First test likely to wind down to colourless draw

Press, 1 March 1982, Page 34

First test likely to wind down to colourless draw

By

R. T. BRITTENDEN

in Wellington

Unless the Basin Reserve pitch suddenly reveals the roguish qualities expected of it before the game began, the first match in the Rothmans Test series between New Zealand and Australia will be of interest only to the statistician.

The game has dragged its slow length along over three days of the five and so far New Zealand has scored 127 for two wickets from 71% overs. There was no play on Friday, four hours on Saturday, and yesterday activity was limited to 51 minutes.

. When it started, there was little venom in the pitch. It is evidently deep in its damp, and although it could not be described as really slow, the fast bowlers had to work vigorously to get much out of it.

If it has done nothing else, however, the s New Zealanders have achieved something. They went into the game still smarting from a humiliating defeat the previous week, but fought bravely against a side which started with a distinct psychological advantage. It was hard work, but it was well done.

On Saturday New Zealand took four hours and 60 overs to reach 107 for the loss of John Wright and if it was a slow grind, the determination of the batsmen was something almost tangible.

Play could and probably should have started earlier than 1.40 p.m. The. only reason for the delay was the reluctance of the two captains to get the game going, for fear the pitch would provide sharp bounce and movement. They were like a couple of nervous bathers worrying about the water temperature, but when they got in. it was far more comfortable than anyone expected. Almost inevitably, Greg Chappell won the toss — that made it six out of six for the Australians on this tour — and just as inevitably. New Zealand was sent in.

There was some move-

ment off the seam on this grassy pitch and Jeff Thomson found enough pace'in it to look dangerous on those few occasions he bowled straight. It seemed for a while that his primary intention was to damage second slip’s kneecaps, and even the usually meticulous Terry Aiderman was regularly wide of the stumps.

Thomson and Dennis Lillee were each called for wides twice and Australia, in general. was guilty of wilful waste while the ball was new and the batsmen under the greatest pressure. The generous width of much of the bowling and the batsmen's steadfast determination not to yield to temptation contributed largely to the funeral pace of the scoring. It took Wright 67 minutes to make his first scoring stroke, a period which probably equates to the life span of some of nature’s lesser creatures. Wright, however, provided the stiff resistance required. He had an early life, Aiderman dropping a very sharp slips catch off Thomson.

Thereafter Wright applied

himself with the utmost diligence. Most of the runs came from shots played off the pads but it was feast from famine when he made two handsome off-drives off consecutive balls from Aiderman, both for fours. Wright was in almost three hours before falling to the offspinner, Bruce Yardley. Yardley looped a ball or two early in his spell but soon discovered there was more profit in pushing the ball through at a brisker pace. He looked very interesting. He managed to turn enough to win respect. He varied his point of delivery persistently, and he sometimes achieved an awkward bounce. He was unlucky not to have Edgar out for 31. Edgar was clearly out of his ground but Rod Marsh, needing only, three dismissals to reach an astonishing 300 in tests, failed to take the ball. Edgar was all determination. He has now been in some 15 minutes short of five hours. Nearly - all .his runs have come from glances and from working the ball off his pads, although he made one

majestic square cut for four off Yardley.

John Morrison batted about 55 minutes on Saturday without apparent concern but he was in torment yesterday when Thomson was in a most aggressive frame of mind. He looked even sharper of pace than on Saturday, and he was much more accurate. He had Morrison dropped by Marsh at 12. Morrison added only three ■ before his defensive stroke to Thomson was posthumous. This dismissal at 120 brought a note of levity to proceedings which had been conducted with' proper gravity. Thomson damaged a couple of stumps in bowling Morrison and one was left in the ground as one of the umpires went off for replacements.- Geoff Howarth duly took guard before this lonely stump and invited Thomson to carry on bowling. Thomson. did, from about 20 metres behind the bowling crease. It was the last cheerful moment of the day, the light had been bad, then the rain started, and within minutes the seagulls had gathered for another convention. The scoreboard: NEW ZEALAND First innings B. Edgar not out 47 J. Wright c Chappell b Yardley 38 J. Morrison b Thomson ... 15 G. Howarth not out 2 Extras (b 2, lb 12, w 4, nb 7)................ 25 Total for two wickets: 127 Fall: 86, 120. BOWLING

0 m r IV J. Thomson 15 f) 13 1 T. Aiderman 27.3 16 40 (I D. Lillee 15 5 32 I) G. Chappell 2 1 2 0 B. Yardley 12 3 15 1