Ritchie asks to open

Press, 9 January 1987, Page 28

Ritchie asks to open

NZPA-AAP Sydney The Queensland righthanded batsman, Greg Ritchie, ' has asked his skipper, Allan Border, to let him open for Australia against England in the fifth cricket test starting in Sydney tomorrow. The talented 26-year-old, tagged “Fat Cat” by his team-mates, told Border at yesterday’s first nets practice: “I want to partner Swampy Marsh against the Poms.”

The S.C.G. surrounds are dominated by mounds of earth coupled from the half-completed Sydney Sports Stadium and there was little room to move for the Australians gearing for their last chance

to restore credibility against the old enemy. Ritchie, stung by his omission from the Melbourne side and Australia’s subsequent humiliating Ashes collapse to England, wants to hit back.

“Whoever does the job with Geoff Marsh will be somebody who hasn’t opened for Australia — and probably hasn’t done the job for his state — and I favour using Ritchie,” said Border. Ritchie certainly thumps the ball and has a great temperament He has been through the fire since his blooding in Pakistan in 1982 where he topped the test afed tour

averages under Kim Hughes.

He was an emergency opener in a West Indies test on the 1984 tour and was promoted into the spot for quick runs in subsequent World Series Cup games against the West Indians and Pakistan.

But his forte has been in the middle order although his second innings knock in the third test at Adelaide may as well have been from the opening spot — 46 runs in 207 minutes and only two fours — but with Australia at 8 for two with David Boon (0) and Dean Jones (8) back in the stands.