Spinners take control

Press, 5 July 1983, Page 40

Spinners take control

NZPA staff correspondent Taunton The spinners, John Bracewell and Evan Gray, will be key weapons when New Zealand attempts to force a win against Somerset in the opening first-class game of its England tour at Taunton today. The pair are likely to spend a lot of time at the bowling crease as the New' Zealanders seek 15 wickets on the final day for victory. They took control of the game yesterday by totalling a massive 544 for nine declared in their first innings. In reply, Somerset was 205 for five at stumps still needing 190 runs to avoid the follow-on.

Ominously for the county, the wicket, ideal for batting for most of the first two days of play, began to take turn. This helped Bracewell to take three wickets to reduce Somerset to its current state and present New Zealand with the scent of victory.

The Auckland off-spinner, after a tentative first few overs, finished the day with the figures of three for 43 off 20.5 overs. Gray, the Wellington leftarmer, was given just five overs at the end of the day but he also succeeded in beating the bat on several occasions. lan Botham faces daily treatment on a groin strain before the first test against New Zealand, starting at the Oval on July 14, but he has no chance to prove his fitness before the selectors meet to pick the side later this week. The 27-year-old all-roun-der was ordered by the Somerset physiotherapist, Dennis Waight, to miss the match against the tourists at Taunton. NEW ZEALAND First innings T. Franklin c Garner b Wilson 0 B. A. Edgar lbw b Mafc 34 J. G. Wright c Wyatt b Wilson 85

G. P. Howarth c Gard b Lloyds 88 J. J. Crowe c Gard b Davis 27 E. J. Gray lbw b Gamer. 72 R. J. Hadlee c Gard b Wilson 82 J. G. Bracewell c and b Davies 38 W. K. Lees not out ... . 42 B. L. Cairns c Gard b Wilson 60 Extras (bl, lb!2, wl, nb2) 16 Total (9 wkts decl.) 544 Falk 1, 100, 143, 237, 243, 399, 399, 464, 544. Bowling: Gamer 15, 6, 32, 1; Wilson 29, 6, 109, 4; Davis 26, 2, 123, 2; Popplewell 7,1, 50, 0; Marks 35, 10, 125, 1; Lloyds 16, 2, 89, 1. SOMERSET J. W. Lloyds c Lees b Bracewell 84 B. C. Rose b Cairns. ... 34 P. W. Denning c Bracewell b Cairns 0 P. A. Slocombe b Bracewell . . 66 T. Gard c Wright b Bracewell 5 M. R. Davis not out. .. . 0 Extras (b 7 lb 6, wl, nb2). 16 Total (5 wkts) 205 Fall: 57, 67, 193, 196, 205.