England’s easy victory at Temuka puts team in good heart

Press, 23 February 1978, Page 32

England’s easy victory at Temuka puts team in good heart

From

K. T. BRITTENDEN

in Temuka

It was a spin bowlers’ match, but it took a dynamic little burst from the left-arm fast bowler, John Lever, to wrap up the match for England at the Temuka Domain yesterday.

Young New Zealand wasi defeated, in the fifth over o*l the last 15, by an innings! and 23 runs. Lever, coming | on after Geoff Miller andi Phil Edmonds has spun) Young New Zealand into al: impossible position, took I three wickets for two in 1 seven deliveries. It was a very easy vic-1 tory, England’s second on its'i Rothman’s tour and the tean came to Christchurch las’ evening in very good'l heart. U fhe man of the match;; award for the Young Newh Zealand team went to theji captain and opening bats-'] man, Bruce Edgar. The, attendances at the game ex-1] ceeded expectations, the final 1 gate being almost §6OOO. |1 A couple of bold blows by l< Brendon Bracewell gave the: first innings a briefly defian’lj gesture but the deficit of 171 |i looked a little too much’fo-'j Young New Zealand, on “ t testing pitch. The hall or I; landing regularly gave off a t gentle puff of dust, and Eng-i; land’s spinners had a high 11 old time on it. But at least < it offered no personal vio-ji lence. The fast'bowlers, who were used little, were pretty It harmless, e’’en when th' t pitched short. Resistant • 1 was difficult but some <?oot if attempts at it were made. i! Bruce Edgar, dropped ofl 11

ll'bat, who does not bowl, and > who did not get his usual : I share of the fielding. But he ' filled in a few idle moments : playing a little peek-a-boo game with a very small man . who had been trotting along the cycle track. The youngster loved it, so did nearby i spectators. At the end of the over Randall walked away, singing to himself proclaiming he belonged to Glasgow. If he did, they would be pleased to own him. YOUNG NEW ZEALAND First inning (Resuming 129/9) E Gray not out .. 12 Bl Bracewell c and b Mllle 9 Extras 10 Total 139 Bowling.—R. Willis, 6,3, 18. 1; J. Lever, 8,2. 11. 1: P. Edmonds, 20. 9. 25. 2; G. Miller. 22.1. 4, 171. 6; C. Old. 2.1, 3. 0. Second innings I. Rutherford c Miller b Lever ■ 8 B. Edgar lbw b Miller .. 13 , J. Coney lbw b Edmonds 5 J. Raid c Rose b Edmonds 15 ' G. Edwards c Lever b Miller 23 : B. Blair c Taylor b Miller 26 B. McKechnie b Miller 5 D. Bracewell not out .. .. 23 E. Gray b Lever .. 5 : M. Snedden lbw b Lever .. 0 B. Bracew ell b Lever - . 2 Extras ■ ■ .. 18 Total 148 Fall.—l 4, 27, 45. 82. S 3. 90. 119, 146. 146. 143. Bowling.—R. Willis. 4. 2,7, 0; IJ Lever, 8.4. 2, 26. 4; P. EdImonds. 21, 10. 44. 2: G Miller. 17. 2 53. 4.

i Bob Willis before he scored? (applied himself diligently foi I nearly an hour and a quar |ter. Jeremy Coney struck two from his first ball, ana • spent an hour getting three I more. I Jock Edwards’s little innings of 35 minutes was the ! highlight for the snectators. A lady in the stand made it quite clear how much people like watching Edwards hit, how anxious they are that • he should not get out. "I ;hope he’s cautious.” she said and added "He is,’’ as Edi wards stroked his third ball Ito mid-off. But Edwards is 'Edwards, the next ball was whacked far over the square [leg boundary and he hit .three fine fours as well beIfore holing out at the longon boundary. i John Reid played the best innings, technically. He was I in an hour for 15. but he looked surer and safer than the others, not getting too much bottom hand into his [defensive strokes. There was a bright interlude from Bruce Blair, who hit two sixes off Miller and made his in 48 minutes. But the batting deaths were as regular and inevitable as in a Greek tragedy. By the time the statutory' final 15 overs began, Young: New Zealand was still 35 i runs behind with seven 1

I?: wickets down. There had; i .been stubborn resistance: ■ i from Doug Bracewell andl k Evan Gray, w’ho put on 27 altogether in 52 minutes. But » when Miller came ctf f and i Edmonds changed ends, John -ILever had Gray and Martin ?iSnedden in consecutive balls . and in the fifth of the 15 11 overs Lever completed the »I formalities by bowling BrenJdon Bracewell. It was a very long day for I ■ Geoff Miller and Phil Edjjmonds, who between them I .[bowled 38 overs. Edmonds, lj flatter and faster than 5 1 Miller, was very hard to get s iaway as he proved per- » sistently. Miller could be and I t was hit on occasion, but the . off-spinner always looked . likely to get wickets and he [finished the match with 10. tl The game was played in al 5 cheerful spirit and there was ; that catering which might I conceivably have aided New > Zealand’s test cause. Two ; days seems hardly enough to ; I effect a full recovery. There liwere tokens of appreciation >|of it; representatives of the ‘.'news media presented the i women's committee with ;: chocolates, and there was an -[elegant bouquet from the . I English players, presented ■I by the captain, Geoff Boycott. > It was not an easy day for; II Derek Randall, who did noti