Marks does test chances no harm

Press, 30 January 1984, Page 30

Marks does test chances no harm

PA Dunedin The wiry and wily Somerset spinner, Vic Marks, came to New Zealand with the touring English cricket team as a spare parts man. It seemed to be his fate to bowl a few overs in one-day matches and to bat when fate and the whim of the selectors dictated. Trouble is, no-one told Marks. The man the English team call “Skid” (skid marks) thumbed his nose at them and turned in a fine all-round performance as the tourists’ rain-shortened match against Otago plodded to a tame and silly draw. His lusty 50 runs and his second haul of five wickets in an innings in two tour appearances has Marks skidding rapidly into reckoning for second test selection. His efforts in Dunedin cheekily defying expressed selection preference, were sole highlights of a drab England performance in a match marred by rain and batsmen’s lack of discipline. Marks’s haul of five wickets for 52 yesterday trimmed Otago’s total to 152 for nine before a declaration. England batted on until stumps were drawn 30 minutes early and reached 118 for four. The match was drawn. David Gower offered the crowd some entertainment with shots of natural and predictable quality. He

made 38 as confidence and competence returned after his first innings failure. Chris Tavare also found improving form after carelessness cost his wicket for only four runs on Saturday and his knock of 33 was some consolation to concerned selectors. Perhaps the only joy in this match for the tourists, Marks’ efforts aside, was its setting, its friendly demeanour and its soothing pace. Rain washed out the first day and cost an hour and five minutes of the second, destroying the match’s value as extended practice and ending all hope of a result. In their first innings the English top and middleorder batsmen shamed themselves through lack of commitment and more value was lost as five early wickets fell for 61 runs. ENGLAND First innings G. Fowler c and b Webb. 31 C. J. Tavare c Hoskin b Mallender 4 C. L. Smith c Blair b Mallender 16 D. I. Gower c and b Webb . 4 A. J. Lamb b Mallender . 31 M. W. Gatting c Boock b Mallender 0 V. J. Marks c Lees b Webb 50 R. W. Taylor b Boock. . . 28 G. R. Dilley not out... . 17 N. G. B. Cook not out. . . 5 Extras (bl, w2, lb2, nb3). 8 Total (for 8 wkts dec.) 194

Fall: 21, 52, 60, 60, 61, 127, 150, 174. Bowling.—N. Mallender, 20, 4, 53, 4; R. Webb, 20, 2, 76, 3; B. Blair, 5, 1. 4,0; S. Boock, 18, 4, 53, 1. Second innings Fowler c Boock b Mallender 7 Smith c Boock b Mallender 9 Tavare not out 33 Gower lbw b Blair 38 Lamb c Jones b McCallum 29 Extras (lb2) 2 Total (for 4 wkts) 118 Fall: 10, 28, 88, 118. Bowling.—Mallender, 8,2, 10, 2; Webb, 7,1, 17, 0; A. J. Jones, 6,0, 31, 0; Boock, 8,4, 18, 0; Blair, 8,2, 26, 1; K. R. Rutherford, 1,0, 1,0; G. J. Dawson, 1, 0, 13, 0; S. J. McCallum, 2,0, 0, 1. OTAGO First innings K. R. Rutherford c Tavare b Dilley 47 5. J. McCallum c Gower b Marks 17 R. W. Hoskin c Tavare b Dilley 2 B. R. Blair lbw b Gatting 1 G. J. Dawson c Cook b Marks 20 A. J. Jones c Fowler b Dilley 0 S. J. Richards c Gower b Marks 25 W. K. Lees c Cook b Marks 11 N. Mallender c Cowans b Marks 2 S. L. Boock not out ... . 13 Extras (b 4 lb 3, nb6, wl). 14 Total (for 9 wkts dec.) 152 Fall: 29, 43, 66, 85, 85, 110, 130, 139, 152. Bowling.—G. R. Dilley, 18, 8, 28, 3; N. G. Cowans, 11, 5, 24, 0; V. J. Marks, 19.3, 4, 52, 5; M. W. Gatting, 8,3, 19, 1; N. G. B. Cook, 6,2, 15, 0.