Central snatches heart-stopping cricket victory

Press, 10 March 1982, Page 42

Central snatches heart-stopping cricket victory

PA New Plymouth Central Districts’ bold and resourceful cricket XI yesterday lifted themselves from the mire of a dismal domestic season to snatch a heart-stoping final wicket victory over the touring Australians in a limited-over match at Pukekura Park.

About 4000 fans sat riveted to their seats as one of the stadium’s most tense and historic encounters unfolded ball by ball in the final over of the match. For Central Districts faced that last over needing only one run for victory — Australia needed only one wicket. And pitted against each other were two of the most unlikely characters ever to fight out the climax of an international cricket match. The bowling duties in that final over fell to Australia’s veteran wicket-keeper, Rod Marsh, the holder of the record for the most test appearances by an Australian player and for. the most dismissals by a wicketkeeper from any test-playing nation. One more wicket in ' a vastly. different role could have set the seal for Marsh on a sensational match. Fac-. ing him was Murray Jamieson — as skilled with the bat as the Australian was with the’ball. Jamieson played and missed at the first four deliveries, as the crowd bit fingernails lower and nervously lit cigarettes. But it was the fifth ball of the over, the penultimate

delivery of the 45-over match which finally brought a respite. Jamieson leaned forward and drove the ball directly to Len Pascoe at short mid-off. Pascoe fumbled, the batsmen set off and crossed for the match-winning run as the fieldsman threw a despairing throw to the non-striker’s end. Central’s total ticked on to 172 and the match was over. Seldom has Pukekura Park seen such a spectacle. The Australians’ first innings of 171 was at times a comedy as a rearranged batting line-up foundered in a sub-standard display on a lifeless wicket and at the hands of a mediocre provincial attack. Central’s reply was a hairraising performance as its chase for victory proceeded in a series of fits and starts. The encounter was sensational from the outset. The Australians arrived at the ground only minutes before the scheduled start time after a long and tiring early morning flight from Christchurch. AUSTRALIA R. Marsh b Jamieson .... 0 B. Laird b O’Sullivan .... 16 A. Border c Jamieson b Aberhart 76 K. Hughes c Edwards b

O’Sullivan . 4 R. Bright c O'Sullivan b Hodgson 0 B. Yardley c Smith b Hodgson 0 J. Dyson c Edwards b Hodgson 40 D. Lillee c Webb b Aberhart. 10 L. Pascoe c and b Robertson 9 T. Aiderman not out. ... . 4 G. Wood c sub (Walsh) b Aberhart 6 Extras (b 2, lb 3, w 1) 6 Total 171 Fall: 5, 30. 52, 53, 55, 136, 141, 161, 163. Bowling: G. Robertson 9,2, 24, 1; M. Jamieson 8. 1. 26, 1; W. Hodgson 9, ?, 42, 3; D. O’Sullivan 9,1, 38. 2: D. Aberhart 8,0, 35, 3. CENTRAL DISTRICTS R. Anderson c Hughes b Pascoe 36 C. Webb c Laird b Aiderman 11 J. Wiltshire lbw Aiderman . 0 J. Edwards b Yardley. .. . 8 W. Hodgson c Yardley b Bright , . 33 C. Atkinson c Dyson b Lillee 15 I. Smith c Border b Yardley. 31 G. Robertson not out 9 D. Aberhart lbw Aiderman. 10 D. O'Sullivan c Dyson b Aiderman L 0 M. Jamieson not out. ... . 2 Extras (b 10, lb 6, wl). . 17 Total for nine wickets 172 Fall: 41, 41, 63, 84, 110, 150, 151, 161, 161. Bowling.— R. Marsh 3.5, 0, 18, 0; D. Lillee 9,2, 29, 1; T. Aiderman 9,1, 21, 4; L. Pascoe 9, 0, 37, 1; B. Yardley 9,2, 28, 2; R. Bright 5,1, 22, 1.