Edgar’s solid 161 paces N.Z. to first innings lead

Press, 15 March 1982, Page 40

Edgar’s solid 161 paces N.Z. to first innings lead

By

JOHN COFFEY

in Auckland

New Zealand extended its first innings lead over Australia to 177 runs in the second test at Eden Park yesterday. But it continues to be a match of many adjournments because of the weather with Bruce Edgar mainlining the only really consistent thread during the week-end.

The New Zealand innings ended at 337 — a total that was perhaps a little more modest than its aspirations — and the Australian opening pair, Graeme Wood and Bruce Laird, survived the 37 minutes of play possible after yet another stoppage for bad light. They removed 13 runs from the deficit. Wood and Laird must have been thankful they did not have to endure a longer sentence in their cricketing purgatory. Conditions — the pitch apart — were not favourable and. Richard Hadlee must have looked like the devil himself as he marched back to his long run-up. That action of Hadlee’s — just a few days after stating quite categorically that he would be using his abbreviated approach — emphasised New Zealand’s sensing of victory. Hadlee bowled much quicker than on Friday, Laird was the subject of unsuccessful appeals for a catch and leg before wicket. Edgar was quite decisvely the dominant figure of the week-end. He .had to slip back into, his batting groove eight times after breaks in play, but his concentration never wavered. His judgement of line, length, and choice of stroke was near perfect, and Edgar’s innings was almost error-free until, on 161, he finally miscalculated when driving Bruce Yardley. If Yardley caused Edgar occasional concern and eventually claimed his wicket, the Australian off-spinner also suffered more than his team-mates. Ten of Edgar’s 22 boundaries were taken from Yardley, as he swept with precision and hit sweetly past the bowler and through the covers. A chart of Edgar’s innings would testify to the range of scoring shots from which he derived his runs. But just as admirable was Edgar’s attitude, as he made certain that New Zealand did not waste its opportunity to wrest a sizeable advantage. In all, Edgar batted for 513 minutes . and faced 418 deliveries. In two appearances in-this Rothmans test series he has defied Australia’s highly-regarded bowling resources for more than 14 hours, and his return of 216 runs is a most satisfactory dividend. For much of that time Wood has been situated at short leg, and his sore shins

will remind him of how effectively Edgar handled Yardley’s probing at his leg stump. But the pace bowlers were by no means immune. Once Edgar was settled he hooked enthusiastically, and Dennis Lillee can take it as some sort of a tribute to his own skills that he conceded just three boundaries to Edgar in 39 overs. Edgar had become so much a part of the Eden Park scene that there was a stunned silence, a disbelief, when he was out. The quiet was brief, though, and Edgar was fully deserving of the standing ovation accorded him all the way to the dressing room. That Edgar was able to pace himself so superbly was also to the credit of those who partnered him longest, Geoff Howarth and Jeremy Coney. Howarth was with Edgar while .87 runs were added for the third wicket, and the stand between Edgar and Coney was worth another 154. Coney is still in quest of his first test century, and it was with the universal goodwill of the New Zealand cricketing fraternity that he resumed yesterday on 55. The confidence with which he twice hammered deliveries from Lillee through the covers off the back foot suggested he would at last lay that particular ghost to rest. Sadly, it was not to be. Yardley found a path to Coney’s leg stump, and Australia’s harrassed bowlers

had experienced success for the first time since Friday evening. A heavy shower soon after Martin Crowe began his second test innings must have further frayed the nerves of the Auckland youngster. He needed 36 minutes to score and, tragically, appeared to relax, lobbing Lillee’s next ball to Wood. Edgar was then New Zealand's only remaining specialist batsman, the lead a modest 81 runs. Yardley was convinced that he had made further inroads by having Hadlee on two caught by Wood. That, and yet another leg before wicket appeal were refused, and Yardley threw his jersey to the ground at over’s end. The reply from Hadlee was typically forthright. He off-drove for six, and Yardley’s bowling “century” was attained. But that was only a nudge compared to Hadlee’s next big hit. The ball pitched on the roof of the No. 4 stand — a feat achieved previously only by Les Butler, in a Plunket Shield game for Wellington, and Graeme Vivian, against Pakistan in his swansong appearance for Auckland. In the same over, though, Hadlee skied at attempted sweep and Greg Chappell ran around for the catch. Lance Cairns also thumped a six and there was a bonus of 21 runs in a last-wicket stand between Martin Snedden and Gary Troup. Australia had started the

morning with a near-new ball, and it was used far more effectively than its ageing predecessor the previous afternoon. Edgar and Coney were then making smooth progress, Lillee and Jeff Thomson had been reduced to their short run-ups, Terry Aiderman was virtually ignored by his captain because the pitch offered him nothing, and Yardley was more mechanical than menacing.

Not so yesterday, however. Lillee was magnificent in beating Coney with three consecutive deliveries, and he must have been near hoarse from appealing. Yardley would be similarly husky of voice, but his was a long wait for positive reward — there is no job satisfaction from simply managing to wring some lift and spin from unresponsive turf.

New Zealand has never before enjoyed such a first innings advantage over Australia. Its best from 13 past tests was 150 runs — at Sydney' in 1973-74, when it rained all of the last day. However, even without intervention from the weather today and tomorrow, New Zealand still faces a big task in capitalising on its ascendancy. The scoreboard: NEW ZEALAND First innings B. Edgar c and b Yardley . 161 J. Wright c Yardley b Lillee. 4 J. Morrison b Lillee 11 G. Howarth run out 56 J. Coney b Yardley 73 M. Crowe c Wood b Lillee. 2 R. Hadlee c Chappell b Yardley 25 I. Smith lbw Yardley .... 5 L. Cairns c Lillee b Alderman 14 M. Snedden not out 18 G. Troup c Border b Aiderman 4 Extras (b 4lb 7, wl, nb2). 14 Total 387 Fall: 15, 35, 122, 276, 291, 326, 345, 352, 366.

First innings 210 Second innings G. Wood not out 9

Bowling 0 M R W J. Thomson 23 8 52 0 T. Aiderman 24.3 5 59 2 D. Lillee 39 106 3 B. Yardley 56 22 142 4 A. Border 3 0 11 0 G. Chappell 5 2 AUSTRALIA 3 0

B. Laird not out Extras (nbl) . . 3 1 Total for no wicket 13 Bowling R. Hadlee 5 2 5 0 G. Troup 3 1 6 0 L. Cairns 1 0 1 0