Edgar brings tour average to 58.7

Press, 5 July 1978, Page 40

Edgar brings tour average to 58.7

From

R.T. Brittenden

On tour for the N.Z.PA.

Bruce Edgar has done it again. The young Wellington left-hander batted his way calmly to another half-centu-ry at Taunton yesterday, his second of the match and his fifth in the four tour games. In a day devoted largely to futility Edgar made 54 of New Zealand’s 93 for no wicket in the last innings of the match, bringing his tour aggregate to 350 and his average to 58.7.

Otherwise it was a dreadful day’s cricket. The Somerset captain, Brian Rose, seemed quite uninterested in trying to get a result, although Mark Burgess, by declaring when his side was 131 behind, had opened the door to a good day’s play. Somerset, with an attitude as chilly as the weather, plodded along to 3.00 p.m. to score 144 from 55 overs and leave the tourists the task of trying to make 276 in three hours. New Zealand looked interested in runs for a few overs but could not work a miracle and it was a relief for the players and for the huddle of chilled spectators when bad light had the players off more than an hour before the close. Dennis Breakwell, who had scored a two-hour century in Somerset’s first innings, was not in until number eight, just before the closure. Certainly the bowling of Bevan Congdon and John Mclntyre was meticulously accurate but even when Somerset was rich in runs and unused batsmen no real challenge was offered. To add to the disenchantments of the day New Zealand is still deep in bowling trouble. Richard Hadlee is receiving treatment, Dayle Hadlee is out of action and both Brendon Bracewell and Graeme Thompson are in pain with muscle injuries when they bowl. They will almost certainly have to play again at Swansea. There are in fact only

four fully-fit players in the party of 15. The suggestion has been made by one of them that the four fit ones should all be rested at Swansea to make sure there are some well ones for London and Middlesex, New Zealand has a longer record of matches with Glamorgan than with any of the other counties, the game at Swansea starting tonight (N.Z. time) being the thirteenth of its kind. There is always a little extra edge to any Welsh and New Zealand "occasion and the fact that New Zealand leads by four wins to two will not be overlooked.

The pitch at Swansea is said to be a good one for batting, and failure there brings a punishment all of its own. The parting batsman has to climb 66 steps to the pavillion before he is lost to view, but from there he can find solace in looking at Swansea Bay. Inevitably the New Zealanders will be trying to keep up with the Joneses. There are likely to be at least two of them in the Glamorgan team. The captain is Alan Jones, a lefthander of vast experience. Alan Lewis Jones was a touring Young England cricketer, a left-hand batsman of promise, who was named after the famous Welsh full-back. The usual wicket-keeper is Eifion, another veteran. Glamorgan also has a Rhodesian all-rounder, Peter Swart, an excellent close fieldsman, and a South African, Rodney Ontong, who came to England to

play soccer for Chelsea and went to the county from the staff at Lord’s. Another notable is Malcolm Nash, the man hit by Gary Sobers for six sixes in an over. Nash has been scoring well himself this season. He is among the leaders in the national averages, and recently hit four sixes in consecutive balls from the Somerset spinner, Dennis BreakwelL The Somerset scoreboard.— •SOMERSET First innings 349/5 dec. Second innings P. W. Denning c Congdon b Mclntyre 38 M. Olive lbw b Bracewell 1 P. A. Slocombe b Thomson 8 V. J. Marks b Mclntyre .. 31 D. J. Taylor c Anderson b Congdon 11 P. M. Roebuck not out .. 23 B. C. Rose c Burgess b Mclntyre 16 D. Breakwell not out .. 12 Extras (lb2, nb2) .. 4 Total (6 wckts dec.) 144 Fall: 4, 34, 77, 86, 94, 119. Bowling.—Bracewell, 8,0, 19, 1; Thomson, 10, 3, 34, 1; Congdon, 20, 5, 47, 1; Mclntyre, 17, 6. 40, 3. NEW ZEALAND First innings .218/8 dec. Second innings R, W. Anderson not out .. 37 B. A. Edgar not out .. 54 Extras (Ibl, wl) .. 2 Total (for no wicket) 93 Bowling.—Dredge, 9,0, 31. 0; Jennings. 5,1, 18. 0; Breakwell, 12, 4, 22. 0; Marks, 10, 2, 20, 0.

Soccer.—The English first division club Leeds United has parted company with its manager, Mr Jimmy Armfield. Mr A-infield—a former England fullback—has agreed with the board that it would be best if he left.