Lead of 96 to N.Z. at tea

Press, 3 December 1985, Page 48

Lead of 96 to N.Z. at tea

NZPA staff correspondent KEVIN HART Perth New Zealand was restricted to a first innings lead of 96 runs by Australia after the first two sessions of play in the third and deciding cricket test in Perth yesterday. At tea on the third day, New Zealand had been dismissed for 299 in its reply to Australia’s first innings total of 203.

Eight New Zealand wickets had fallen for 115 runs in the two sessions as the tourists failed to press home their overnight advantage. The increasingly variable bounce and turn of the low W.A.C.A. pitch, and the spongy outfield, made scoring runs much more difficult.

New Zealand’s 299 runs were eventually ground out in 10 hours and 40 minutes off 157 overs, less than two runs an over.

Coney and Crowe took New Zealand past Australia’s first innings total after 74 minute’s play. Twenty-five minutes before lunch, New Zealand lost Coney for 19 with its total at 215.

Coney got a thin edge to Geoff Lawson which was taken by the wicketkeeper, Wayne Phillips. Three balls earlier, Coney had pulled Holland strongly, the ball hitting the boundary rope before bouncing and being "knocked back by a diving McDermott. Coney had run three for the shot and his pleas for the boundary to be confirmed fell on deaf ears.

Tight bowling and stubborn batting saw Australia’s second innings through to two for 38 at close of play.

Hadlee bowled Robbie Kerr for a duck in the first over and had David Boon in all sorts of trouble in the same over. Boon survived a confident appeal for a catch behind, and was fortunate to be dropped by Ewan Chatfield later.

Wayne Phillips was the other Australian batsman out, falling to a catch from Smith off the bowling of Chatfield for 10. NEW ZEALAND

. First innings B. Edgar c Hookes b McDermott 74 J. Wright b Phillips, b Lawson 20 J. Reid b Gilbert 7 M. Crowe lbw b McDermott 71 J. Coney c Phillips b Lawson. 19 J. Crowe lbw b Holland . 17 R. Hadlee c Hookes b Holland 26 I. Smith c Matthews b Lawson 12 J. Bracewell not out. ... 28 L. Cairns c Ritchie b Holland 0 E. Chatfield c Phillips b Lawson 3 Extras (lb, 71b, 14nb). . 22

Total 299 Fall 43, 55, 184, 191, 215, 253, 256, 273, 276, 299. Bowling: G. Lawson 47, 12, 79, 4 (3nbX C. McDermott 33, 9, 66,2 (3nb]r, D. Gilbert 31, 9, 75,1 (8nb); R. Holland 40,12, 63, 3; G. Matthews 5,3, 6,0; D. Hookes 1, 0,2, 0.

AUSTRALIA First innings 203 Second innings R. Kerr b Hadlee 0 W. Phillips c Smith b Chatfield 10 D. Boon not out . 18 A Border not out . .... 5 Extras 5

Total (for 2 wkts) 38 Bowling: Hadlee 9,5, 8,1; Chatfield 8,4, 8,1; Cairns 11, 3, 2!, 0. |