Clowning antics of Greg Matthews

Press, 20 December 1985, Page 22

Clowning antics of Greg Matthews

It is impossible to ignore Greg Matthews, regardless of whether one finds his onfield antics entertaining or boorish. As with England’s Derek Randall, he does not believe in being unobtrusive on the cricket field.

At Perth this month, when Australia played New Zealand on the W.A.C.A. ground, the spectators delighted in Matthews, and he seemed to relish their response. Sometimes, though, he got carried away. As the crowd roared, Matthews, in exaggerated fashion, would rub the ball first on the back of his trousers and then on the front. Meanwhile the fast bowler at his end, Lawson or McDermott, would have reached the end of his long trek back to the mark and have a hand outstretched waiting for Matthews to relinquish the ball. Matthews is seldom predictable. One day ended with the man the press dubbed “Endless Edgar” and Martin Crowe still at the crease after many hours occupancy for small returns.

Most fielders would have headed straight for the pavilion and a cool beer. Instead Matthews made for the fence around the outer

and jogged around applauding the spectators. Whether it was for their response to him, or for their patience during a slow day’s cricket was not clear. He did little bowling in the test, but was seldom out of the action, fielding brilliantly, doing headstands in idle moments or leading work • parties to hammer down the bowler’s run-up with the rubber mallet provided.

Matthews is a natural enthusiast, who has an oldfashioned pride in playing for his country and loves playing cricket for cricket’s sake, not for the big cheque at the end of the match. He is reported to be a big fan of Midnight Oil and his eccentricities are as many as that group’s lead singer, Peter Garrett, but Matthews has gone so far as to discard his large diamond earring while on the field.

In New Zealand he is sure to be given a hard time when the Australians tour in February and March, but it is difficult to see Matthews reacting in an uncouth manner.

Matthews apart, and the fact that New Zealand won, the highlight of the Perth test was the saga of the

slightly inebriated Kiwi supporter and the clod-footed Perth policemen. Time after time the young man, waving an enormous New Zealand flag, would turn up in the forbidden “no man’s land” between the seating in the outer and the boundary fence. Each time the police went to remove him the New Zealander, with measured jog, would vanish back into the crowd. The percentage of New Zealanders in the crowd inevitably became more pronounced as the test went on. Among them were the former New Zealand fast bowler, Brendon Bracewell, who led an inspired haka from the bar area. With victory in sight on the last day, at 100 for two, three Kiwis did a complete lap of honour round the outer. Some of the Australians had disappeared after the crowd of 13,120 on the Sunday had seen few runs and fewer wickets. One spectator ventured to suggest that he had thought Boycott was dead While another considered that the batsmen should be “put on the dole with all the other Kiwis.” TIM DUNBAR