Ken Rutherford emerges as batsman of genuine quality

Press, 24 February 1986, Page 44

Ken Rutherford emerges as batsman of genuine quality

From

DAVID LEGGAT,

in Wellington

New Zealand at last had something to savour as the first cricket test against Australia rolled past the half-way stage at the Basin Reserve yesterday.

From an awkward situation — five wickets down and still 98 runs shy of the follow-on mark — New Zealand ended the third day in a position of some security. It will resume this morning at 311 for six, with Jeremy Coney • and Richard Hadlee firmly established at the crease.

For all that Coney and Hadlee rubbed Australia’s nose in the turf with vigorous, sensible and occasionally improvised strokemaking, the real highlight of the day came earlier with the emergence of Ken Rutherford as a test batsman of genuine quality.

There was more than a hint of a young Glenn Turner in the technique and application of Rutherford as he took the opportunity in his first test innings in New Zealand to show his immense promise.

From the time he got off the mark with two precise square drives off Greg Matthews — 24 of his first 26 runs came from the off-spinner — he scarcely played a false shot. He had his problems against the lanky Bruce Reid, but showed a willingness to get right in line with the lifting deliveries. Rutherford’s innings was laced with 11 boundaries, almost all memorable strokes, particularly square on the off-side and through mid-wicket His partnership with Coney, 109 runs,, set a record for the fifth-wicket against Australia, beating the mark of Hadlee and Mark Burgess at Eden Park 10 seasons ago by four runs.

The 20-year-old brought up his 50 in style — a square cut and a glorious on-drive in one over from Matthews. On 45, he survived a strong appeal for a catch at the wicket, which would have given Simon Davis his first test wicket, and Tim Zoehrer his first test catch.

New Zealand’s batting for the next 10 years will be based on Rutherford and Martin Crowe. The pity yesterday was that Crowe, having settled in, played a lazy shot stretching forward and the ball nipped between bat and pad, further evidence, which became more ap-

parent later in the day, that the New Zealand selectors erred significantly in not including its only spinner for the match.

Matthews, however, did not bowl well, his line was bad and his length strayed regularly. Coney was in fine form, middling the ball confidently and capitalising on loose deliveries. He began slowly, but picked up quickly in the middle stages of his innings. He brought up his first 50 as the New Zealand captain, in his tenth test in charge, broke the sixthwicket record with a cover drive off Davis.

The new ball helped the run rate, 36 coming off the first seven overs. Craig McDermott’s first two overs with it cost 14 runs and Reid was also astray. Reid did get Rutherford’s wicket, with the second ball after the drinks break, smartly held in the gully by the twelfth man, Ray Bright, who was only on the field for those two deliveries.

Coney had one life. Having taken two fours off Reid’s first over with the new ball; he mishit a hook from the final ball, but McDermott further distinguished himself by completely misjudging the catch and had it fall short at fine leg.

McDermott’s final act was to put down Hadlee, on six, from a return catch which would probably have shattered his jaw had he not got his hands in the way. Coney and Hadlee brought up their 50 partnership in 52 minutes, and when play was curtailed 17 bails from the end of the day, they had added 64 in even time.

The morning session was split into three uneven segments — 36 minutes, 12 balls, and 10 minutes as thick, black clouds brought the threat of rain. Stuart Gillespie and Bruce Edgar gathered 16 runs in the 13 overs.

After lunch, Gillespie, who had defended stoutly, decided on more positive methods. He lustily put Greg Matthews back over his head in the first over, and repeatsed the shot after the off-spinner had

dropped a sharp return chance, diving wide to his left.

Edgar was out in unfortunate circumstances. Prodding forward, with his bat behind his pad, he was given out caught at silly mid-off. Trial by television is a cruel examination for umpires and it was the third time in one-and-a-half innings that the Wellington official, Steve Woodward, had been seen to have erred. David Boon and Steve Waugh earlier had solid grounds for dissatisfaction.

Gillespie, having faced 81 balls in an innings of character and determination, played away from his body and Allan Border held his second catch at waist height AUSTRALIA First innings D. C. Boon c Smith b Troup 70 G. R. Marsh c Coney b Chatfield ’. 43 W. B. Phillips b Gillespie 32 A. R. Border lbw b Hadlee 13 G. R. J. Matthews c Rutherford b Coney 130 G. M. Ritchie b Troup . 92 S. J. Waugh c Smith b Coney . 11 T. J. Zoehrer c Bracewell b Coney. ....... 18 C. J. McDermott b Hadlee 2 B. A. Reid not out. . . . 0 S. B. Davis c and b Hadlee 0 Extras (nb9,1b9,w4,b2) . 24 Total 435 Fall: 104, 143, 166, 166, 379, 414, 418, 435, 435, 435. Bowling.—R. J. Hadlee 37.1, 5, 116, 3 (nb2); E. J. Chatfield 36, 10, 96, 1 (nbl); G. B. Troup 28, 6, 86, 2 (nb4, w4); S. R. Gillespie 27, 2, 79, 1 (nb2); J. V. Coney 18, 7, 43, 3. NEW ZEALAND First innings T. J. Franklin c Border b McDermott 0 B. E. Edgar c Waugh b Matthews 3 J. R. Reid c Phillips b Reid 32 S. R. Gillespie c Border b Reid 28 M. D. Crowe b Matthews. 19 K. R. Rutherford c sub (Bright) b Reid ... 65 J. V. Coney not out .. . 79 R. J. Hadlee not out . . 27 Extras (nb14,w1,1b6,b2) 23 Total (for 6 wkts) 311 Fall: 0, 57, 94, 115, 13, 247. Bowling.—C. J. McDermott 22, 4, 66, 1 (nb2, wl); S. B. Davis 21, 4, 51, 0 (nb2); B. A. Reid 26, 5, 83, 3 (nblO); G. R. J. Matthews 32, 8, 95, 2; A. Border 4,3, 1,0; S. J. Waugh 3.1, 1,7, 0.