Two generations baffled by Irving

Press, 19 December 1986, Page 26

Two generations baffled by Irving

By

JOHN COFFEY

Brun and Geoff Smith, father and son, and both first-class batsmen in their own right, could confirm more vehemently than most that Bruce Irving’s cricketing career bridged the generation gapIn October, 1955, Brun Smith, who had represented New Zealand with success a few summers earlier, was beaten and bowled by Irving — one of six (five in the second innings) victims claimed by the young Lancaster Park off-spinner in his senior debut.

Just over 31 years later Irving’s first grade career was completed where it had begun, at Hagley Oval. He took two wickets in his 327th and last appearance — and one of them was the former Canterbury batsman, Geoff Smith.

The Smiths were bookends of a monumental record of longevity and consistency fashioned by Irving. A few weeks ago Irving decided that, at 54 years of age, the willingness of the mind and resilience of the right arm could not compensate for a weakening of the legs. He closed his innings.

On Sunday at Lancaster

Park Oval Irving’s old team-mates and rivals will gather for a special limited-over fixture to mark Irving’s abdication from the cricketing kingdom over which he ruled so cheerfully for so long. Rain interrupted the first competition day of the 1955-56 season, and the young man promoted into the Park XI for the game against High School Old Boys was not called upon to do anything more than make up the numbers in the field.

But early the next Saturday he hastened the end of the Old Boys first innings by bowling Dave Turnbull. That was the first of what was to be an incredible 1160 wickets credited to Irving. After Park had led by 99 runs, Old Boys were put to the test by Irving’s quickly-developing skills. Eventually Walter Hadlee’s experience saw Old Boys safe from outright defeat, 105 for seven at stumps. “The Press” had praise for Irving’s effort, while acknowledging that condi-

tions were not ideal for batting. “The light was poor and Irving, bowling with a flat trajectory from the northern end, must have been made more difficult by the dark trees behind him, but for all that he bowled impressively. His off-breaks sometimes turned abruptly, he kept a very good length, and he was quick enough through the air to prevent batsmen from moving down the pitch to him. He finished with five for 21 and was not flattered by the figures,” reported “The Press.” Irving had clearly come to stay. In his fourth match he was back in the limelight, his first (of two) hat-trick being included in a match analysis of 12 for 82 against Sydenham. Ronnie Muir and Stuart Cameron were caught and Colin Miles leg before wicket as Irving accelerated towards a firstseason haul of 51 wickets. Fittingly, two members of that Sydenham side will be involved in Irving’s farewell on Sunday —- Brian Salt is to

captain the opposing Invitation XI against Irving’s Lancaster Park XI, and Doug Wilson will be officiating as an umpire. Former internationals, provincial players and good club men will all share in Sunday’s game. The willingness of some to endanger muscles and ligaments which have not been exerted for several summers, and the preparedness of other participants to risk reputations against more venerable rivals all testifies to the high regard in which Irving has been held over three decades of senior cricket. For the record, Bruce Irving bowled 49,298 deliveries in his 327 appearances, his 1160 wickets costing 16.25 runs each. He took five wickets in an innings on 64 occasions, 10 in a match 11 times.

When Peter Blake sat down to complete the book he was compiling on the Whitbread round-the-world yacht race which finished last May, he had a problem. The logs of the eightmonth 27,000 mile journey over the world’s greatest oceans provided twice the material he required and so began a hatchet job to reduce the manuscript to an acceptable size. What resulted was Lion — the round the world race with Lion New Zealand. By Peter Blake and Alan Sefton. Hodder and Stoughton, 1986. 185 pp. $37.95. It is largely a chronological account of an epic sporting event. The drama of the race was well re-

from its origins — a barroom conversation in Portsmouth only hours after Blake, then sailing Ceramco New Zealand, had finished the 1982 round-the-world race. At one point, in what could be termed the only controversial section of the book, Blake makes it clear that he resented the favourable publicity received by the other New Zealand entrant, NZI Enterprise. He said the public saw Enterprise as a typical band of Kiwis scraping together every dollar they could* to mount their challenge, while Lion had all the money it wanted at its disposal. Blake said that was not the case, although with