Hadlee to report on cricket

Press, 29 February 1984, Page 15

Hadlee to report on cricket

The Canterbury cricket all-rounder, Richard Hadlee, will file radio reports from the New Zealand cricket team’s tour of Sri Lanka for the duration of the tour, from February 29 to April 1.

Hadlee will broadcast eight reports altogether on 3ZB, two during each of the three tests and one from each of the one-day internationals. The station manager of 3ZB, Mr Chris Muirhead, said the first of each of Hadlee’s test reports would deal with things like the build-up to the game, team psychology, and the calibre of the opposing team.

Each of Hadlee’s reports will be about five minutes long, and will probably be broadcast at 7.35 a.m. on weekdays and 9.35 a.m. in week-ends, depending on how much time he has available to prepare the broadcasts during the match. Mr Muirhead said 3ZB had decided not to take reports from Jeremy Coney, which will be broadcast on other Radio New Zealand commercial stations, because Hadlee was a more well-known identity locally whose reports had become established here. Radio commentaries on the Sri Lankan tour will be provided by a Sri Lankan broadcaster, Mr Aubrey Ebert. Radio New Zealand’s head of sports, Mr Ron Findlay, said Mr Ebert had covered the World Cup matches in England and spoke English well. “I have, been given faithful promises we will be able to understand his English,” he said. Mr Findlay said there would be three half-hour periods of ball-by-ball commentary on each test day, covering the half-hour before lunch, tea and stumps. These will be (N.Z. time) from 6.30 to 7 p.m., 9.10 to 9.45 p.m., and 11.05 to 11.40, including a summary of the day’s play at stumps. One-day matches will be covered by four reports, one from half-way through and at the end of each innings. In addition, weather and track reports will be given before each game starts.

There will be lunch, tea and stumps reports from each day of the two threeday matches as well. Mr Findlay said radio coverage would not be more comprehensive than this due to cost, to cover the England tour last year and send Alan Richards over cost 550,000, and Radio New Zealand was not able to afford that at this stage. “The budget had already been done, and there was not enough money in the till for more coverage,” he said.