Jeff Crowe included

Press, 10 February 1986, Page 44

Jeff Crowe included

PA Auckland The New Zealand batsman, Jeff Crowe, returns to the Auckland squad to play against the Australian cricketers in the first match of their tour against Auckland next Saturday. A big crowd is expected at Eden Park for the oneday match and Crowe, who has been suffering from a bruised thumb, will be looking for a good score to make sure of a test place against the Australians.

Mark Greatbatch has also been added to the 12 that played Northern Dis-

tricts over the week-end. Auckland will again have the problem of fielding five bowlers, without too drastically lengthening its batting tail. It may decide to continue with the not-terribly effective experiment of playing John Bracewell at opener. He scored a dashing 54 against Northern Districts. Auckland could also decide to include Dipak Patel as the fifth bowler (instead of Morrison) and play only three fast bowlers and the two offspinners. That could limit it to a

bare five bowlers and it is surprising that no place, was found in the 14 for the batsman, Derek Scott.

Scott scored three halfcenturies in his first three matches in first-class cricket but had a run of lower scores towards the end of the Shell Trophy. Phil Home, who scored a lovely century against Northern Districts on Saturday was preferred.

The squad is: Trevor Franklin, Phil Horne, John Reid, Dipak Patel, Alan Hunt, Jeff Crowe, Peter Webb, Mark Greatbatch, Paul Kelly, Gary Troup, Martin Snedden, John Bracewell, Stu Gillespie and Danny Morrison.