N.Z. cricketers plot another one-day ambush

Press, 29 January 1986, Page 64

N.Z. cricketers plot another one-day ambush

NZPA staff correspondent Sydney From the confines of their hotel room, the New Zealand cricketers were last night plotting another one day ambush on the Australians.

The 14 players and coach, Glenn Turner, considered the connotations of Monday’s heavy demise of Australian cricket at the Adelaide Oval. They also pondered the new shape of the Australian line-up — Dirk Wellham and Dean Jones replacing Glenn Trimble and Greg Ritchie. Most of all they considered how to combat the chastened Australians who are likely to come out fighting in the World Series Cup day-nighter today. Australia has already qualified for the final and will be striving to remould some lost pride after its worst one-day towelling at Adelaide. Turner said last night that the New Zealand 12 would not be named until just before the start today. “We haven’t looked at the wicket yet and we want to see if John Reid’s knee is okay,” said Turner.

The tour selectors will take a close look at the

wicket which was not kind to the Kiwis at Sydney a fortnight ago. Coney top scored with 58 in New Zealand’s 152. The New Zealanders were scathing of the S.C.G. wicket, but it has since flattened out to become a good batting track. "We’ll have a practice for an hour or so before the game, as we did in Melbourne, and then look at a side,” said Turner. The party spent much of yesterday ducking in and out of airports, flying first to Melbourne and changing planes to Sydney. Turner gave the players the rest of the day off to

sharpen up for tonight’s game. New Zealand won its last day-nighter, beating India by three wickets at the M.C.G., five days ago. Martin Crowe won the man of the match for his dashing 67. He has become just as important a

part of the side as Richard Hadlee, who took man

of the match honours at Adelaide yesterday. They are both in excellent form and Coney is determined to get New Zealand through to the finals. “We have to win these last two games to get through, it’s as simple as that,” said Coney. “Australia, I suppose, has done us a favour by beating India in their last two games and now it’s up to us to string together a few wins.” The New Zealand skipper said he would again look at a batting reshuffle similar to that which had John Wright batting at N 0.4 at Adelaide.

“We want to break up Australia’s bowling line. When we play India it will be different,” said Coney. The Australian twelve are: Allan Border (captain), Geoff Marsh, David Boon, Steve Waugh, Greg Matthews, Wayne Phillips, Craig McDermott, Dave Gilbert, Bruce

Reid, Simon Davis, Dirk Wellham and Dean Jones.