Cran Bull quietly confident of win

Press, 2 March 1984, Page 30

Cran Bull quietly confident of win

By

R. T. Brittenden

“To quote Bob Willis, we are quietly optimistic” said the Canterbury cricket captain, Cran Bull, commenting on prospects for today’s Shell Trophy match with Wellington at Lancaster Park. “We have a team of triers and some form players—we have a side which could win it” said Bull. But he has a healthy respect for Wellington in this match, vitally important to both sides. Canterbury at present has a fourpoint lead over Wellington and Auckland. Bull pointed to Wellington’s long batting list, and to the number of all-roun-ders in the side. “However, Paul McEwan and Vaughan Brown can be match winners, Anup Nathu batted particularly well in his first game, against Otago, and Andrew Nuttall bowled without much luck,” he said. ' Wellington does have an impressively long list of allrounders, and even without Bruce Edgar, Ewen Chatfield and Jeremy Coney, must be favoured to win. Of particular interest to Christchurch supporters, will be the newcomers, Phil Schofer and Chris Pickett, and the professional, Tony Pigott. Schofer, a right-arm medium-pace bowler, is 35 and is making his first-class debut. Pickett, aged 28, is a right-hand opening batsman who played with success for

Wellington B this summer and scored 166 not out in a club match in early January. Pigott is an opening bowler of sharp pace and much aggression. He gave a memorable display when called on by England for the second test at Christchurch. He was over-worked as into-wind bowler, but fielded with tremendous determination on the fine leg boundary. There is great batting potential in Pickett, Ervin McSweeney, Justin Boyle, Brian Cederwall, Peter Holland, John Morrison, Robert Vance, and Evan Gray. No matter what the Lancaster Park pitch produces, Wellington seems well equipped to bowl on it. Apart from Pigott and his pace, there is Schofer and a bowler who has made a very good impression in Christchurch, Steve Maguiness. Gray and Morrison bowl left-arm slow—Morrison very slow—and there is the medium pace of Cederwall and the offbreaks of Holland. If the pitch is akin to the one used in the Otago match there will be early but slow turn, and it does not seem likely that the ball will endanger life and limb with erratic lift. Notwithstanding criticism of the pitch, Canterbury and New Zealand players must hold it in some affection. New Zealand won there, and so has Canterbury in all three home matches so far. McEwan has been in out-

standing form, and made 114 from Wellington’s bowlers when Canterbury lost by three runs on the first innings at the Basin Reserve. Without David Stead, however, there will again be a tail of considerable length. McEwan, Brown, Nathu, Rod Fulton and Bull looked like form batsmen against Otago and Ray Jones and Tony Blain are both capable of very big scores in representative cricket.

The return of Craig Thiele will give the attack more hostility although Ken Taylor now dropped, had accuracy and determination against Otago. The gate for the three-day Otago match totalled $520, almost certainly a record low for Shell and Plunket Shield games. Rather more Canterbury support is expected this time, but the Victory Park Board is taking no chances. The Wilson’s road entrance will not be opened, and admission will be through the main gates only. Those who have car park positions in the Wilson’s Road Park are invited to use the parking area in Talfourd Place. The teams are.— WELLINGTON: McSweeney (captain) Boyle, Cederwall, Gray, Maguiness, Morrison, Holland, Ross Ormiston, Pigott, Schofer, Vance and Pickett. CANTERBURY: Bull (captain) Fulton, Thiele, Davie Hadlee, Steve McNally, Nuttall, Brown, Nathu, McEwan, Ash Hart, Jones, and Blain.