Draw ‘not necessarily cue for spinners’

Press, 30 November 1989, Page 48

Draw ‘not necessarily cue for spinners’

NZPA-AAP Sydney Dogged New Zealand resistance to everything Australia’s four-pronged pace attack could muster in Perth was not necessarily a cue for the return of specialist spinners to the test arena, the New South Wales spinner, Greg Matthews, said yesterday. Despite the fortress-like performance of Mark Greatbatch, ably assisted by Martin Snedden, to carry the Kiwis to a dogged

draw in the one-off test on Tuesday, other factors let Australia down, Matthews said. Australia’s next test appearance will be against Sri Lanka in Brisbane from December 8-12. The Australian team will be named on December 4. “Being a spinner, I would love to think spinners would get a look-in in Brisbane but it’s more complicated than that,” said Matthews. “I think they should have had a spinner in Perth, in hindsight,

but that is a wonderful thing. “The individuals used obviously did not do what they: wanted to do, but at the same time, a held catch would have! turned the game. If you are in a' team that hasn’t dropped a catch all season you are invariably up' the top of the ladder.” Geoff Lawson, Carl Rack-, emann, Aiderman and Merv, Hughes bombarded the Kiwis with pace, but chances were lost. Aiderman at first slip dived and dropped a vital chance off Great-

batch on 124, which would have exposed the New Zealand tail long before he walked off unbeaten on 146 not out after 655 minutes. The wicket-keeper, lan Healy, and the new cap, Tom Moody, both missed opportunities Snedden offered on his way to his highest ever test score of 33 not out. “But all this is easy to say in hindsight, like I said. Even at 5 p.m. we looked like doing it, and Allan Border could always have given himself a few more innings

if he had thought variety would have won it,” said Matthews. “Most of those players wouldn’t have had three days out on the field before. That is the price you pay for batting so well in the first innings. I think tiredness had a lot to do with it.” Matthews said he would welcome the chance to confront the. Sri Lankans. “I always enjoyed bowling in Perth. There was always favourable wind and it is a fairly good pitch for spin,” he said.