Cricketers poised for success

Press, 9 July 1983, Page 60

Cricketers poised for success

NZPA staff correspondent Bristol New Zealand is poised to score a morale-boosting first win of its tour of England against Gloucestershire at Bristol. The Kiwis are in total command after reaching 338 for six in their first innings at stumps on the second day in reply to Gloucestershire’s modest 120. Like the other New Zealand batsmen, who are only too aware that the first test against England starts in just six days Martin Crowe (61 not out) started cautiously, intent on spending time at the wicket. But late in the day he unleashed some fine drives. Geoff Howarth (60) and the opener, Bruce Edgar (39), also scored runs in an assured fashion against a frail county attack but the main innings was one of 136 scored by John Wright. The Northern Districts opener was dropped twice as he went towards his thirty-first first-class cen-

tury. One was a very simple caught and bowled chance to Richard Doughty off a mis-timed pull when he had scored just 31. Wright celebrated his luck by hammering a six and 22 boundaries to all parts of the Nevill Road ground in an innings of 192 balls. GLOUCESTERSHIRE First innings_ 120 New Zealand First innings J. G. Wright c Hignell b Doughty 136 B. A. Edgar b Tracy ... 39 J. J. Crowe c Russell b Tracy 8 G. P Howarth c Hignell b Graveney 60 M. D. Crowe no out... . 61 J. V. Coney b Bainbridge. 0 J. G. Bracewell b Graveney 0 I. D. S. Smith not out. . . 19 Extras (bl lbB w3 nb3). 15 Total (for 6 wkts) 338 Fall: 122, 136, 218, 270, 272, 275. Bowling, Tracy 21, 5, 55, 2; Sainsbury 23, 8, 55, 0; Bainbridge 16, 6, 39, 1; Doughtv 13, 0, 66, 1; Childs 17, 6, 70, 0; Graveney 14, 33, 38, 2.