Bob Willis blames Headingley pitch

Press, 3 August 1983, Page 40

Bob Willis blames Headingley pitch

NZPA staff correspondent Leeds England’s captain, Bob Willis, is extremely confident that his side can reverse yesterday’s test defeat by New Zealand in the third test which starts at Lord’s on August 11. Speaking after New Zealand’s five-wicket win, which levelled the four-test series at one-all, Willis blamed England’s dismal performance on the Headingley pitch. “I don’t think New Zealand are a better side than us and on a better wicket at Lord’s, our batsmen should regain their confidence and play far better,” he said. Willis strongly criticised the Headingley wicket saying it was damp on the first day, cracked and gave an uneven bounce.

However, he conceded that New Zealand had bowled better to exploit the

conditions ano complimented the Kiwis on their team spirit: “The strength of the New Zealand team is that all the players pull together for one another. They have some very good players and some moderate players who give 110 per cent all the time,” he said. While Willis spoke of a resurgence, the New Zealand captain, Geoff Howarth, sipped champagne and said his side could only benefit from the achievement of the first-ever win over England on English soil.

“We know how to win now and that gives us confidence for future matches,” he said. Howarth said he believed England’s 189-run victory in the first test had flattered it and that the two sides were evenly balanced: “The final two tests could be belters,” he said.

The Headingley victory

was, as well as being a great boost for New Zealand cricket which had not tasted victory overseas since 1969, full of personal triumphs. It also spelled a definite end to an English belief that the side is a one-man band. Richard Hadlee, in fact, failed to take a wicket in 47 overs, and he was guilty of straying down the leg-side yesterday as England took its total from 154 for six to 252 to set New Zealand 101 to win.

Hadlee had, however, bowled superbly on the first three days of the test and was desperately unlucky not to share in the spoils. The Auckland off-spinner, John Bracewell, must have also wondered about his place in the scheme of things as he bowled just one over in the test compared with the 45 overs bowled by the England spinner, Phil Edmonds.

But Howarth said that as the game progressed, he had come to regard Bracewell as his “secret weapon.” “Every time I thought about bringing him on, two wickets would fall. Yesterday I was going to bring him on to replace Lance Cairns and Lance promptly dismissed Bob Taylor and Bob Willis,” he said.

The test was a total triumph for Cairns, who was awarded the man-of-match award by Tom Graveney for taking seven for 74 in England’s first innings and three for 70 in the second.

A few days before the test, Howarth had warned him that his place was in jeopardy if his bowling did not improve. Ewen Chatfield also had great cause for celebration when he took the important wicket of Graham Dilley to complete his first fivewicket haul in a test

innings. Several of the New Zealand batsmen likewise had good reason for satisfaction and none more so than the opener, John Wright, who top scored in both innings with 93 and 26.

His second innings display was of vital importance as New Zealand lost quick wickets in the quest for victory. His running between the wickets was also far more positive than in the first innings when he ran out two of his teammates.

Jeff Crowe, a failure in the first test, had reason to be pleased with his valuable 13 runs in difficult batting conditions and a tensionpacked atmosphere after four wickets had fallen for 61; and at the end it was the coolness of Hadlee and Jeremy Coney which steered the Kiwis home.

Coney not only pulled lan Botham to long on for the

winning runs but could look back on four more test wickets and three catches at second slip. His authoritative catching contrasted strongly with the dropped chances in the first test which cost New Zealand dearly and Coney admitted this had had a big influence on his game: “I can feel confidence about my whole game return if I am catching well,” he said. The wicket-keeper, lan Smith, could also be hugely satisfied after his test recall. He took seven catches and kept extremely tidily. The New Zealanders travel to London today where they will be joined by the 20-year-old Auckland fast bowler, Sean Tracy, who is being added to the side to allow the test bowlers to be rested.

Tracy is likely to play in the one-day game against Surrey on Friday.

The New Zealanders have

one other game — a threeday match against Hampshire, at Bournemouth — before the third test.

NEW ZEALAND First innings 377 Second innings J. G. Wright c Randall b Willis 26 B. A. Edgar c Edmonds b Willis 2 G. P. Howarth c Randall b Willis 20 M. D. Crowe c Lamb b Willis 1 J. J. Crowe b Willis. ... 13 J. V. Coney not out ... . 10 R. J. Hadlee not out . . . 6 Extras (bB, lb 7, nblO). . 25 Total (for 5 wkts) 103 Fall: 11, 42, 60, 61, 83.

BOWLING R W 0 M Hadlee 26 9 45 0 Chatfield 29 5 95 5 Cairns 24 2 70 3 Coney 8 1 30 2

BOWLING O M R W Willis 14 5 35 5 Cowans 5 0 23 0 Dilley 8 2 16 0 Botham 0.1 0 4 0