Full-strength N.Z. team capable of shaking up Australian cricket

Press, 31 March 1980, Page 34

Full-strength N.Z. team capable of shaking up Australian cricket

By

R. T. BRITTENDEN

The New Zealand cricket team to tour Australia, announced yesterday, is capable of making a very strong impression, especially if it remains at full strength.

Glenn Turner and Mark Burgess have been included, but there are doubts about Turner’s availability. and Burgess’s health. Both have been asked to confirm their places in the side by September 1.

Fourteen of the 16 players have had test experience, and there is only one surprise selection. That is the inclusion of lan Smith (Central Districts) as the second wicket-keeper in preference to Jock Edwards.

There will be other disapoointments. notably the failure of David Stead (Canterbury) to win a place. The team chosen is:— Geoff Howarth (captain), John Wright (Northern Districts), Martin Snedden, Burgess, Gary Troup (Auckland), Richard Hadlee, Paul McEwan (Canterbury), Warren Lees, Lance Cairns.. John Bracewell, Steve Boock, Turner (Otago), Bruce Edgar, Jeremy Coney, Ewen Chatfield (Wellington) and Smith, (Central Districts). The batting looks very impressive and there will be particular pleasure at the inclusion of McEwan. Doubts about his value in Australia have been expressed. Some felt he was only ,a front-foot player and that he would be severely handicapped in Australia, where the emphasis, as it was" in the New Zealand tour by the West; Indies, will be on fast, shortpitched bowling. There was a feeling that perhaps McEwan was a medieval knight being thrust into the rocket warfare of modem cricket. But he is certainly not restricted to front-foot shots and he will no doubt learn to graft as the others have done. He may be of particular value in the string of

one-day games the team will! play. The composition of the! team is as it was expected to be — seven batsmen, two wicket-keeper-batsmen, two spinners, and five seam bowlers. If either Turner or Burgess can not go, the princi-

pal candidates as replace-, ments are John Parker, Peter' Webb and Andy Roberts. Parker has not had a good test record in recent seasons and his omission will cause little surprise. '■ The first in line to fill a gap'is likely to be Webb. He did not have an impressive batting return this season but he is a young player who has the makings of a test batsman and he is brilliant in the field. His temperament is excellent and he could not but benefit from a tour.

II In the seam bowling, Snedden was a front-runner > from the start of the season. 11 He must have been closely > challenged by Stuart Gili lespie, of Northern. Districts, i whose first summer at the top has been an especially ■ good one. The omission of Stead is a

disappointment. Boock has now had considerable experience at test level, he is a fine tourist, and a very I popular figure in the game. But he has not bowled well in the major matches this i season, lacking attacking

ability and not being tight enough to fill a defensive role adequately. Stead would have been suited by Australian conditions, and his qualities as a fieldsman and batsman must have also brought him very close to selection. It is a little difficult to reconcile the selection of Smith with the omission of Edwards. Smith had an impressive 25 dismissals in the Shell matches but his success rate was less than two in three. Perhaps it was the very fact that Smith was Central’s ‘keeper and that Edwards has been out of the ‘keeping position which persuaded the selectors to leave him behind. Yet there will be some wishful thoughts about Edwards and the prospects he had of hammering Australian bowling now and then on pitches which would have suited his aggressive style. Smith also had some reputation as a dynamic attacking batsman but this season he reached 20 only twice and averaged about 12. There is considerable depth to the batting and if the fielding can give full support to the bowlers, which they will probably need, the New Zealanders might cause just as big a surprise as when they took a test from the West Indies.