of strength. But New Zealand, throughout • those two long wearying days in the field at Eden Park, displayed remarkable stamina and fighting spirit. At Auckland, England held an overwhelming psychological advantage after the first day.

A good start by New Zealand at Christchurch could bring a similar advantage. England outplayed New Zealand in the first test, but it is not an invulnerable team, so there are hopes that the second test will hold a stronger note of competition than the first.