Border takes blow

Press, 23 May 1988, Page 21

Border takes blow

NZPA-AAP London

The Australian captain, Allan Border, required stitches in a cut to his head after being struck by a bouncer in a county cricket championship match at Edgbaston yesterday. A ball from Warwickshire’s Tony Merrick struck Border behind the left ear, forcing him to retire hurt having scored four runs for his club, Essex. Merrick took 4 for 38 in a spell which claimed a second victim through injury in Paul Prichard, who, like Border, did not come out to field

after his team had been bowled out for 166. Border was struck attempting to hook Merrick, after having been hit on the head by one of the bowler’s earlier deliveries.

Australians fared better in yesterday’s Lancashire league matches.

In the first round of the League’s knock-out competition, the West Australian, Tom Moody, starred in East Lancashire’s innings scoring 147, his fourth century of the season, and taking 6 for 52 against Bacup. Moody has trans-

formed East Lancashire which last year finished second-last in the league, but this year has won its first four games. Before yesterday he had twice scored centuries and taken seven wickets in a match. The former test fastbowler Geoff Lawson contributed a match winning all-round performance for Haslingden in the same competition, taking 6 for 33 and scoring 81 with the bat.

Lawson is the leading Lancashire league bowler this season with 26 wickets at a cost of 5.6 runs each.