Triumph and tragedy

Press, 3 July 1978, Page 22

Triumph and tragedy

Taunton It was triumph and tragedy for Dayle Hadlee at Taunton. The match with Somerset was his first of the tour, and it was the one which was expected to tell whether he had overcome the back injury which has been a particular worry to him since the first test at Wellington in February. His triumph was taking the first wicket of the Somerset innings, and thus reaching the career mark of 300. He had had a long wait for it. His previous victim was the then England captain, Geoff

Boycott, in Canterbury’s match with England on February 4. The tragedy was in the fact that Hadlee, asked at a lunch interval how he felt said simply, “no good at all.” He had been put through a long stint, a spell of 12 overs. Hadlee does not lack courage. “The policy was to try him out,” said the New Zealand captain, Mark Burgess. “He said he wanted to bowl. He seemed to have a bit of kick in his bowling, and he said he was OK during the spell.”

If Hadlee had to bowl in considerable pain, there is no panic in the New Zealand camp about him. He did not go on the field after lunch but returned after about an hour and bowled a second time. The feeling is that perhaps it is inevitable that Hadlee should have felt something of his injury, that it was too early to expect complete freedom from discomfort. It seems likely, however, that by the time the match is over Hadlee and the team management will have to decide whether his condition is improving.