Coney’s dream comes true

Press, 13 November 1985, Page 80

Coney’s dream comes true

From NZPA staff correspondent, KEVIN HART, in Brisbane New Zealand’s first cricket test success on Australian soil was achieved at 2.24 p.m. (New Zealand time) yesterday in the manner of a rout rather than mere victory.

The margin of victory in the first test was a devastating innings and 41 runs after the New Zealanders had taken a final four wickets to dismiss Australia for 333 in its second innings. Victory for New Zealand in the backyard of its most fierce rival had come at the

seventh attempt — and after years of arrogant disregard by Australian cricketing authorities. As New Zealand celebrated, its captain, Jeremy Coney, a confessed selfdoubter, felt the lifting of a heavy burden. “My first thought was one

of relief that it was all over,” he said. “I think it was only a human feeling that even though we needed only four wickets, there was the possibility that we might have to go through agony.” The pain was, however, mercifully brief. Almost inevitably, it was Richard Hadlee who claimed three of the wickets, the last two in three balls, just as it appeared the home side might drag the test into the afternoon.

His six for 71 in the second innings, following upon nine for 52 in the first, made the man-of-the-match award absolutely no contest. His match analysis of 15 for 123 smashed the test best for a New Zealand bowler, held by Hadlee himself, with his 11-wicket hauls against India in 1976, and the West Indies in 1980.

Hadlee had the Australians in trouble from the moment they resumed under a hot Brisbane sun yesterday at 266 for six, chasing 375 to make New Zealand bat again. He struck the first blow after 22 minutes, when Craig McDermott hopelessly misjudged a drive and lobbed a return catch. Geoff Lawson, batting with a runner because of a groin injury, also offered little resistance on a Gabba wicket which was beginning to show signs of wear. At 1.23 p.m. he became Ewen Chatfield’s third victim, as Vaughan Brown snapped up a sharp chance under the helmet at forward short leg. He had scored seven and Australia was 291 for eight.

David Gilbert, the unsung Australian paceman, offered the most resistance to the New Zealand victory charge. At the other end, there was always Allan Border, resuming from 106 overnight, and mixing watchfulness with aggression. The New Zealanders, naturally, concentrated on Gilbert, standing eight fieldsman on the boundary to Brown’s off-spin and Martin Crowe’s medium pace to entice Border away from the strike.

Gilbert’s staunch resistance lasted exactly an hour — until Hadlee was reintroduced. “The ball was soft, and nothing much was happening, so I said to Jeremy Coney to give me the ball just before lunch,” Hadlee said.

It took the champion paceman just three balls to winkle out Gilbert for 10.

“It was my slower ball, he wasn’t there, and drove the catch to extra cover,” Hadlee said. Australia was 333 for nine, and two balls later it was all over as Hadlee imperiously bowled Bob Holland.

The champagne corks popped as the New Zealand players applauded Border, unbeaten on 152 after batting over seven hours and a half, from the Gabba.

The New Zealanders then stood aside for Hadlee at his moment of greatest triumph, and Coney, who celebrated with a tiny jig of delight. The New Zealand skipper said much of his pleasure in the victory came from the fact that it had been planned, worked at, and earned.

“Out of the sweat we put into our physical conditioning came the discipline that was necessary to success,” he said.

“It is obviously an historic event, but it also gives us the concrete belief it can be done again.” Coney, also the player who hit the winning runs as New Zealand won its first test on English soil, said the victory answered a boyhood dream. “I used to dream as a little kid, as I turned the Siges of books, some of em stuck together with caramels and others with pictures of Trevor Bailey playing forward, that one day I would captain a winning New Zealand side,” he said.

Coney said he would never regard the win as revenge for the Trevor Chappell underarm, nor past injustices heaped upon New Zealand cricket by Australia.

“Some New Zealanders might see it that way, but I never will,” he said.. The winning of the toss and the ability of Richard Hadlee to exploit the conditions to the full had been key features, along with the disciplined batting which took New Zealand to 553 for seven, .he said. “Australia is going

through a rebuilding phase and is finding it difficult to replace the likes of Dennis Lillee, Jeff Thomson and Rodney Hogg.” The fact that New Zealand starts a four-day match against New South Wales at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Friday would clearly be beneficial in the build-up to the second test, he said. The test battle will he rejoined there on Friday week. NEW ZEALAND First innings 553/7 dec. AUSTRALIA First innings 179 Second innings A. Hilditch c Chatfield b Hadlee 12 K. Wessels c Brown b Chatfield 3 D. Boon c Smith b Chatfield 1 A Border not out 152 G. Ritchie c Coney b Snedden 20 W. Phillips b Hadlee ... 2 G. Matthews c Coney by Hadlee 115 C. McDermott c and b Hadlee 5 G. Lawson c Brown b Chatfield 7 D. Gilbert c Chatfield b Hadlee 10 R. Holland b Hadlee. ... 0 Extras (31b, 3nb) 6 Total 333 Fall: 14, 16, 16, 47, 67, 264, 272, 291, 333, 333. Bowling.— R. Hadlee 28.5, 9, 71, 6; E. Chatfield 32, 9, 75, 3, (Inb); M. Snedden 19, 3, . 66, 1, (lnb); M. Crowe 9,2, 19, 0, (Inb); V. Brown 25, 5, 96, 0; J. Coney 3,1, 3, 0.