Plenty of experience in cricket team

Press, 7 December 1976, Page 48

Plenty of experience in cricket team

By

R. T. BRITTENDEN

Canterbury will field a strong and experienced team for the first of its Shell Cup matches, against Otago at Lancaster Pai on December 17. All 12 players named for the match ha\c had considerable experience in representative cricket, and theie are eight internationals among them.

Experience will be vital, for a demanding programme lies ahead, with 15 playing days in 18 from the second to the fifth rounds. ■ The only newcomers to the team are Maurice Ryan and Henry Sampson. Ryan, back in provincial cricket after four years, will be captain and will keep wicket in place of the late Ken Wadsworth. Sampson was a successful Central Districts and Otago batsman before coming to Christchurch this season.

The team is: M. L. Ryan, B. G. Hadlee, P. G. Coman, N. M. Parker, B. E. Congdon, B. F. Hastings, D. W. Stead, H. C, Sampson, R. J. Hadlee, D. R. Hadlee, S. L. Boock, A. R. Hounsell. With seven batsmen, as well as the run-making assets of the Hadlee brothers, Canterbury should be well served. The bowling, strong last season, should be similarly effective, with its combination of three pace bowlers, Congdon’s tight swing bowling, left-arm and right-arm spin. There are some causes for concern, however. Last sea-

son the opening combination of Barry Hadlee and Peter Coman was extremely successful. So far, Hadlee has not found that form, and Coman is still recovering from a severe blow in the face when he was hit in a club match. He was struck on the mouth, and had twelve stitches to repair the damage. He did not play in the last club round, but will bat at Dunedin in the coming week-end in an Otago centennial match. He feels this will be a proper test for his fitness.

The health and enthusiasm of Murray Parker and Richard Hadlee, just back from their arduous Pakistan-India tour, must also be a minor worry (o the selectors. Richard Hadlee is a kev attacking bowler and if he is not fully fit Canterbury's bowling weapon will be blunted. But there is every reason to believe that Canterbury will put up a good showing in defence of the three

major trophies it won last year. A group of 12 is hardly big enough to get through a tight programme, and a thirteenth player is to he added to the list.