Formal tour ‘burial’

Press, 6 October 1980, Page 30

Formal tour ‘burial’

Wellington The chairman of the New Zealand Cricket Councils Board of Control. Mr Bob Vance, offered one cutting remark when formally buying the We.st Indies’ tour performance at the annual council meeting in Wellington. during the week-end. Apologising for the brevity of his annual report to the meeting. Mr Vance said: “I don’t think their performance merited their being recorded for prosperity.” The West Indies tour of New Zealand was stirrounded by controversy, and bitterness — mainly aimed at the umpires — almost from their day of arrival in New Zealand last season. “The worst feature was the possible depreciation of our own team’s performance in the field,” Mr Vance said. “Regardless of the decisions and attitudes it was one of our greatest wins and we should be very proud of the whole team. “There seems little doubt that the West Indies arrived over-confident and showed a lade of application — both teams did play on the; same wickets.

The West Indies had beaten Australia before arriving in New Zealand and were unofficially regarded as world champions.

Against ail the odds. New Zealand won the one-day international and went on to win the opening test in Dunedin and then take the series.

Mr Vance says in his report notes, referring to the first test "The West Indies lost the match, their seif control and the respect of the New Zealand public, which has historically applauded the great West Indies players of the past” The council could, however, thank the West Indies, and of course the New Zealand side, for a handsome financial return on the tour, the visit represented New. Zealand’s greater financial commitment and was justified with a record revenue exceeding §300,000.

The tourists received $11,919 as a share of the tour profits, and the only source of embarrassment had been the amount of $BOOO written off on the unsuccessful promotional venture in the sale of tee shirts and caps.