Spin will hold the key in Eden Park test

Press, 25 February 1977, Page 28

Spin will hold the key in Eden Park test

From R. T. BRITTENDEN Auckland There will be some hard thinking in the New Zealand camp before the 11 players to meet Australia in the second cricket test at Eden Park are namecl this morning. No-one would envy the selectors their task, for it is a complex situation.

At the core of it is the pitch, which carries a beautifully even sole of grass. As usual, it is likely to give a reasonably lively bounce for the first two hours or so but it should not present undue problems for the batsmen in that period, although this will be the best opportunity for the fast and seam bowlers in the side fielding first.

The main problem for the! selectors in their reading of! the pitch will be In forecasting how soon it will! take spin, and how abrupt he spin may become. That will be the basis of the discussion on whether to play both spinners in the group of 13 players present, andi two seamers, with the aux-j iliary troops led by Bevan! Congdon; two spinners and; three seamers, w ich would shorten the batting; or three seamers and one spinner. They will need the wisdom of Solomon to come up with the right answers. A crystal ball might help. The only obvious facts are that Glenn Turner, Geoff Howarth, Congdon, John Parker and Mark Burgess will lead off the batting. If five bowlers are played, Jock Edwards would be the No. 6 batsman, and although Richard Hadlee, Hedley Howarth, Dayle Hadlee and Lance Cairns are all useful with

the bat, that would leave the! line-up looking a little thin. !

One of the seam bow’lers is certain to be omitted. Even here, it is not an easy business. Dayle Hadlee has had little success at Eden Park but he bowled well in Australia’s second innings at Lancaster Park and his two stoically defensive innings will not be overlooked. Ewen Chatfield was New Zealand’s tidiest and tightest | bowler in the first test and I although he left the game I with a painful knee injury, he reported fit yesterday at practice. Cairns, apart from the possibilities he presents as a batsman, has had a good season with his mediumpace bowling. But the fact that he is an in-swinger

basically may lessen his ap-y peal. The Australians are i very strong off the pads. To some extent, the same argument applies to the choice of a spinner, if only one is to be played. Peter Petherick, with his off-

breaks, is an able player and one with an excellent temperament. Hedley Howarth, left-arm orthodox leg-spin, does not look particularly dangerous

these days, but the fact that he leaves the bat rather than turns into it may be in his favour, apart from his sterling batting effort at Lancaster Park.

If a spinner is to be omitted, it will probably be Petherick. One of them will have to be left out if Jeremy Coney is to play and his

(form this season suggests he should be included. The Australians have named the 12 they had for the first test. There is a distinct prospect that this time Ray Bright, the left-arm spinner, may be in the team.

That would mean the exclusion of the unsuccessful opener, Alan Turner, and the promotion of Rodney Marsh to six in the batting order. Gary Gilmore' is almost

certain to retain his place. He made a fine century in Christchurch, but more important, in New Zealand’s second innings, he began to bowl more in the fashion of

the Gilmore of three years ago, getting into a far better position at delivery. The forecast is for fine, warm weather today.