N.Z. fights to stay in match

Press, 23 February 1987, Page 36

N.Z. fights to stay in match

From

JOHN COFFEY

in Wellington

The West Indies retain the advantage, but New Zealand’s cricketers regained a considerable amount of lost ground when the first test of the Rothmans Series continued at the Basin Reserve yesterday.

New Zealand conceded a first innings lead of 117 runs, but that was a modest number when it is considered the West Indies were ahead with eight wickets in hand. After Ken Rutherford and Jeremy Coney had suffered their second batting failures, John Wright and Martin Crowe took the score through to 91 for two at stumps.

Wright and Crowe will probably have to stay together until New Zealand is very much in credit if the match is to be saved. Only then can serious consideration be given to causing the West Indians some discomfort as the pitch further encourages spin tomorrow. An opening partnership of 150 runs by Desmond Haynes and Gordon Greenidge on Saturday gave the home side’s total of 228 a microscopic appearance. It had faded to near invisibility when Haynes and Richie Richardson attained that initial goal.

Even Haynes’ poor evaluation of John Bracewll’s spinning skills — he shouldered arms and was bowled — seemed to be no great setback. Viv Richards arrived, cast a cursory glance at Bracewell, and set to work. All within one over, Richards lofted a four to midwicket,, .cut ..crisply with similar results, then sweetly deposited the ball

over the long-on boundary. It was almost as if Richards was dictating New Zealand’s tactics. The new ball was due, but Coney was content to continue with Bracewell and Stephen Boock after Bracewell had turned the ball almost square to dismiss Haynes. Richards’ disdain when confronted by Bracewell’s off-spin persuaded Coney to revert to plan A. Richard Hadlee returned and reduced Richards to the status of a mere mortal by leaving him groping at the first two deliveries. The counter-attack begun by Bracewell was to be advanced under a number of flag-bearers. Ewen Chatfield, with the backing of lan Smith, caused casualties in the opposing ranks, Hadlee was not be to be deprived altogether, and Boock finished off the task. Eight wickets went down for 127 runs yesterday; the last nine had fallen for 137 as the West Indies danced a sort of cricketing collapso to the tune of New Zealand’s contrasting band of bowlers. With a bowling northerly at his back, Hadlee mustered enough pace and hostility for the West Indians to regard him as one of their own; Chatfield. relished a favoured, soft spot at one end as he extended his haul of test

wickets to 92; Boock assumed the mantle of senior slow bowler; and Bracewell was improved after having been buffeted by the wind on Saturday Both Richards and Jeffery Dujon nicked leg-side catches through to Smith, and Richardson was rediscovering his timing when he walked across Boock’s line to expose his leg stump. Little Gus Logie chipped a straightforward chance to Coney at second slip, Michael Holding spooned the ball out to the substitute fieldsman, Tim Ritchie, at midwicket, and Boock claimed Joel Garner and Malcolm Marshall within three deliveries to give the innings an abrupt end. The last four wickets had surrendered for six runs after Hadlee’s exceptional reflexes at slip picked off Garner, and Marshall, having survived three chances, patted a catch back to the left-arm spinner, Boock, who has bettered 50 first-class wickets this summer. There was more than a suspicion New Zealand would have prospered more from allowing the West Indies to bat on as they liked, all the while hoping predicted showers today are long and heavy, when Gamer began making further demands for the “man of the match” award.

Rutherford and Coney were simply not up to their given tasks in what is as much a pshycological as a physical test. Rutherford was guilty of playing across the line and suffered his eleventh consecutive single-figure score against the West Indians, Coney swayed back and edged the ball to Richards' at first slip.

But Wright and Crowe were made of sterner stuff. Wright has already contributed 110 runs in this match and has displaced Bert Sutcliffe as this country’s fourth most prolific test bastman.

Comparisons between the two left-handers would inevitably include courage and ability to cope with calamities occurring 22 yards away. No princely progress was allowed Crowe, who had to labour for 84 minutes and 54 balls to reach 10. At 15 Logie could not get his fingers under a sharp chance at short leg, but Crowe and Wright stayed for two hours under great pressure.

Their hard slog towards over-all parity in the game was helped by the no-ball indiscretions of

Courtney Walsh, who overstepped four times in one over, Marshall and Garner. But Garner impresses as the biggest danger to New Zealand’s prospects. NEW ZEALAND First innings (205/8) R. J. Hadlee not out... . 35 S. L. Boock c Garner b Marshall 3 E. J. Chatfield lbw b Garner 0 Extras (lb 7, nb 24) . . . . 31 Total 228 Fall: 226, 228. Bowling.— M. D. Marshall 22, 3, 57, 2 (nb 8); J. Garner 27, 5, 51, 5 (nb 9); C. A. Walsh 12, 1, 46, 2 (nb 7); M. A. Holding 16, 4. 34; 0: I. V. A. Richards 11, 3,

32, 1; H. A. Gomes I,' 0,1, 0. Second innings K. R. Rutherford lbw b Gamer 6 J. G. Wright not out ... . 35 j. V. Coney c Richards b Garner 4 M. D. Crowe not out. ... 28 Extras (lb 3, nb 15) . . . . 18 Total (for 2 wkts) 91 Fall: 13, 20. Bowling.— M. D. Marshall 8, 2, 21, 0 (nb 4); J. Garner 8,1, 21, 2 (nb 4); C. A. Walsh 8,1, 21, 0 (nb 7); M. A. Holding 5,0, 17, 0; I. V. A. Richards 6,3, 8, 0. WEST INDIES First innings C. G. Greenidge c Rutherford b Chatfield .... 78 D. L. Haynes b Bracewell 121 H. A. Gomes c Smith ,b' Hadlee . 18 R. B. Richardson b Boock 37

I. V. A. Richards c Smith b Chatfield 24 A. L. Logie c Coney b Hadlee 3 P. J. L. Dujon c Smith b Chatfield 22 M. D. Marshall c and b Boock 30 M. A. Holding c sub (Ritchie) b Chatfield. ... 0 J. Garner c Hadlee b Boock 0 C. A. Walsh not out 1 Extras (b 1, lb 8, nb 1. w1) 11 Total 345 Fall: 150, 208, 232, 278, 287, 289, 339, 343, 344, 345. Bowling.— R. J. Hadlee 31, 9, 77, 2 (nb 1); E. J. Chatfield 39, 14, 102, 4; J. V. Coney 3,0, 8,0; J: G. Bracewell 14, 5, 47, 1 (w 1); M. D. Crowe 3,1, 13, 0; S. L. Boock 35, 14, 76, 3; D. N. Patel 3,0, 13, 0. •1 Umpires: B. L. Aldridge and S. J. Woodward.