Surprise, relief at selection

Press, 12 August 1985, Page 48

Surprise, relief at selection

By

JOHN COFFEY

Vaughan Brown, New Zealand’s latest cricket international, literally had his head in the clouds on Saturday when he learned of his selection for the tour of Australia later this year. News of his inclusion came to Brown in a radio broadcast as he sat in a rented van at the Mount Cheeseman ski-field. His rugby season completed, Brown was at Mount Cheeseman with a group for the week-end. His said last evening that his initial reactions had been of surprise and relief. “Surprise because I thought the selectors would have been more conserva-

tive and kept to most of the Kers who toured the West es,” said Brown. The relief was from peer pressure and having been a borderline candidate for full national honours. The promotion caps an illustrious list of credits for the 25-year-old left-hand batsman and right-arm off-spin bowler.

Brown has previously been chosen for New Zealand at secondary schools level (twice), a New Zealand under-23 tournament team, Young New Zealand sides in this country and Australia, and the Emerging Players team which toured Zimbabwe last year. “I was really looking towards having a good first-

class season at home to press my claims for the tour to England next year,” said Brown. A return to senior rugby with the Christchurch club in recent months ensures that Brown has no fitness worries at this stage of his cricket preparation, but he intends getting plenty of indoor practice in the weeks ahead.

Perhaps it is a favourable omen for a successful tour that Brown, who topped the Canterbury batting and bowling aggregates last summer, will make his international debut knowing that his best first-class score (121 not out for a President’s XI in 1982) was achieved against Australia.