Tough assignment for Canty seam bowler

Press, 29 December 1989, Page 38

Tough assignment for Canty seam bowler

By

JOHN COFFEY

In the normal course of events Richard Petrie would this morning have been limbering up to assist the Canterbury cricket second XI against Otago B at Hagley Oval. Instead, he faces a more daunting assignment in Wellington. Petrie will share with the other Canterbury bowlers the responsibility of restraining the potentially prolific Wellington batsmen in a vital Shell Cup fixture at the Basin Reserve.

But for injuries .to Richard Hadlee and Chris Cairns it is unlikely that Petrie would have featured in the province’s Shell Series plans. However, when Cairns withdrew on the eve of the first Shell Trophy round Petrie was the logical choice to join Stu Roberts and Roger Ford as the front-line seam bowlers.

In the last warm-up game he had conceded only 14 runs from 10 overs against Wellington at Burwood Park. Petrie impressed in the two trophy fixtures and kept his place, at Ford’s expense, in the Cup line-up. When Canterbury decisively beat Otago in the opening Cup round at Oamaru on Wednesday Petrie conceded just 11 runs and claimed two wickets. His analysis compared favourably with Canterbury’s most economical in limited-over cricket, two for

eight by Andrew Nuttall against Wellington last season. In company with Roberts, the left-armer, Chris Flanagan, young Chris Harris and the spinner, Mark Priest, Petrie will seek to gain ascendancy over freescoring batsmen like Bruce Edgar, Andrew Jones, Graham Burnett, Gavin Larsen, Ervin McSweeney and either Robert Vance or Tim Ritchie. Vance is given a 50-50 chance to returning to the side after missing Wellington’s five-wicket defeat of Central Districts. The

thumb he injured while fielding against Auckland last week-end was still .swollen yesterday. In spite of Canterbury’s promising display at Oamaru, Wellington is a firm favourite. Wellington won the Cup with an unbeaten record last summer, has home ground advantage, and even if Vance is not available has a combination thoroughly skilled in one-day techniques and tactics.

Patrick O’Rourke, a newcomer to this level of cricket, had a dream start when Martin Crowe was the first of his three victims and he impresses as an accomplished foil to the seasoned Ewen Chatfield and Stirling, and another aggressive youngster, Jonathan Millmow. The other first-round winner and pre-tournament favourite, Auckland, plays Otago at Alexan-. dra, and Northern Districts and Central Districts meet at Tauranga in today’s other Cup matches.

Meanwhile, Canterbury’s second XI should maintain a proud record in its national competition against Qtago B. A generally youthful batting order is complemented by the presence of five bowlers, Andrew Hintz, Ford, Mark Chamberlain, Nuttall and Garry MacDonald, with firstclass experience.