Coney reaches third century

Press, 25 February 1986, Page 34

Coney reaches third century

From

DAVID LEGGAT,

in Wellington

A search for psychological advantage and a second test century for Richard Hadlee will be the only points of interest at the Basin Reserve today as Australia and New Zealand go through the motions on the final day of the first test of the Rothmans series.

Only 77 minutes play was possible yesterday morning before bad light, quickly followed by heavy rain, ruined any prospect of a result.

In that time, New Zealand added a further 68 runs, without further loss, and Jeremy Coney had time to reach his third test century — yet remarkably only his seventh first-class hundred — leaving New Zealand 56 runs behind Australia, with four wickets standing.

The official announcement that play had been abandoned was not made until 3.30 p.m. but by the end of the lunch interval the only spectators left at the ground were journalists and optimists. Coney, while not being in any particular difficulty, still had to work hard for his century. His' only boundaries yesterday were from the first two balls of Craig McDermott’s twenty-fifth over, which brought up his hundred. One more ball was bowled before the batsmen appealed against the light, thus ending the day’s play. Coney could easily have

been dismissed from that first ball. He failed to pick up the bouncer, played a horrible hook and the snick flew just over the clutching fingers of the wicket-keeper, Tim Zoehrer. There was no mistake with the next ball, firmly despatched to the backward square leg fence, for Coney’s fourteenth boundary. The century took him 191 balls. The booming blade of Hadlee provided the entertainment yesterday. Resuming on 27, he got moving with a crunching off-drive to the fence in the fourth over of the morning. Another boundary through cover point and a six to long on in Simon Davis’s twenty-fifth over brought up his twelfth test 50 off 80 balls. Hadlee was not without luck, however. Bruce Reid dropped a return catch at that score and Greg Matthews, getting sharp turn, had the left-hander puzzled. Hadlee, between those moments of bemusement, happily hit his way to 72.

A snick off Matthews eluded David Boon at slip for four, but then he clipped the spinner through mid-wicket with delightful timing. A thundering off-drive and a deft leg glance, to the fence ended Reid’s stint at the crease, as Hadlee steamed with erratic inevitability towards his century.

Coney and Hadlee are 54 runs short of the New Zealand seventh-wicket record in all tests, having

romped past the best stand against Australia, previously held by Hadlee and Vaughan Brown, 78 at Brisbane last November. Hadlee has a share in the existing mark — 186 — with Warren Lees at Karachi on the 1976-77 tour.

All that remains today, weather permitting, is batting and bowling practice. If New Zealand can get some cheap wickets when Australia bats a second time that will be a bonus, with the second test starting at Lancaster Park on Friday.

The New Zealand attack took a mauling on the first two days of the test, which was not entirely undeserved given the variety of lines and lengths it dished up.

AUSTRALIA First innings 435

NEW ZEALAND First innings T. J. Franklin c Border b McDermott 0 B. E. Edgar c Waugh b. Matthews 38 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 . . . 101 R. J. Hadlee not out . . 72 Extras (nbls, wl, lb 6, b2) 24

Total (for 6 wkts) 379 Fall: 0, 57, 94,115, 138, 247.

Bowling: — C. J. McDermott 24.3, 5, 80, 1 (nbl wl); S. B. Davis 25, 4, 70, 0 (nb2); B. A. Reid 31, 6, 104, 3 (nbll); G. R. J. Matthews 37, 10, 107, 2; A. Border 4,3, 1,0; S. J. Waugh 4, I,’ 9, 0 (nbl).