N.Z. can be proud

Press, 9 February 1983, Page 46

N.Z. can be proud

By

R. T. BRITTENDEN

Whatever may happen at the Sydney Cricket Ground this afternoon, and at Melbourne on Sunday, Geoff Howarth's New Zealand cricketers have won particular distinction at the World Series Cup contest. What was supposed to be a one-horse race in the preliminaries with Australia leaving the other two countries in its dust — ended with New Zealand on top. Australia in fact qualified for the finals only at the last moment, and then can be thankful for Saturday's, rain at Perth, which cost England its chance, and the injury suffered by Richard Hadlee during Sunday’s match. One of the reports of the

tournament said that England “had too many captains." Another that the Australians were “in tatters.” A third that Kim Hughes, the Australian captain, should resign.

Conditions in these matches must surely rank among the most difficult cricketers have ever encountered, but through all the storms of controversy and conflict the New Zealanders have kept cool and Howarth has won even higher praise for his leadership than he was accorded on a similar expedition two years ago. The batting of Glenn Turner, the bowling of Hadlee, may have been the hub on which New Zealand’s performance has turned, but

there are many others who have made vital contributions.

It has been a team effort; and it has been a most creditable one. It is easy to become over-sentimental about such matters, but Jeremy'Coney’s conferences with Hadlee, as they shared that long match-winning partnership against England at Adelaide, had as their basis a pride in performance and in their country. So come what may, the New Zealand cricket public — now almost the New Zealand public — will salute the four professionals and 10 amateurs who have acquitted themselves so well on the field behaviour as well as performance.