Will England’s batting withstand test pressure?

Press, 23 February 1978, Page 19

Will England’s batting withstand test pressure?

Before the current English touring team left for the first leg of its tour of Pakistan and New Zealand, doubts were expre. sed about the strength of its batting. The critics said that Boycott, Brearley, Randall and Roope would not be able to carrv the younger players

through. The optimists hoped they would. Up until this stage of the tour, the critics have been proved correct. The tour of Pakistan provided a considerable amount of dreary cricket. Quick scoring, as it always is in Pa-

kistan and India, was hazardous.

Only one century was scored by an English player in the tests there — Boycott was unbeaten on 100 at the end of the second test at Hyderabad. The Derbyshire all-roun-der, Geoff Miller, ran out of partners in the first innings of the series at Lahore when on 98; Boycott (2), Brearley, Roope and Randall also managed half-centuries during the series, but generally there was little to enthuse over. However, despite scoring three centuries, the side’s batting while in New Zealand has shown a brittleness below 7 the first five in the batting order. The century scorers have been the Somerset opening batsman, Brian Rose (107 against Auckland), his county teammate, lan Botham (126 not out against Canterbury) and the perky Randall (104 against the Young New Zealand XI). After the only innings at Temuka, Boycott’s batting average for the New Zealand section

of the tour was 25.2; Rose’s was 31.8; Randall's 286 runs were scored at 28.6 per innings; Roope had scored 235 runs at 26.1. Botham has an average of 35.3, despite the fact

that his 212 runs have included two “ducks,” while Chris Old, with two halfcenturies to his credit, has averaged 28.5. The failures of Boycott and Randall in particular are surprising, considering their celebrated reputations in world cricket.

Boycott has been regarded for years as the hardest batsman to dismiss in world cricket. His feats both before and since his temporary retirement from test cricket are well-known.

He became the only batsman in cricket history to bring up his 100th firstclass century in a test, against Australia last year, becoming the third Yorkshireman, behind the late Herbert Sutcliffe and

Sir Leonard Hutton to reach this mark. Randall claimed for himself a permanent place in cricketing folklore for generations to come with

By

DAVID LEGGAT

his couragous 174 in the Centenary test in Melbourne last March.

England required 463 runs to win the match m the final innings. If it had won the match, England would have beaten India's record winning score of 406 for four when it beat the West Indies two years ago. Randall came to the wicket with England 28 for one. He left at 346 for five, having helped add 318 runs during which time he had been felled by a bouncer from Dennis Lillee. Since that day, his highest score has been his century three days ago. He has been playing his way through a dreadful patch of form and hopes

the century will have restored some of his batting confidence. One of the more anonymous, yet one of the best of the English cricketers is its unspectacular but meticulously efficient wicket-keeper. Bob Taylor. Taylor's role seemed destined to be that of the permanent second fiddle to the mercurial Alan Knott. Through a strange twist of fortunes. Taylor found himself as No. 1. He is no stranger to New Zealand; he played at Christchurch in 1971 with Ray Illingworth’s team and was also a member of Mike Denness’s team four years later.

Taylor has often been cited as the best wicketkeeper in the world, from a technical angle. His batting may be unexciting but effective and he would certainly rate as one of the team's most valuable members.

England’s bowling attack is formidable. Bub Willis. Mike Hendrick, Old and Botham showed their true colours at Wellington and on what should be a fairly green pitch at Lancaster Park they should get another opportunity to demonstrate their wares.

Willis has developed over three or four years into a genuinely quick bowler, while the other three, as well as the leftarmer, .John Lever, are seam bowlers in the traditional English mould. Hendrick's performance against Canterbury two and a half weeks ago was probably his best on tour. The pitches in Pakistan would have been heartbreaking for him. as they would for his fellow seamers.

Old showed his ability in the first innings of the Wellington test, taking six for 54 off 30 overs. His skill with the bat also makes him a more than useful international player.

One of his best test performances came in 1974 when he routed India in its second innings at Lord’s. India was dis-

missed for 42. Old took five for 21 and Geoff Arnold picked up four fol 19. Lever's best effort tn New Zealand was against Otago when he took five for 59 in the first inning-. He still has to produce a performance to match his test debut against India in 1976 when, at Delhi, ue took seven for 46 and

three for 24. enabling Eng land to win the first <c-i and 25 runs. Botham is another ,o have had a memorable Hailed as the hen apparent to Tony Greig. old. took five tor 74 and five for 21 in his first two appearances.