N.Z. cricketers go down fighting against Australia

Press, 26 November 1980, Page 42

N.Z. cricketers go down fighting against Australia

NZPA

Sydney

Like one of those old time Everest expeditions which tried bravely but failed to scale that mighty peak, the New Zealand cricketers lost the game by 95 runs but not their spirit in the one-day international against Australia at the Sydney cricket ground last evening.

Batting first on a plumb pitch in the afternoon sunshine, Australia scored 289 for three wickets. This contained an incredible innings of 138 not out by the Australian captain, Greg Chappell, the first half of it in a 151-run stand for the second wicket with John Dyson (79). This pair sparked both the batting and the large “hill” crowd as they plundered the New Zealand attack.

They brought up their 151 partnership in 108 minutes, mainly through vicious on and off-side driving and sharp running between the wickets. Chappell, in particular, could not be contained and only some great New Zealand cover fielding and a shortlived tight spell of bowling bv the medium-pacer, Ewen Chatfield, stemmed the flow of runs. Chappell’s great timing and placement of the ball was the feature of his chanceless innings, as normally risky shots went hurtling between stranded New. Zealand fieldsmen or sailing over their heads. • His century came up m 14b minutes off 92 deliveries including seven fours, and sounded out a grim warning to the New Zealanders, with the first test beginning in Brisbane on Friday. At the completion of his innings Chappell had been at the wicket 167 minutes, belting 10 fours and one six after facing 109 deliveries. The former N.S.W. batsman, Allan Border, was given

a hostile reception by the crowd and added to his string of recent poor scores when he mistimed a drive off Chatfield to be caught by Martin Snedden at mid-off for nine.

Doug Walters was given a rousing reception and delighted his admirers by matching Chappell’s stroke played to be not out on 26 at the end of 50 overs.

Faced with the huge total, the New Zealand batsmen showed a willingness to get on with the job and at the half way point, after 25 overs, had 113 runs and were ahead of the Australian scoring rate at the same stage. But they had already lost the early wickets of John Parker (6), Bruce Edgar (34) and Paul McEwan (23) and faced a difficult task. The New Zealand captain, Geoff Howarth, made a plucky 46 in a bid to keep his team on the rails but he became Len Pascoe’s second victim when he edged a ball to the wicket keeper, Rod Marsh, to leave New Zealand 173 for six and well out of the race. Mark Burgess (29) had given some support and Edgar and McEwan both battled well but the chase proved too big a hurdle to the rest of the New Zealand batsmen. AUSTRALIA K. Hughes c Smith b McEwan 19 J.' Dvson b Hadlee - • 79 G-. Chappell not out . 138 A. Border e Snedden b Chatfield ‘ „? D. Walter not out ;. .. 2b Extras (b 6. Ibl2) .. ..18

Total for three wickets 289

FaU: 29. 180, 207. Bowling.—R. Hadlee, 10, 1. 66. 1; M. Snedden, 10, 1, 58, 0; L. Calms. 10, 0, 41, 0; E. Chatfield. 10, 5. 55, 1; P. McEwan. 10, 0. 51, 1. NEW ZEALAND B. Edgar lbw b Chappell .. 34 J. Parker c Dyson b Pascoe 6 P. McEwan c G. Chappel b Lawson .. 23 G. Howarth c Marsh b Pascoe 46 M. Burgess b Lillee .. 29 R. Hadlee c Dyson b Graf 10 L. Cairns, c Border b Pascoe 16 I. Smith c Marsh b Graf .. 1 W. Lees c Dyson b Pascoe 8 M. Snedden b Pascoe .. 3 E. Chatfield not out .. 4 Extras (Ibll, wl, nb3) .. . 15 Total .. 195 Fall: 14, 63, 73. 138, 155, 173, 176, 181. 190. Bowling.—D. Lillee, 7. 0, 26, 1; L. Pascoe, 7.5, 1, 30. 5; G. Lawson, 10, 0, 43, 1; G. Chappell, 10, 1, 41. 1; S. Graf, 8. 0, 40. 2.