Good and bad news for Shell players

Press, 25 January 1986, Page 80

Good and bad news for Shell players

By

R. T. BRITTENDEN

There was bad news and good news yesterday for New Zealand’s Shell Trophy cricketers, who will start the fifth round of their eight-match competition today. The bad news was the disclosure of the team’s average over rates. Only one of them has so far achieved the cumulative average of 18 an hour required by the playing conditions, and the others were therefore heading towards penalties of one point deducted for every .1 of an over they were below 18.

The good news was that the New Zealand Cricket Council has "reluctantly accepted” that the figure of 18 was perhaps unattainable and has, therefore, decided to revert to the 17 overs an hour required last season.

The decision will be particularly welcomed

south of the Waitakl. Otago leads the Trophy competition by 18 points, but it was threatened with the loss of 19 points if the requirement had been 18 overs an hour; and it had failed to improve its bowling rate during the final four rounds.

The present bowling rates are: Auckland 16.3, Northern Districts 16.7, Central Districts 17, Wellington 18, Canterbury 17.3, Otago 16.1. The present points position is: Otago 52, Wellington 34, Auckland 32, Northern Districts 16, Canterbury 8, Central Districts 2.

If bowling rates had been unchanged in the last half of the season, and the 18-overs rule had still applied, the positions would have been: Wellington 34, Otago 33, Auckland 15, Northern Districts 3, Canterbury 1, and Central Districts minus 8.