Battle for test places

Press, 21 July 1986, Page 29

Battle for test places

By KEVIN HART,

NZPA staff correspondent Nottingham

The New Zealand seamers, Derek Stirling, Brian Barrett and Willie Watson, began their battle for first test spots against England with eight overs chock full of incident on the first day of play against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge yesterday.

The looseness of the young trio in those overs, with Stirling the worst culprit, allowed the county to race to 48 for one at stumps in its response to New Zealand’s first innings total of 326 for eight declared.

The three-day match represents the tourists’ final match practice before the test which starts at Lord’s on Thursday, and with Ewen Chatfield’s thumb injury meaning probably two of the three seamers, Stirling, Barrett and Watson will play, their performance is under scrutiny. Stirling, while conceding 27 runs off his four overs, was also easily the most penetrative bowler on a greenish wicket which offered every encouragement to the seamer.

True to recent form, he produced two excellent balls to the former England opener, Tim Robinson, among an excess of wayward deliveries. The first saw Robinson dropped at first slip, a low and difficult chance to Jeff Crowe, and the second bowled him for seven. Robinson, who had a triumphant test series against Australia last year, played down the wrong line and had his offstump uprooted. Off the very next ball, Stirling should have dismissed the nightwatchman, Kevin Saxelby, but an edge sailed neatly between the motionless figures of Martin Crowe and Bruce Edgar at third and fourth slips. From the other end, Barrett was given just two overs, delivered in a similarly erratic manner.

Watson’s medium pace replaced Barrett and he quickly showed a steadiness in two overs which will probably win him one of the berths at Lord’s. Earlier, Martin Crowe hit 80 in 113 minutes, while Jeff Crowe (75), Jeremy Coney (45), lan Smith (46 not out) and Ken Rutherford (33) all enjoyed lengthy innings. NEW ZEALAND First innings B. A. Edgar c French b Cooper 5 T. Franklin c Broad b Pick 7 K. R. Rutherford c Birch B Cooper 33 M. D. Crowe c Saxelby b Hemmings 80 J. V. Coney c Robinson b Saxelby 45 J. J. Crowe c Robinson b Saxelby 75 E. J. Gray b Hemmings. . 10 1. D. S. Smith not out . . . 46 D. Stirling c French b Pick 20 Extras (lbs) 5 Total (for 8 wkts, deci) 326 Bowling: Pick 14.5, 2, 54, 2, Cooper 21, 5, 49, 2, Saxelby 17, 2, 75, 2, Evans 11, 2, 53, 0, Hemming:; 27, 11, 90, 2.

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE First innings

B. C. Broad not out 22 R. C. Robinson b Stirling . 7 K. Saxelby not out 15 Extras (w4) 4

Total (for one wicket) 48 Bowling to date: Stirling 4,0, 27, 1, Barrett 2,0, 9,0, Watson 2,0, 8, 0.