Loss blamed on wicket

Press, 19 April 1985, Page 36

Loss blamed on wicket

NZPA staff correspondent Port of Spain, Trinidad The New Zealand manager, John Heslop, and the captain, Geoff Howarth, both blamed the damp, green wicket for the defeat by the West Indies in yesterday’s fourth one-day international. Dr Heslop said the wicket was too lively and killed the game. Howarth said there was too much in it for the bowlers early on and was far from ideal for a one-day international. New Zealand lost the match by 10 wickets after making only 116 runs from 43 overs. The wicket eased so much that the West Indies’ opening batsmen, Desmond Haynes (85), and Richie Richardson (28), were able to score the runs on their own in 25 overs. Richard Hadlee bowled two spells, but the life that had given Joel Garner four wickets for 10 runs in the morning was gone by the afternoon and the wicket was perfect for batting. New Zealand did not have a chance and the spectators were robbed of entertainment for the second time in Trinidad. Dr Heslop said: “It was a green topped wicket and it killed the game.” Howarth said New Zealand was on a hiding to nothing after the West Indies had won the toss. “It was soft and grassy and their bowlers exploited it very well. Garner made

the ball bounce sharply and rise quite steeply and he did all the damage in the first 10 overs.” The scoreboard: NEW ZEALAND G. P. Howarth c Pujon b Garner 6 J. G. Wright c Dujon b Garner 1 J. J. Crowe c Richardson b Garner • ■ 4 M. D. Crowe b Garner . . 1 J. V. Coney c Dujon b Richards 33 I. D. S. Smith c and b Holding 3 R J. Hadlee c Richards b Davis 41 B. L. Cairns b Harper . . 12 J. G. Bracewell run out . 1 G. B. Troup run out. .. . 4 E. J. Chatfield not out . 1 Extras (31b, 2w, 4nb) . . 9 Total (42.3 overs) 116 Fall: 6, 10, 14, 18, 25, 83, 100, 104, 114. Bowling: Gamer 6,1, 10, 4; Davis 6.3, 1, 10, 1; Baptiste 5,0, 31, 0; Holding 7,1, 24, 1; Harper 10, 2,18,1; Richards 8,1, 20,1. WEST INDIES D. L. Haynes not out .. . 85 R. B. Richardson not out. 28 Extras (21b, 2nb) 4 Total (24.2 overs) 117 Did not bat H. A. Gomes, I. V. A. Richards, A. L. Logie, P. J. Dujon, E. A. E. Baptiste, R. A. Harper, M. A. Holding, J. Gamer, W. W. Davis. Bowling: Hadlee 6,1, 18, 0; Troup 8,2, 30, 0; Cairns 6,0, 50, 0; Chatfield 4,0, 14, 0, Bracewell 0.2, 0,3, 0. Result: West Indies won by 10 wickets. Man of the match: Joel Gamer. The West Indies lead 4-0 in the five-match series. The final match: April 23 - Bridgetown.