McEwan — manager

Press, 25 July 1984, Page 33

McEwan — manager

Canterbury and New Zealand cricket representative, Paul McEwan, has been employed to manage the Howzat indoor cricket arena. McEwan first represented New Zealand against the West Indies in 1980-81 and then against Australia in the same season. He forced his way back into the team for its tour of Pakistan later this year by topping the first-class batting averages for the season. In 12 innings he scored an aggregate of 713 runs, breaking Barry Hadlee’s 1975-76 record of 582 runs in a Shell Trophy season. McEwan scored two centuries and five 60s to have an average of almost 60 runs. A useful medium-pace bowler, McEwan has best first-class figures of three wickets for 25 for Canterbury against Northern Districts. McEwan was managing a

coffee shop in Riccarton Road when he was approached by businessmen who planned establishing an up-market indoor cricket complex in the city. With his involvement in, and love for, the game of cricket, he jumped at the chance to manage such a facility.

“I have had a few games of the indoor version of the sport and really enjoyed them. I want to combine my job as manager with the coaching of young players, and because the courts can take a proper cricket ball for practice it is ideal for me,” he said. McEwan describes the indoor game as one trying to emulate as close as possible the outdoor game while making it simpler to play. McEwan asserts, too, that the game can be beneficial to an outdoor cricketer. “As long as you don’t try to hit the cover off the ball you can learn a lot about running between the wickets and cohesion between bats- • men. It can also help to get your eye in for the coming outdoor season.” McEwan hopes his drives will be flowing as smoothly as the cricket centre when he leaves for the Pakistan tour in September.