Test chances knocked

Press, 23 February 1978, Page 1

Test chances knocked

Twin tragedies have struck the New Zealand test cricket team since its great win against England at the Basin Reserve, and it is likely to go into the second test tomorrow' without its captain and another of its key players. Mark Burgess, who led the team so ably at Wellington, has a hairline fracture of the little finger of the left hand and is most unlikely to play. Dayle Hadlee, who bowled most effectively into the strong Wellington wind, has a strained back and is a doubtful starter.

Burgess suffered his injury after a few balls in his second innings at Wellington. It seemed a slight injury then, because he

was warmed up, but it was very sore later and an X-ray showed there was a fracture. Yesterday, he had the injured finger taped to the fourth finger for support, but he did not bat at the New Zealand net'at Lancaster Park. He tried hitting a few balls but he was not at all comfortable.

Burgess says he has insufficient control of the left hand when batting and although he is hoping for a swift recovery, he is not confident that he will be able to play. Dayle Hadlee suffered a strained back early in the Wellington test and has been practising only gently since then. But he will have a full trial this morning, when the New

Zealand team will be at Lancaster Park again. “There is no way I would go into a test If 1 am not fully fit,” he said. The bad news for the

By

R. T. BRITTENDEN

New Zealand team is offset to some extent by a report that Richard Hadlee is no longer suffering from the headaches which followed his head injury at Wellington. If Burgess and Dayle Hadlee are omitted, reorganisation of the New Zealand team becomes necessary’. It was an extraordinary step, or lack of It, not to name a vicecaptain at Wellington. But

everything points to the appointment of Bevan Congdon as the leader of the team. When he was the New Zealand captain, his batting thrived spectacularly but if it is felt that the team should be under the control of a player available for the tour of England, Geoffrey Howarth or John Parker, both experienced cricketers, would fill the gap.

New Zealand has Richard Collinge, Ewen Chatfield, and Richard Hadlee at Christchurch and with Congdon and Stephe.i Boock, there is no shortage in that department. But if Burgess cannot play, a batsman will have to be found. If a middleorder player is to be the replacement, Jeremy

Coney might be called on. But the selectors might consider dropping Robert Anderson to number six, promoting Parker to four, and including an opening batsman. The prime candidates appear to be Bruce Edgar, the elegant young Wellington left-hander, or lan Rutherford, of Central Districts. Edgar might be preferred: he led the Young New Zealand team at Temuka and won the “Man of the Match” award. Information about a replacement for Burgess, should he not be able to play, was sought from the chairman of selectors, Mr Frank Cameron, but he could not be found late last evening.