Expert boosts N.Z. team motivation

Press, 28 February 1986, Page 1

Expert boosts N.Z. team motivation

By

JOHN COFFEY

If the New Zealand cricket team displays more than the usual measure of motivation when the second test against Australia begins at Lancaster Park this morning, there will be a ready explanation. In what might be regarded by cricket’s traditionalists as an outrageously radical move, the New Zealand players were joined by a motivational expert at their team meeting last evening. Not that Mr Grahame Felton, a Christchurch sales and marketing consultant, was a complete outsider. He has for some years had the confidence of the champion New Zealand all-rounder, Richard Hadlee, and had met the team’s cricket manager, Mr Glenn Turner, and several of the other players.

One of the subjects Mr Felton touched upon was communication, something that was a little lacking when it was made known yesterday that he would be talking to the New Zealand players. That disclosure was made by the New Zealand captain, Jeremy Coney, just after training had been completed. “We have a gentleman popping along (to the team meeting) to talk about motivation, that sort of thing,” said Coney. But an hour later Mr' Felton had not heard from the New Zealand camp. That was soon rectified by Mr Turner. “I like to do something for my province — I am pretty proud of Canterbury — and, in this case, New Zealand. It enables me to put something back into cricket, too,” said Mr Felton.