Gatting builds strong lead over N.Z. team

Press, 1 July 1986, Page 35

Gatting builds strong lead over N.Z. team

NZPA staff correspondent KEVIN HART London Mike Gatting put the woes of leading the England cricket side to one side as he batted Middlesex into a commanding position against New Zealand at Lord’s yesterday. Gatting relished an excellent batting wicket to return to form with an impressive innings of 135. At stumps on the second day, .Middlesex had reached 404 for seven to establish a 172-run first innings advantage. It was a performance which

pointedly emphasised the inadequacies, perhaps due to rustiness, of New Zealand’s first innings total of 232. Gatting’s innings was of particular significance, in that he had not previously, reached 50 in first-class cricket this season. While he prospered, it was a day of toil and containment for a New Zealand attack constricted by the unavailability through injury of the seamers, Ewen Chatfield and Brian Barrett. Any quirkiness in the pitch, such as the low bounce which accounted for Bruce Edgar the day before, had also

disappeared, and the New Zealanders’ efforts were directed at steadily chipping away at the international - studded Middlesex batting line-up.

Most successful in that operation was the fast bowler, Derek Stirling, who often bowled with commendable control during two long spells to finish with four for 80 off 26 overs.

The off-spinner, John Bracewell, was extensively used by his captain, Jeremy Coney, but he suffered harshly at the hands of Gatting and the short Lord’s boundaries. He finished with two for 130 off 36 overs, but at

least claimed the wicket of Gatting when the England skipper was stumped by lan Smith after leaping down the wicket in an attempt to pull the ball out of the ground. Gatting’s demise came at 232, just after Middlesex had drawn level with the New Zealand first innings total. NEW ZEALAND First innings 232 MIDDLESEX First innings A. J. T. Miller c Coney b Bracewell . . 56 W. N. Slack c Crowe b Stirling 10 M. W. Gatting st Smith b Bracewell ........ 135 C. T. Radley c Edgar b Stirling 42 R. O. Butcher b Stirling. . 30 P. R. Downton not out. 1.. 59 J. E. Emburey b Stirling . 15 P. H. Edmonds c and b ■Gray. . .. .; 31 S. P. Hughes not out. .. . 8 Extras (b 1 lb 7nb 10). . 18 Total (7 wickets) 404 Fall: 16, 131, 232, 256, 290, 325 392 Bowling: Stirling 26, 5,. 80, 4; Watson 25, 3, 76, 0; Crowe 6,1, 14, 0; Bracewell 36, 4, 130, 2; Gray 20, 3, 82, 1; Coney 4,0, 14, 0.