Young ’keeper in new-look cricket team

Press, 2 December 1987, Page 76

Young ’keeper in new-look cricket team

By

JOHN COFFEY

The rapid rise of young Lee Germon through cricket’s wicket-keeping ranks was given yet another spurt last evening with his inclusion in the Canterbury Shell Cup team.

Little more than two weeks ago Germon was not even in the 30-man provincial training squad. It is likely that the first delivery he takes in a Shell Cup fixture, against otago at Dunedin on Boxing Day, will be from the bowling of the renowned West Indian international, Michael Holding. “I’ll probably take a few steps back,” Germon, who is not long past his nineteenth birthday, said last evening when reflecting on what adjustment he might need to make to his ’keeping style. Germon and Holding will be among four newcomers to cup cricket. The others are the St Albans batsman. Max Bremner, and his clubmate, Mark Priest, an allrounder recalled to duty after one Shell Trophy appearance in 1984-85. The team, chosen for warm-up fixtures against Otago, Queensland and Auckland and the cup matches at Dunedin and Wellington, is.— David Dempsey (captain), Justin Boyle, David Boyle, Paul McEwan, Max Bremner, Mark Priest, David Hartshorn, Michael Holding, Chris Flanagan, Lee Germon, Andrew Hintz, Bill Lawrence. After spending five months in England as the New Zealand “Young Player to Lord’s” earlier this year, Germon returned to his BurnsideWest club with no thoughts of full Canterbury selection. “I hadn’t really set my sights on making the squad. The main alm was the New Zealand under-19 side for the World Youth Cup early next year,” he said.

"I was pretty shocked to go into the squad, and even more surprised a day later to be named for the Wellington match. I thought that the squad selection was only to give me more experience,” said Germon. He encountered "no problems” In the Canterbury XI wins over Wellington and a Marlborough Invitation side, though the

latter match last Sunday provided him with his first experience of Priest’s left-arm spinners. Germon has ’kept to Hartshorn’s leg-spin in age-group teams.

The first priority would be to retain his place for the Shell Trophy series in the New Year, Germon said.

A heavy diet of cricket, even if it was rainrestricted, during his time in England has given him no cause for concern about his stamina. Germon was also named as captain of the Canterbury under-20 team, a role he will relinquish after three games to join the cup side.

Bremner has waited somewhat longer for elevation into the Canterbury first XI and is not perturbed at batting lower than his customary No. 3 for St Albans.

“I’m sure I’ll enjoy the

challenge of batting at five,” said Bremner last evening. “Over the last season I have felt a lot more confident and have been relatively successful. The game against Wellington helped my confidence, as did facing Lance Cairns at Blenheim.”

Aged 24, Bremner had a representative grounding of two summers in the Canterbury B side and has strung together a series of consistent scores in club and trial games.

“Now it is a matter of becoming established, taking one step at a time,” said Bremner.

“The aim is to do well in the one-dayers, to the extent that selection for the three-day games will follow.” Bremner said the batsmen would be aware of the pressure imposed on them by the presence of such players as Rod Latham, Anup Nathu, Blair Hartland, Peter Kennedy — all with previous firstclass experience — and Ben Harris in the provincial second XI. Indeed, Latham, Nathu, Kennedy and Steve McNally have between them made more Shell Cup appearances (76) than the entire Canterbury A team (74). And the A side’s aggregate includes Justin Boyle’s 12 matches for Wellington. But Canterbury has a line-up of considerable potential and attraction, and Holding will bring with him the vast knowledge accumulated in 102 limited-over internationals.

Other teams announced last evening were.— Canterbury second XI: Anup Nathu (captain), Chris Abbott, Gary Chamberlain, Blair Hartland, Ben Harris, Peter Kennedy, Rod Latham, Steve McNally, Andy Nuttall, Henry Richards, Paul Rutledge, John Wilson. Canterbury under-20: Lee Germon (captain), David Mills (vice-captain), Jon Preston, Chris Harris, Andrew Sherwood, Greg de Joux, Andrew Haglund, John Kilworth, Dean Read, Brett Harrison, Andrew Caddick, Hamish Kember, Mark Hastings.