Women’s cricket captain confident

Press, 18 January 1986, Page 8

Women’s cricket captain confident

PA Wellington The new captain, Lesley Murdoch, is confident her New Zealand team will not be intimidated by Australia in the first one-day cricket internationals at the Basin Reserve on Monday. “In the past some of our young girls have tended to be overawed by the Australians, who are a bit more arrogant,” said Murdoch in Wellington last evening. “We will be having sessions with Hugh Lawrence from the university to counteract the Australian approach. “It’s been a perennial problem for us, and one we are looking to Hugh to help us with.” Although out of the New Zealand side since 1982, largely through commitments to the hockey team, Murdoch has been called in as captain in place of the former leader, Debbie Hockley. At the time, Murdoch’s

elevation over Hockley was subject of much debate, but Murdoch believes the two players will get along well together, and said Hockley was “our best batsman.' She’s ,a matchwinner in her own right.” Though Murdoch, who is likely to open the batting, has not had much experience of limited-over cricket lately, she does not think there will be too much adjustment. Murdoch recently led Canterbury to its eighth win in the Hansell’s national tournament in Christchurch and three from her team, Karen Gunn, Sue Brown and Nicki Turner, will be with her on Monday. Three others, Hockley, Sue Rattray and Nancy Williams, were formerly in the Canterbury side. Other members of the New Zealand team are Ingrid Jagersma, Jackie Clark, Liz Signal, Jeanette Dunning and Linda Fraser.