N.Z. bowlers hold key to cricket win

Press, 5 March 1988, Page 88

N.Z. bowlers hold key to cricket win

From

JOHN COFFEY

! ; | I -! . ■ ' in Well ington

i New Zealand cannot lose th£ third cricket test at the Basin Reserve. But itsj bowlers must perform mighty deeds over the next three days if England is to be beaten and the Rothmans series won. ! ■ J : ■!] I

Yesterday New Zealand advanced its ’ total from 192 for three to 451 for five, the most run-produc-tive of the 12 days of competition between the two teams. Martin Crowe extended his New Zealand test cen-tury-making record to nine before suffering a replay of his dismissal by the England captain, Mike Gatting! at the same venue four years ago, and the much-maligned Ken Rutherford is poised to reach three figures at this level ■ for the first time, i

In company with Mark Greatbatch, his shipmate under ! many cricketing flags j- or should that be caps?|— since childhood, Crowe now has a share in the New Zealand fourthwicket partnership record against' England.

Their stand, worth 155 runs before Greatbatch was out when more than two-thirds of the way to a second century in as many -tests, bettered by one the old mark of John Wright; and Jeff Crowe at Auckland in 1984. Rutherford and John Bracewell will resume this morning a sixthwicket partnership which has added 115 runs. New Zealand’s best against England is 117, by Mark Burgess and Victor Pollard at Lord’s 13 years ago. .

It was, of course, an-other-day for the purists and statisticians, though many spectators on the grassy bank who would claim neither title appeared to thoroughly enjoy themselves in balmy Wellington weather.

Any chance of New Zealand attaining a declaration target yesterday went when tlie morning started with five consecutive maidens and only 27 runs were taken from the second new ball in the opening hour. The graph vacillated between 34 and 47 between then and the last drinks break, before Rutherford and Bracewell accelerated the rate. Rutherford could hardly have dreamed of a more appropriate time to establish himself in the middle order. The pitch continues to frustrate England’s medium-pacers and spinners. Graham Dil-

ley spent the day resting ' his injured knee.! and an average fielding team de-! teriorated to worse than!, woeful. But cricket is a fickle pastime and there was! probably a touch of bat to; the ball which rebounded! from Rutherford’s pad! through Bill Athey’s hands! at short mid-off. Ruther-! ford was then on one, his! international career! surely tottering on the! brink. r

He got that out of his system with a bold lofted on-drive, then settled down to help Crowe consolidate New Zealand’ssituation. As his confidence increased. Rutherford revelled in stepping out to drive-handsomely! through the covers, or back to cut with precision.

In that final hour Rutherford and Bracew’ell hustled on 74 runs, in excess of twice the average during a dull series. Rutherford had been responsible for 42 of the first 49 runs accumulated together, and it was not without some anxious moments that Bracewell got under way. I

At five Bracewell became the latest beneficiary of England’s pathetic slips catching, Martyn Moxon being to blame. When - 22 he offered an orthodox catch to Tim Robinson at midwicket, and escaped again. So Bracewell survived to thump some of the shine from the third new ball.

When the Englishmen review the happenings of the last two days John Emburey will have most cause to blush. It'was he who dropped Crowe on six. and yesterday watched that player rediscover something like- his true form.

Ten minutes before tea Gatting was probably as convinced as any of the other 5000 people at the ground that Crowe would surpass his career best ISS. Perhaps’ a pleasant memory of a previous visit to Wellington caused him to bowl his own slowmedium “dribblies."

Whatever, Gatting had Crowe leg before wicket with his third ball, a seemingly innocuous delivery which Crowe sought to pull through the leg side.

i Both must surely Have had a moment of deja vu. Four years ago, just before tea with Crowe hav-

ing attained his maiden test century, Gatting claimed his wicket, thanks to a slips catch by lan Botham.

(Since then his only other test victims have been Zaheer Abbas, of Pakistan, and Bracewell; at , Auckland last week.

y'There had been few of the renowned Crowe champagne shots as he won his battle to break a sequence of modest scores. His third century at the Basin Reserve was also his third-highest of the nine he has scored for New Zealand. , j Not quite all of the attention centred on the batsmen.

! After not being wanted in Auckland, Phil DeFreitas responded magnificently to the absence ol Dilley. He has straight] ened his line and de--manded respect from all of his opponents. David Capel suffered most from spilleci chances. Emburey contained the New Zealanders and drew a fatal error from Greatbatcti, !and Gatting had his :moment of ecstacy. j But they were upstaged -by the jovial Eddie Heni- ! mings. This Englishman is !no eagle, though his physique belies the agility of this Surprisingly Fast Eddie. -

All the bowlers haye shown remarkable discipline in not conceding (a no-ball or wide from 11(14 J balls’, and Hemmings, Neil [ Fairbrother and the | wicket-keeper, Bruce I French, have been excepj tions to the fielding fumbles of their team-mates. ■ NEW ZEALAND First innings J. G. Wright c Fairbrother b Capel 36 T. J. Franklin lbw b De- | Freitas 14 R. H. Vance run out. <. . . 47 M. D. Crowe lbw b Gatting 143 M. J. Greatbatch c DeFreitas b Emburey .... 68 K. R. Rutherford not out. 91 J. G. Bracewell not out. . 43 Extras tlb9) 9 Total (for 5 wkts) 451 Fall: 33. 79. 132. 287. 336. Bowling.— G. R Dilley 11. 1. 36, 0; P.~ A. -I. DeFreitas 43.1. 21. 69. 1: D. J. Capel 33. 6. 110. 1: ,1. M. Emburey 45.5. 10. 99. 1: E. E. Hemmings 45. 15. 107. 0; M. W. Gatting 6. 1. 21. 1. Umpires: B. L. Aldridge and S. J Woodward.