Little reward for N.Z.

Press, 19 August 1978, Page 56

Little reward for N.Z.

Leicester Young England made steady progress after losing an early wicket on the last day of the match with New Zealand at Grace Road last night (New Zealand time). John Emburey and Chris Tavare added 71 for the fourth wicket and after nearly two hours the score was 119 for four, making the lead 151. Fours hours play remained.

Young England resumed, in very pleasant sunshine, with its two night watchmen, Emburey and Phil Carrick, to John Mclntyre and Richard Hadlee. Carrick took a very handsome four with a drive off Mclntyre but he succumbed to Hadlee. Trying to drive, he gave Bruce Edgar his fifth catch of the match. The batsmen seemed to come alive suddenly to the value of quickly run singles and Tavare made the stand worth 50 with a handsome drive for four off Mclntyre. A splendid off-drive for four off Thomson by Tavare took the Young England’s total past 100 in the fortyi fifth over and Eburey helped increase the scoring rate with another edged four, this time off Thomson. Emburey departed at 116, held by Hadlee when he skied a drive off Congdon. New Zealand got itself into trouble against Young England at Grace Road on the second day, losing its last seven wickets for 43 to

trail on the first innings by 32 runs, largely by two young spinners who did not have the ball turning very sharply, and partly by a me-dium-pacer who bowls only occasionally for his county. Everything pointed to a very good total when the first pair made 60, and the fourth-wicket partnership yielded 102, but the side was out for 240. There was no real reason for the collapse, other than a desire, to make forcing shots against slow bowlers when the ball was not coming on to the bat and the bounce was low. Bevan Congdon played particularly well. More aggressive than hs partner, John Parker, he drove fluently when the opportunity offered and although it was certainly not easy to keep the runs coming, he reached his 50 in two hours. Parker picked the right ones to hit and he, too, looked very sound as they worked their side into a very good position. The collapse which fol-

lowed was all the more inexplicable for the steady progress made before it. Congdon missed a sweep shot and was out leg before. That was 197 for four. Two runs later Parker fell for a slow one from Mike Gatting which came on even more reluctantly to the bat, at 201 Jock Edwards was caught leg before, in defence, and at 208 Richard Hadlee glanced Emburey to leg slip. The scoreboard after the second day:— YOUNG ENGLAND First innings (for 8 declared) 272 Second innings C. W. J, Athey lbw b Thomson 17 W. Larkins lbw b Mclntyre 14 P. Carrick not out ... 5 J. E. Emburey hot out .. 0 Extras (bl, nbl) .. .. 2 Total for two wickets 38 Fall: 31. 35. Bowling.—Hadlee. 5. 2. 13. 0; Thomson. 6, 0. 12 1; Mclntyre 4„ I. 5. 1; Collinge 6 3. 6. 0. NEW ZEALAND First innings J. Wright b Stevenson .. 21 R. W. Anderson run out .. 42 G. O. Howarth c Downton b Emburey 17 J. M. Parker c Emburey b Gatting 44 B. E. Congdon lbw b Carrick 58 B. A. Edgar b Emburey .. 25 G. N. Edwards lbw b Gatting 2 R. J. Hadlee c Tavare b Emburey 1 J. M. Mclntyre lbw b Carrick 4 R. O. Collinge c Larkins b Carrick .. 5 B. G. Thomson not out .. 0 Extras (b 9. Ib4, w2. nb6) .. 21 Total .240 Fall: 60 94 93. 197. 199 207, 208. 230 236. Bowling.—Jarvis 13. 4. 44. 0; Stevenson 20 6 36 1; Carrick 22.4 3 49 3; Emburey, 30. 7. 62, 3; Gatting. 13. 2. 28. 2.

From R.T. Brittenden On tour for * the N.Z.RA.