Test inquest

Press, 19 November 1982, Page 36

Test inquest

NZPA Perth The England opener, Chris Tavare, will be told to speed up his batting in the second cricket test against Australia. The advice to Tavare is part of the inquest into England’s performance during the first test, which ended in a draw on Wednesday. The side’s captain, Bob Willis, said he was going to. talk to Tavare, who scored only nine in the second innings after taking 64 minutes to get off the mark. “I think he can bat more positively than he has,” said Willis. England’s, next match, before the start of the second test on November 26, will be against New South Wales starting in Sydney tomorrow.

The selectors will use the four-day match to assess the form of Tavare’s fellowopener, Geoff Cook, who. scored a total of eight runs in the test, one in the first innings and seven in the second. The left-hander,. Graeme Fowler, whose own form has been poor, is a possible replacertient for Cook. There is no chance of the all-rounder, lan Botham, losing his place, but he also has failed to find his true form, even though he reached the landmark of scoring 3000 test runs and taking 250 wickets. The Jamaican-born, Norman Cowans, a 21-year-old fast bowler, who made his test debut at Perth, seems likely to lose his place. •