Hughes admits slow over rate

Press, 11 February 1983, Page 30

Hughes admits slow over rate

NZPA Sydney World Series Cup cricket administrators did not penalise Australia for its slow over rate on Wednesday night even though the Australian captain. Kim Hughes, admitted he had made a calculated effort in bowling at most 49 overs and not the required 50 overs. Interviewed after the match against New Zealand at the Sydney Cricket Ground, Hughes said: “I would rather have paid the fine, than face a target of say 210 from 50 overs.” In not bowling the fiftieth over the Australian side avoided having to bowl the slow medium-pacer. Greg Chappell, for a final over. Chappell is rated by cricket commentators as the easiest bowler of the regular Australian attack for batsmen to score quick runs from.

New Zealand’s innings finished at 193 after 49 overs. The New Zealand captain, Geoff Howarth, was critical of the official failure to penalise the Australian team for its slow over rate. Australia was saved a "mandatory" $6OO fine when the tournament referee. Alan Crompton, ruled that there were mitigating circumstances for its failure. Howarth criticised the decision, however. Rules clearly specified that a side which did not bowl 50 overs in the required time was fined $5O per player for the first over missed and $lOO per player for every over thereafter. Unless there was an extreme reason for the slowness of the over rate a fine should apply, said Howarth. "They didn't bowl 50 overs so they should have been fined," he said.-