W. Australia humiliated by seamers

Press, 23 November 1987, Page 44

W. Australia humiliated by seamers

PA Perth New Zealand dished out a humiliating defeat to Sheffield Shield champion, Western Australia, by an innings and 96 runs with eight and a half hours to spare at the W.A.C.A. yesterday.

Western Australia collapsed for the second time in the match to be all out for a miserable 117, with the New Zealand seamers, Richard Hadlee, Willie Watson and Danny Morrison taking the remaining nine wickets for 104 in 37.2 overs yesterday. Hadlee was again the chief destroyer. As if to prove his first Innings five for 37 was no fluke tour opener, he gave another masterly display to take five for 30 off 17 overs, giving him a match analysis of 10 for 67 off 33.2 overs.

but nothing like the help it offered on the first day. It was Western Australia’s worst performance for two seasons, and an embarrassing letdown after winning its opening Sheffield Shield match with an innings to spare last week. The match could easily have been all over much earlier than 3.7 p.m., had the New Zealanders not dropped five catches In the innings. Rutherford grassed two in the slips, Evan Gray dropped a difficult one in the gully off Hadlee but atoned with a cracking effort In the same position to remove Tim Zoehrer off a full blooded cut. The wicket-keeper, lan Smith, could not hold what would have been a sensational effort, diving one handed far to his left, to catch Bruce Reid oft Morrison. The substitute, John Wright, dropped a straight-forward chance at third slip, also off Reid, from Watson’s bowling. On the positive side there were some excellent takes. Phil Horne took two outstanding catches. He caught Reid, standing at silly mid-off, from a slash which would have done considerable damage had he not instinctively held it, and took a fine catch running backwards and

a good morale booster for what lies ahead. “It’ a very good start to the tour, however, I know the guys are not going to get over confident about it all,’’ he said. He was impressed with the performances of the seamers Morrison and Watson — “they did a great job, and I think playing with Hadlee today they learnt a lot, and his encouragement has been very good.” “He’s got a little bit greyer, but he certainly hasn’t lost his ability with the ball,” Crowe said of Hadlee. The New Zealanders will now have an unexpected day off today, but are likely to have a net session at some stage. They leave on Tuesday for the next match, a onedayer against South Australia Country at Renmark. WESTERN AUSTRALIA First innings 131 Second innings M. Veletta c J. Crowe b Hadlee 0 G. R. Marsh c Rutherford b Hadlee 9 T. Moody c Rutherford b Watson 43 G. M. Wood lbw b Hadlee 11 W. S. Andrews c Patel b Watson 1 K. H. MacLeay lbw b Hadlee 0 T. J. Zoehrer c Gray b Hadlee 8 C. D. Matthews c Horne b Watson 19 P. A. Capes c Jones b Watson 5 B. A. Reid c Home b Morrison 9 S. J. Miloz not out 0 Extras (lb 4 nbB) 12 Total 117 Fall: 0, 13, 42, 47, 50, 69, 99, 103, 113. Bowling: R. J. Hadlee 17, 3, 30, 5 (nb3); D. K. Morrison 12, 3, 41, 1 (nbl); W. Watson 16.2, 4, 42, 4 (nb4). NEW ZEALAND First innings 344 for 9 dec. Earlier report: Page 23

He now has 93 bags of five wickets in an innings and 16 times he has taken 10 in a first class match. Western Australia lost four wickets in the morning, including the out of form lynchpin, Geoff Marsh, and the skipper, Graeme Wood, and the last four wickets fell for 18 runs, but the damage had been done long before that. Watson bowled unchanged for Impressive figures of four for 42 off 16.2 overs and Morrison, who worked up good speed and had no luck, picked up the other wicket for 41 oft 12 overs. The only Western Australian batsman who looked competent was tall Tom Moody.

He battled out 166 minutes in making 43, before holing out to Ken Rutherford at long off. He was dropped three times, at one, 17 and 34 but applied himself with a diligence singularly lacking in his teammates.

diving at deep mid-off to get rid of Chris Matthews. Andrew Jones ended the match with a good running catch at deep mid-on. The New Zealand captain, Jeff Crowe, was naturally very pleased

The pitch gave the seamers some assistance,

with the team performance and felt it would be