Wright leads fight to save first test

Press, 19 July 1983, Page 38

Wright leads fight to save first test

NZPA staff correspondent London The New Zealand opener, John Wright, made amends for a disappointing World Cup when he led the fight to save the first test against England at the Oval yesterday morning. The Northern Districts left-hander finished the day unbeaten on 79 as he and his captain, Geoff Howarth (32 not out), staged a fighting third wicket partnership. New Zealand at stumps was 130 for two after being set 460 to win — or, more realistically, being required to bat for 57 overs yesterday and a minimum of 96 overs this morning to salvage a draw. Wright’s positive batting has dominated the New Zealand fightback and erased the memories of a World Cup in which he averaged only 16.6 runs over five innings. His performance in that event was particularly disappointing because it is at one-day cricket that he has developed a special reputation both for Derbyshire and New Zealand. His many fine limitedover innings for New Zealand in recent years have tended to obscure the fact that he entered the present 'series against England with a batting average of just 27.10 from 22 previous tests. At the moment he is, in fact, finding some difficulty in adjusting his one-day style to the demands of test cricket. The problem is a half pull, half hook shot which he plays off short-

pitched pace bowling. The shot brings him many runs but it also led him to lob simple catches as he mistimed the pace of the ball in New Zealand’s games against Somerset and Gloucestershire. It also almost led to his dismissal off the bowling of Norman Cowans twice yesterday. On one occasion, the ball lobbed between two fielders in the region of mid-wicket and in the second instance it sailed over the heads of the England slips. On both occasions, Wright had good reason to chastise himself because he recognises that he must eradicate the shot: “It’s an instinctive shot which developed from the need to score quick runs in the one-day game. “But it’s not a good percentage shot because I get out to it too often and I must get it out of my system,” he said. Apart from that blemish, Wright’s innings yesterday was full of class, particularly in the nature of some flowing cover drives. He believes that New Zealand has a good chance of saving the test providing it does not lose any wickets in the first session.

The game can certainly be salvaged if the same sort of application which distinguished New Zealand’s bowling and fielding over the last two days can be applied to the batting, he said yesterday. New Zealand’s fate will probably .depend on exactly how well the off-spinner,

Vic Marks, and the slow left-armer, Phil Edmonds, exploit those conditions this morning. As Wright suggests, much will depend on how long he and Howarth can stay together. Their stand is already worth 104 runs and, more importantly, exhausted 46 overs after Bruce Edgar and Jeff Crowe had fallen early to lifting Bob Willis deliveries. ENGLAND First innings 209 Second innings G. Fowler run out 105 C. J. Tavare c Howarth b Bracewell 109 D. I. Gower c Howarth b Hadlee 25 A. J. Lamb not out ... . 102 1. T. Botham run out. . . 26 D. W. Randall c Coney b Hadlee 3 V. J. Marks c M. D. Crowe b Bracewell 2 PH. Edmonds not out . . 43 Extras (bB, 1b23) 31 Total (for 6 wkts dec.) 446 Fall: 223, 225, 269, 322, 329, 336. Bowling.—Hadlee 37.2, 7, 99, 2; Cairns 30, 7, 67, 0; Chatfield 35, 9, 85, 0; M. D. Crowe 3,0, 9, 0; Bracewell 54, 13, • 115, 2; Coney 27, 11, 39, 0; Howarth 3, 2,1, 0. NEW ZEALAND First innings 196 Second innings B. A. Edgar c Taylor b Willis 3 J. G. Wright not out. ... 79 J. J. Crowe c Lamb b Willis . 9 G. P. Howarth not out . . 32 Extras (b 3 Ibl, nb3) . . 7 Total (for 2 wkts) 130 Fall: 10, 26. Bowling.—Willis 12, 3, 26, 2; Cowans 11, 2, 41, 0; Botham 3,0, 13, 0; Marks 16, 7, 24, 0; Edmonds 16, 5, 19, 0.