Jones’s finger still a pain

Press, 5 December 1989, Page 56

Jones’s finger still a pain

PA Auckland A New Zealand batsman, Andrew’ Jones’s injured finger is still proving troublesome and he will decide later this week whether he will be fit for opening rounds of the Shell Trophy cricket series. The Wellington player dislocated and gashed the ring finger on his right hand when New Zealand played Western Australia three jweeks ago and the injury precluded ■him from the one-off test against Australia.

Sunday’s benefit match for Martin Snedden was the first outing Jones has had since — and he was moderately happy with his performance. Batting is little bother, the injury is most limiting in the field. Although he is getting physio the

swelling has subsided little and a second X-ray is possible. “The finger is O.K. but it’s a little suspect when I’m fielding,” he said, adding if there was no improve-, ment during the week he would be forced to decide on his participation in the initial rounds of the , Shell Trophy which starts on Friday. “It’s no use playing at 70 per cent,” he said. On Sunday he fielded mostly at # fine leg before opening the batting for the team-of-the-1980s against an Auckland XI. He cracked a couple of scintillating drives, one on-drive in particular being one of the shots of the day, before he was bowled by Willie Watson when advancing down the pitch to the