Close win welcome present for Hughes

Press, 28 January 1986, Page 21

Close win welcome present for Hughes

NZPA-AAP Durban Thousands of fans sang “Happy Birthday” to the Australian skipper, Kim Hughes after his rebel team pulled off a heartstopping one-day victory over South Africa at Kingsmead in Durban.

The Australians squeezed home off the fourth last ball of the day for an official winning margin of four wickets.

South Africa finished 221 for six in its 50 overs, and the Australians replied with 224 for six. It was an astonishing climax to Australia Day and Hughes’ thirty-second birthday, that put the rebels 2-0 up in the sixmatch series.

Within minutes of the former New South Wales wicket-keeper, Steve Rlxon, slamming a four to win the match, most of the capacity crowd of 16,000 massed in front of the pavilion. When Hughes at-

tempted to address them, they burst into the birthday song. There could have been no more fitting accolade for Hughes’ Inspired leadership. Set a target of 222, the Australians lost their way after a near century opening partnership by the New South Wales openers, Steve Smith (70) and John Dyson (41). Hughes went to the crease after the fall of the second wicket at 155 — still 67. runs short of their goal with less than 10 overs left.

Statistically, his contribution was a meagre 15, but it had the psychological impact of a rabbit punch. He slammed two sixes off the eight balls he faced before he was run out attempting a suicidal single after the ball hit him on the hip as he mistimed a sweep shot. Only nine more runs were added before Smith — who used a runner for

more than an hour after again straining his damaged hamstring — was out trying to force the pace.

But whirlwind knocks by Mick Taylor, who hammered 22 runs off 20 balls and Peter Faulkner (15 off 12 balls), kept the rebels on target The Springbok paceman, Garth le Roux, dismissed Faulkner and Taylor off successsive balls in the fourty-ninth over. But the unflappable Rixon crashed a four off the first ball he faced, and took a single off the next to maintain the strike for the last over from the Springbok skipper Clive Rice. With the floodlights switched on, Rixon played a dead bat to the first two balls then hammered the third through the covers as the crowd invaded the pitch. Yet even Hughes admitted that the rebels could have blown it by allowing

the Springboks off the rack after Rice had won the toss.

At one stage the Springboks were reeling at 42 for four before a 130-run partnerhip between Rice and Henry Fotheringham in 97 minutes made a match of it

They savaged most of Australian bowlers, except the West Australian paceman, Terry Alderman, who took three for 29 off his 10 overs, and Rodney Hogg.

Carl Rackemann finished with one for 43, Faulkner none for 57 and the orthodox left arm spinner Tom Hogan, one for 55.

Hogg left the field with recurring hamstring trouble after taking one wicket, at a cost of only 32 runs from his 10 overs.

Rice took out the best batsman award and Aiderman the bowling prize.