Hinza declares return with bold half-century

Press, 29 January 1988, Page 18

Hinza declares return with bold half-century

By

John Coffey

The first-class cricket career of Andrew Hintz is once more bowling along in an eminently satisfactory manner. In fact, it entered a new dimension earlier this week when Hintz produced his most valuable and productive innings for Canterbury, against Auckland at Eden Park No. 2. Hintz joined the cen-tury-maker, Paul McEwan, when Canterbury required a substantial number of runs to build up a big first innings lead. In company with McEwan and then Bill Lawrence, Hintz entered the realms of the allrounders with his maiden half-century in representative cricket. It was an innings of considerable conviction. Hintz attractively stroked the spinners, Bill Fowler and Martin Bradley, through the covers from the back foot, and moved forward to loft the other slow bowler, Alan Hunt, straight and over mid-off. He glanced the faster men, Danny Morrison and Richard de Groen, for boundaries which removed the shine from the second new ball, before flowing into a classic cover drive which left Morrison gaping in amazement. There was courage aplenty, too, in Hintz’s performance. Though the pitch was old and tired, Morrison in possession of a new ball presents a formidable challenge to a player whose left wrist was broken last summer b}' a ball from Wellington’s English fast bowler, Paul Allott. Hintz’s array of strokes was embellished by crisp cutting, square and behind point, and an ability to work the ball into gaps for ones and twos. Not that there was an overabundance of the bread-and-butter shots. With nary a hint of a slog, Hintz collected 11 boundaries in his 62 runs. Unfortunately for Canterbury, Hintz was not

able to wield the bat to such telling effect in the second innings when the team set out after its target of 198 runs in 45 overs. After a promising start, Canterbury experienced another of its batting slumps when chasing runs and was dismissed for 137. Hintz was one of Bill Fowler’s six victims, when he was caught by Martin Bradley after scoring only one. In theory, he should have played a minor role in the match, being just back from an injuryimposed break in conditions totally unsuitable for his principal purpose of medium-fast bowler. But Hintz’s natural competitiveness would not allow him to settle for a bit part. At 24 -years of age,

Hintz is accustomed to overcoming setbacks which would have persuaded others to seek a less demanding pastime. While at Christchurch Boys’ High School Hintz suffered a not-too-uncom-mon affliction in his back which prevented him from bowling for one of the two seasons he was in the first XI. But Hintz, somewhat bemused at a radio report that he had failed to be chosen for the school team, proudly recalled that he kept his place on batting ability alone. Restored to full fitness, Hintz graduated to the Burnside-West first grade side and earned rapid promotion up the representative rungs in 1985-86. “I guess it could be said that I took my opportunities,” said Hintz. “In one

game for Canterbury B I got five wickets and made 25-odd runs and was picked for the last Shell Trophy match in Dunedin. “Craig Thiele’s retirement gave me the chance, but it came as a real surprise,” he said. Hintz did not have a spectacular debut, capturing two wickets for 75 runs, and his arrival on the first-class scene was overshadowed by the big impact made by another newcomer, Stu Roberts. Hintz, however, was the victim of four catches being spilled from his bowling. The opening fixture of Canterbury’s 1986-87 Shell trophy campaign is one Hintz will never forget. He had the misfortune to encounter Bruce Edgar at his ebullient best, supported to the hilt by Tim Ritchie, Jeremy Coney, Evan Gray and Ervin McSweeney. Hintz dismissed Coney, but at considerable cost. Worse was to follow. Hintz was not to discover until after the game that his wrist had been broken by Allott’s numbing blow. He had bravely battled on to reach 20 not out. Several weeks with his arm in plaster, the knowledge that his first-class season was over almost before it had begun, and countless hours spent squeezing a tennis ball to strengthen the damaged wrist proved a real test of Hintz’s character. “I had to start all over again,” said Hintz, who increased his summer training workload, mixing weight-training, and fitness and flexibility programmes. With other Canterbury squad members he attended the Institute of Sport and sports psychology courses. Hintz was far from a certain choice. Richard Hadlee’s absence on national duty had been offset by the acquisition of Michael Holding. Roberts began the summer as the top-ranked “resident” medium-fast

bowler, Chris Flanagan had a season of first-class experience to call upon, a transfer to town testified to Steve McNally’s determination to earn a recall, and Lawrence was leading a group of eager new claimants. Happily for Hintz, he was among the chosen few, and happily for Canterbury he responded by returning the remarkable analysis of two for seven from nine overs against Auckland. Hintz had eight wickets for just 115 runs when he injured a muscle on the side of his left knee, forcing an early exit from . the home match with Northern Districts and a rest while Canterbury played Central Districts and Otago. It was the unresponsive pitch, not an aggravation of the knee problem, which limited Hintz’s bowling at Eden Park. But a lifeless strip of dirt proved no great hurdle to a young man who has cleared considerably more daunting barriers. He compensated by revealing his batting skills. But bowling with pace and accuracy is still Hintz’s prime responsibility. It is one that he enjoys. “The competition within the squad has been good. It means that those of us in the team are kept on our toes, and have to perform to stay there,” he said. The presence of Holding has been doubly beneficial. “Michael has helped me with my own bowling, especially my off-cutter,” said Hintz. "Opposing batsmen have also attempted to concentrate on keeping Michael out and tried to score more freely from Bill and myself — they are more inclined to make mistakes against us.” Rival bowlers have good cause in future to joint their batting brothers in not under-estimating the emerging talents of Andrew Hintz.