Rain may delay test

Press, 4 January 1980, Page 18

Rain may delay test

NZPA Sydney Sydney’s heavy rain yesterday threw a cloud over the nature of the pitch to be used in the setond test between Australia and England, beginning at the Sydney Cricket Ground today. Yesterday huge lakes of water covered the outfield of the S.C.G. but the sorst hit area of the ground was the famous “Hill” which was turned into a giant mud heap, by the torrential rain. With little prospect of the rain easing there appears to be some doubt as to whether the test will begin on time this morning. Both the Australian and England teams were forced indoors by the rain with the Englishmen warming up with exercises in the mem-

bers’ bar, prior to practising on the S.C.G. indoor nets. Unperturbed by the weather, the Englishmen appeared to be in high spirits as they went through the rousing indoor session. But the weather cast gloom over the Australian camp with two key. players, the opening batsman, Bruce Laird, and the fast bowler, Jeff Thomson, anxious to prove their fitness. “The rain is particularly bad for us,” said the Australian captain, Greg Chappell, at the team’s hotel yesterday morning. “We desperately wanted to give Laird and Thomson a solid open-air workout.” Neither Laird nor Thomson would be able to adequately test their injuries in

the limited facilities of the S.C.G. indoor nets. If the pair do retain their places, they will almost certainly go into the game under a fitness cloud. Laird’s injury, a badly bruised forearm, is the more serious of the two and causing the Australian selectors the most concern. Laird suffered the injury when struck on the arm by a vicious delivery from the West Indian fast bowler, Michael Holding, during, the second test'in Melbourne. The Australian selectors have taken the precaution of rushing the N.S.W. captain, Rick McCosker, in to the test squad and he will replace Laird if the West Australian opener is forced out of the side.