Faster over rate sought by Australia, England

Press, 15 May 1981, Page 24

Faster over rate sought by Australia, England

NZPA London Australia and 1 England hope-to reach agreement today on proposals to speed up the rate of play during the six-test Ashes series. The number of overs bowled per hour has become one of the game’s main talking points, especially during the previous two series between England and the West Indies, where the West. Indies dropped as low as 75. ■ overs a day through their most exclusive use of fast bowlers. ; - * Before the tour started the authorities in both countries issued a statement to the effect that play would conti-

nue each day until 100 overs' had been bowled, but the details have yet to be finalised. The Australian tour executive — the captain, Kim Hughes, the vice-captain, Rod Marsh, the manager, Fred Bennett, and the cricket manager, Peter Philpott — met their Test and Cricket Board counterparts yesterday and will hold , another.meeting today. ." It,is: expected that a statement will be issued either today or, tomorrow. ' ? Meanwhile the Australians had their rfirst net session of the tour. ./ . They worked impressively for almost three hours at the

Nursery at Lord's, with the accent on fielding practice, which was hardly possible in the heat of Sri Lanka during the last fortnight. The fast bowlers all had a decent bowl, with Dennis Lillee finding his line and length almost immediately, and knocking back a few stumps in the process. The first match of the English tour is at Arundel tomorrow — a one-day affair against the Duchess of Norfolk’s XI — at Arundel in Sussex. The team will be named today. The first county match is against Hampshire at Southampton, starting next Tuesday.