Otago cricket in good heart

Press, 3 October 1983, Page 23

Otago cricket in good heart

Otago cricket is obviously alive, and well.

The Shell Series team this year may well include Glenn Turner, a very promising Northamptonshire seam bowler, Neil Mallender, and another New Zealand test player from further north.

The secretary of the Otago Cricket Association, Mr Lindsay Brown, has confirmed that Mallender will almost certainly play in Dunedin this season. He and his wife are expected by the beginning of November. Mallender, aged 22, is a right-hand fast-medium bowler, who had a very successful season for his country this year. He will be available for all Otago’s representative cricket in the coming season.

It has not yet been decided which club Mallender will play for. Mr Brown said that two clubs had offered financial support to the association in return for Mallender’s services, but the association has decided to give all the senior clubs a chance. Mallender will no doubt go to the highest bidder — “a bit like an Egyptian bazaar” Mr Brown

said. Mr Brown said there were high hopes that Turner would be available for the representative team. He would give no hint, however, as to who the other “top New Zealand player” would be.

With the chairman of selectors, Mr Ray Hunt, very much a catalyst, Otago has also decided on a national double-wicket tournament at Dunedin’s vast indoor sports complex, on October 19. The tournament, the first of its kind in this country, is likely to be an annual event.

Each of the six major associations will be represented; Canterbury’s pair will be the Hadlee brothers, Dayle and Richard. Profits from the tournament will help meet the costs of bringing Mallender to New Zealand.

Mr Brown said the stadium would hold 2000 spectators, and it was hoped to sell all the seats. Already profitable advertising contracts had been negotiated. The tournament will be televised live on the national network from 9.30 p.m. to 11 p.m.