Lack of match form worries selector

Press, 7 October 1980, Page 52

Lack of match form worries selector

By R. T. BRfTTENDEN A team spirit of quite extraordinary' quality carried I the New Zealand cricket 1 team to victory against the I West Indies last summer — 1 “Evervone had the feeling he had to do his thing, for i the others” was how one of i the leading players described 1 it. There is little doubt that i the 1980-81 team, which will end three days of training in < Christchurch today, will take i to Australia the. same sort i of camaraderie: but there are more physical and practical problems which must be a matter of concern to i the team management. “We could have problems in getting the team into testmatch form” said the senior selector, Frank Cameron, yesterday. “They should be ; fit enough, but there is a lack of first-class matches ; before the first test.” New Zealand will play : only two of the main states ! —V ictoria and Queensland ; — before the first test at Brisbane on November 28. “The West Indies had the i same problem a year ago” said Mr Cameron. "They had ' 16 players, as we do, and it means that some of them will have fewer opportu- '

nities than we would like.! There is always the possi-l bility of a couple of leading! batsmen failing early, yet! they have to be kept playing to get them into form. “There are some one-day matches, but our batsmen may not be able to afford to throw their wickets away — they will have to have rims under the belt.” The West Indies, said Mr Cameron, had stated that their side was not ready for the tests when they began. There is another aspect of the tour which must be of relevance. For the first time,'a New Zealand team will be undertaking a tour which will have the sort of television coverage accorded F.A. Cup final day in Britain, or the Australian rules grand final at Melbourne. The string of one-day games, and the Benson and Hedges World Series Cricket series with Australia and India will be played in a glare of publicity, and that could be unsettling, particularly to younger and more impressionable players. So far however, so good. Tbe New Zealand players appreciated the one-day game bn Sunday against a Canterbury team, and yester-

dav enioved good practice pitches for a morning at the nets. Yesterday afternoon they had physical fitness tests, and they will disperse, after further net practice this morning. Preparations for the tour; have varied at the Christchurch school. Richard Hadlee has been taking things easily, but the champion fast bowler, whose English season was unhappy through injury, has high hopes of returning to a full run-up in Australia. Bruce Edgar has seen the dangers of the Australian sun and has grown a Gracelike beard to protect his skin. There is no doubt that thq players have been thinking about the tour, and will go overseas as a determined and efficient side. Australian conditions have also been in the minds of the team management. I( was significant that at the nets yesterday, much of tha bowling was in the hands of spinners — John Bracewell, David Stead, the Canterbury all-rounder, and two talented youngsters, Richard Leggati and David Boyle.