England exploits rule omission

Press, 24 February 1984, Page 30

England exploits rule omission

PA Auckland An oversight in the drafting of playing conditions may indirectly have led to New Zealand’s defeat by England in the Rothmans Cup one-day cricket series which climaxed at the Basin Reserve on Wednesday. A loophole in the rules which England spotted, but of which New Zealand was unaware, provided the tactical basis for the tourists’ victory. Questions are now being asked to find out how the mistake occurred. The error involved the omission from the playing conditions of a clause which would restrict leg side field settings.

England boasted after it had defeated New Zealand by six wickets on Wednesday, to take the series, 2-0, that its ability to station the right fieldsmen in the right positions had been the main factor in its success. It had been able to starve New Zealand batsmen of runs by placing fields which were set to negate their favourite shots and ex-

ploited their weaknesses either against fast or slow bowling. In every case at the Basin Reserve the fields involved six fielders on the leg side and only three on the off —- normally illegal but made possible because of the omission of the vital clause. The oversight was originally spotted on the morning of the first one-day clash at Lancaster Park. Officials approached the English management asking them to agree to the readmission of the clause but, not surprisingly, the Englishmen refused.

The leading member of the New Zealand Cricket Council’s sub-committee on playing conditions, rules and regulations, Mr Vern Chettleburgh, was unable to shed any light yesterday on the reason for the omission of the regulation. He could not say whether the clause limiting leg side fields had been omitted deliberately or because of an administrative oversight.