Sean Tracy hits winning run in last ball of match

Press, 28 December 1985, Page 44

Sean Tracy hits winning run in last ball of match

By

JOHN COFFEY

Sean Tracy’s cricketing transfer from Auckland to Canterbury is likely to be made more permanent after his part in the hectic Shell Cup happenings at Ashburton Domain last evening.

Though most valued for his medium-fast bowling, Tracy earned immediate popularity in his adopted province by boldy hitting the last delivery of the match back over the head of the Auckland captain, Martin Snedden, to give Canterbury victory by one wicket. As the Auckland players perhaps pondered methods of having Tracy barred from again crossing the Bombay Hills, most of the youngsters among the 2500 spectators were surrounding their new hero and his tenth-wicket partner, Ash Hart. Tracy and Hart were content to take just a single as the ball disappeared beneath the onrushing youngsters; it was all they needed to draw Canterbury level with Auckland’s total of 136. It was ironic that a specialist bowler should reveal unsuspected batting talents to see Canterbury through. Earlier, Alan Hunt, essentially a batsman and regarded as very much an occasional bowler under limited-over laws, had all but won the Shell Cup points for Auckland with his off-

spinners. The manner in which two other bowlers of similar ilk, Vaughan Brown and John Bracewell, had achieved most impressive analysis persuaded Snedden to call upon Hunt as his sixth choice. If Hunt was summoned from the rear ranks, it was not long before he was carrying Auckland’s banner. Hunt made his entrance when Canterbury required less than 50 runs and was handsomely placed with six wickets left. An outstanding catch at square leg by Stu Gillespie encouraged Hunt; not long afterwards he had Rod Latham leg before wicket; David Stead was caught at long-on and Richard Hadlee bowled, from consecutive deliveries; and Steve McNally became

Hunt’s fifth victim when caught behind. He had not quite matched Bracewell’s feat of five successive maidens, but Hunt conceded just two boundaries — the second of them when the tenacious Tracy thumped his fifty-fourth and final ball to long-on. That left Canterbury requiring two to tie (sufficient to win as long as Tracy and Hart survived) as Snedden began the last over Hart was restrained for two balls, and scrambled a single off the next. Auckland should have ended the agony when Snedden persuaded Tracy to pop up a simple catch to Peter Webb at short mid-wicket. Webb probably slept fitfully last night as his sub-con-scious wrestled for a reason why the ball spilled from his hands. A reprieved Tracy sparred and missed the fifth delivery before striking accurately at the ultimate ball. The players should have been on overtime rates by the finish. Tracy’s triumphant hit was made at 8.4 p.m. Frequent heavy rain in Ashburton since Christmas Eve had saturated the

domain, and only heroic deeds by ground staff and volunteers, and the use of an alternative pitch allowed play to start at 1.40 p.m. New cup regulations allowing fixtures to extend to 8 p.m. enabled each side 43 overs. The Auckland batsmen did not make the best use of their share. Trevor Franklin displayed confidence in reaping 11 from Tracy’s only unsatisfactory over, but it was John Reid who provided most of the continuity. Fifteen of his first 17 runs were singles, though there was much to admire in his stubborn defiance of the well performed Canterbury bowling attack. The Canterbury batting advance took on the guise of a violent surge when Paul McEwan (two sixes and two

fours in reaching 30 from 31 balls) and Vaughan Brown (one six and two fours in his 19) added 41 runs in 25 minutes. It was McEwan who broke Bracewell’s grip on proceedings, before Bracewell deceived him just as Canterbury seemed about to assume full control. From that point Canterbury struggled against Hunt. The ninth wicket fell at 124, and led to Tracy’s entrance. His stay was to be memorable for team-mates, new and old. AUCKLAND T. J. Franklin c Hadlee b McNally 25 J. G. Bracewell run out . 10 J. F. Reid c and b Hadlee.. 46 A. H. Hunt c Tracy b Stead 12 P. N. Webb c Wright b Hadlee 8 M. J. Greatbatch c and b Brown 8 M. C. Snedden run out . . 7 S. R. Gillespie c Hart b Hadlee 0 P. J. Kelly run out 1 G. B. Troup b McNally. . 10 W. Watson not out 1 Extras (b2, lb 3, nbl, w2). 8 Total 136 Fall: 20, 36, 54, 92, 103, 117, 119, 122, 131. Bowling.—S. R. Tracy 8,1, 30, 0; R. J. Hadlee 9,1, 27, 3 (nbl, wl); S. R. McNally 7.1, 1, 18, 2; D. W. Stead 9,0, 33, 1; V. R. Brown 9,0, 23, 1 (wl). CANTERBURY J. G. Wright b Bracewell. 10 A. Nathu c and b Gillespie. 8 P. E. McEwan b Bracewell 30 V. R. Brown c Reid b Snedden 19 R. T. Latham lbw b Hunt 13 P. J. Kennedy c Gillespie b Hunt 0 D. W. Stead c Reid b Hunt. 14 R. J. Hadlee b Hunt. ... 9 S. R. McNally c Kelly b Hunt 1 A. W. Hart not out ... . 5 S. R. Tracy not out ... . 9 Extras (64, lbs, nbs, w4). 18 Total (for 9 wkts) 136 Fall: 28, 32, 73, 87, 95, 99,120, 120. Bowling.—G. B. Troup 8,0, 19, 0 (nb3, w3); W. Watson 3,1, 10, 0; J. G. Bracewell 9,5, 24, 2 (wl); S. R. Gillespie 9,1, 20, 1 (nbl); M. C. Snedden 5,0, 27, 1 (nbl); A. J. Hunt 9,0, 27, 5. Umpires: B. L. Aldridge and R. L. McHarg.