Australia comfortably placed in match

Press, 8 March 1982, Page 3

Australia comfortably placed in match

By

JOHN COFFEY

The Australian cricket tourists achieved one of their objectives, that of gaining much-needed pre-test practice, against the President’s XI at Lancaster Park during the week-end. They are also comfortably placed to pursue a victory when the match is completed today. Australia, resuming at 73 without loss, batted through the day for 357 in reply to the President’s XI total of 250. the five specialist batsmen Australia retained after Bruce Laird was made twelfth man accepted the chance to prosper on an amiable pitch. The backbone of the innings was provided by Graeme Wood, while John Dyson and Allan Border made useful contributions. But the lustre came from Greg Chappell and Kim Hughes. Hughes’ first 50 runs were scored in splendid fashion. The positive manner in which he approached his task from the start almost suggested that he had miscalculated the end of daylight saving and felt his side was behind its required run-rate. Only a few runs had been added in almost half an hour before Dyson’s demise led to Hughes’ arrival. The acting captain soon put matters to rights, and he was particularly severe on the waywardness of John Bracewell’s bowling. Hughes had given Wood a 83min start, but he caught and passed him with the boundary which brought him his half-century.

the scene seemed set for Hughes to establish a pattern that was to last throughout a balmy summer’s day. That was not to be, for the President’s XI captain, John Morrision, found an unexpectedly effective containing combination in Evan Gray — the third-ranked spinner in his side on Saturday f morning — and Bruce Blair. A meagre four runs were wrested from seven overs and, on the call of lunch, Hughes was again uncharacteristically tentative and edged a ball from Blair to Warren Lees. Wood had been ominously sound at the other end, and Gray, especially, had changed the mood of the game. Gray conceded just nine runs from his first 11 overs. He might not have threatened to cause a collapse, but • he demanded respect and it was Justice that: he should return later to claim two wickets. After the resumption the Australians sought to resume their advance: but they did not succeed. The score increased by a modest 71 runs between lunch and tea. Attention had swung from the batting to the problems encountered by Brendon Bracewell with his follow through, and, later, to a superb catch by Blair, sprinting back from mid-off, to bring about the dismissal of Border. Still Wood remained, now 93, and Chappell was also quiet until tea. Wood was into his sixth hour at the crease when he finally made an error, mis-hitting the ball to Stephen Boock in the covers. Clearly, he should have his eye in when the second test begins in Auckland on Friday. Meanwhile, Chappell had given a hint of what was to come by cutting and then majestically cover-driving Boock for fours. Boock had impressed in the morning

with four consecutive maidens against Dyson and Wood; he was about to be reduced to despair. Chappell, stroked, rather than hammered. Boock away for three boundaries in four deliveries in his twenty-first over; three more fours came in the next over, and Boock departed. Blair — given the new ball in Brendon Bracewell’s absence — also suffered from Chappell, and 77 runs had been accumulated in an hour. Then, suddenly, it was all over. Gray came back with an almost-new ' ball and Chappell skied an attempted sweep shot to give . Lees his third catch. Poor Boock had bowled 33 deliveries to Chap-, pell and conceded 41 runs. Chappell had batted with graciousness as well as greatness: twice: Peter Webb superbly ran and dived to stop fours, and Chappell had joined in the applause. Ray Bright did best of the other Australians after slowly finding his groove, and the tourists decided not to risk further injury to Rod Marsh's cut hand by batting only 10. Gray, apart, the President’s men probably considered that was quite enough.

John Bracewell searched in vain for his rhythm, and a line and length. Boock could not counter Chappell, though he will not be alone with his nightmares. Gary Robertson was left most of the seam bowling burden, had his troubled moments but responded to gain his second wicket and have no runs taken from his last 21 de-

liveries. Blair tried hard and with some effect until confronted by Chappell. The President's XI, on. Saturday. had faltered at 78 for four until a brave recovery enabled it to reach 250. Trevor. Franklin, though forced back consistently, had a few handsome drives in staying until just before lunch, Morrison was in good touch, and Gray was sound in sharing with Vaughan Brown the stand which started' the revival. Brown’s success. was especially welcome. He gave all the appearances of a good player in form and made his 52 from only 61 deliveries. His second scoring shot was a six off Bruce Yardley, and he displayed some beautiful cutting and driving. The eighth wicket stand between John Bracewell and Robertson was a rollicking affair, with 61 runs in 55min. Bracewell seemed to be caught at slip - by Chappell when 14, and was given out, but Chappell recalled the batsman. Bracewell had 10 fours in an innings that he must have enjoyed immensely. While there was a hint of freshness about the pitch, Jeff Thomson got something out of it and Terry Aiderman probed away industriously. Presumably in an effort to get the under-worked Bright into form. Hughes gave him a long spell,, but there was nothing for him in the pitch. PRESIDENTS XI First innings P. N. Webb lbw b Aiderman. 7 T. J. Franklin c Marsh b Thomson 27

J. F. Morrison c Marsh b Pacpnp 94 B. R Blair b Thomson .. . 9 E. J. Gray lbw b Aiderman . 0 V. R. Brown c Bright b Pascoe 52 W. K. Lees lbw b Aiderman . 0 J. G. Bracewell c sub b Yardley. . 62 G. K. Robertson c Yardley b Bright. .. .' . 28 B. P. Bracewell run out . . 0 S. L. Boock not out ; . .’. ~ 6 Extras (b 5 lb'6. nb.3) ..' 14 Total 250 Fall: 19 (Webb); 55’(Morrison); ■ 77 (Blair); 78 (Franklin): 131 (Gray); 131 (Lees); 166 (Brown): 227 (Robertson); [227 (B. Bracewell). Bowling.— J. R. Thomson 15. 4. 44. 2; T. M. Aiderman 12. 2, 35. 3; L. S. Pascoe 13. 1. 53. 2; G. S. Chappell 4, 1. 7. 0; B. Yardlev 6.4. 2. 31. 1; R. J. Bright 20. 5. 66.’1. AUSTRALIA , First innings G. M. Wood c Boock b J. Bracewell 93 J. Dyson c Lees b B. : Bracewell 31 K. J. Hughes c Lees b Blair . 66 A. R. Border c Blair b Robertson 26 G. S. Chappell c Lees b Gray 78 ; R. J. Bright c Blair b ' Robertson 27 1 B. Yardley b Robertson. . . 9 ! J. R. Thomson b Gray. ... 9 ■ T. M. Aiderman not out. . 5 L. S. Pascoe c Boock b J. : Bracewell 1 R. W. Marsh absent injured 0 J Extras <lb'4, nb 8) 12 1 Total 357 Fall: 77 (Dyson). 167 (Hughes). > 215 (Border). 255 (Wood). 333 : (Bright). 337 (Chappell). 342 i (Y’ardley), 352 (Thomson), 357 ; (Pascoe - ). Bowling.— B. P. Bracewell. 10.4, 3. 40. 1; G. J. Robertson. 25.2, 6, 84. 3; S. L. Boock. 22. 6. 69. 0; J. G. Bracewell. 19.3, 3. 64, 2; I B. R. Blair. 12, 4, 31, 1; E. J. Gray. 22. 6, 45, 2; V. R. Brown. 4. I 0. 12, 0.