‘Bad habits’ worrying McEwan

Press, 7 June 1980, Page 16

‘Bad habits’ worrying McEwan

The incredible batting successes being enjoyed in English cricket by Paul McEwan are starting to worry the Canterbury “player of the year” and test batsman. ■McEwan has scored 1100 runs in the various cricket matches — -mainly the oneday variety — he has played around the London area, and comments in a letter “that this type of cricket is starting to worry me “I feel that I am dropping back to my old habits, because of the lack

of time to build an innings, which I will have to do in Australia. There is a lot of cricket available — Middlesex county league, Sunday league, midweek games, invitation games — but I feel that by playing cricket of a' low standard, I am being done more harm than good, the result of quantity not quality. “Because you know that

you will get another bat tomorrow or the next day, there is little or no pressure, and thus a lack of , application and concentration on the part of many players,” said McEwan. McEwan also comments that net practice in England at. club level involves , batting and bowling, “but the average cricketer shies away from . practising fielding a high ball or a

hard catch. This reflects itself during a game; many a time, I have seen easy' catches put down.” “A lack of concentration and team spirit” are the primary reasons for McEwan’s failure in his only two innings for the Middlesex second eleven. He also noted that he did not bowl at all in those games — arid he has been used by New Zealand as a

bowler — though Kent scored 426 for six, and Surrey 350 for five from the Middlesex bowling. However, McEwan is looking for an improvement, as he is hopeful of some games for Hertfordshire in the Minor Counties championship. That competition is played over two days, "so hopefully, there will be some good

competition and time to get in batting practice.”

There was a strong Christchurch flavour to. McEwan’s . third league match, for - Brondesbury. against Hornsey little more than a week ago. Against an attack including Steve McNally (P.iccarton) and Mike Dolden (Sydenham), Brondesbury scored 291, McEwan 189 riot out of that total, and both team and individual scores were records. Hornsey was out for a miserable 71, to give Brondesbury a record winning margin.