Spinners get ideal opportunity to tweak their art in Indian conditions
ew Zealand’s relationship with its test spinners has been mixed down the years. The standard arrangement has had one primary spinner in a seamdominant attack, whether he be Hedley Howarth, the fine, durable left armer of the 1970s, John Bracewell or Stephen Boock, — but rarely both together— in the 1980s, and Dan Vettori from 1997 until 2014.
A second slow bowler has often been employed as a kind of support performer. Think either Bracewell or Boock, Paul Wiseman alongside Vettori or, on one unmemorable occasion, Peter Petherick paired with Howarth, at Eden Park against Australia in 1977. Australia made 377 and the two spinners shared nine overs out of 97 in a 10- wicket flogging.
New Zealand’s use of three spinners at Kanpur was intriguing for its rarity, and that they chose one more than the hosts, who’ve never been tardy in throwing a pile of spin bowlers into a test.
In 1988, India opened with a brisk offspinner Arshad Ayub to decisive effect at Bangalore and he had legspinner Narendra Hirwani, and two left armers, Ravi Shastri and W. V. Raman with him.
Going into that match, New Zealand were pondering whether to use one or two spinners. They plumped for Bracewell and Evan Gray; India picked four and once they won the toss and batted, the game was up. The New Zealand pair took three for 281 in the match; Ayub alone had figures of 83.4- 33- 104- 8.
However, this is not the first time New Zealand have used three genuine spinners in a test — as distinct from two and a part timer.
At Nagpur in 1969, Howarth, Victor Pollard, a flat, parsimonious offspinner, aggressive batsman and electric fielder, and a second left armer, Bryan Yuile, all played at Nagpur. The result: the first of New Zealand’s two wins in India, a fine victory by 167 runs with the three sharing 17 wickets.
In the hope this might prove unfounded, New Zealand needed to win the toss and bat first to get the full benefit of the Mitch Santner, Mark Craig and Ish Sodhi triumvirate as the Green Park pitch wears in the coming days. Day one gave them turn, albeit slow.
For the trio, this is shaping as an important learning arena.
None of them have played tests in India. It’s all very well turning up and expecting the pitch to do everything. The bowlers need to use variety, guile, patience and give the batsmen nothing. On the first three counts, they did pretty well; but they did leak soft runs through being too short or too full. Against batsmen such as Cheteshwar Pujara with his quick feet, that will be punished.
There’s no question the education of the three will be significantly enhanced by the time they board the plane for home. The Cronulla Sharks are off to their first NRL grand final since the 1997 Super League season and the first in a united competition since 1978 with an impressive win over the reigning champion North Queensland Cowboys at Allianz Stadium in Sydney.
A date with either the Melbourne Storm or Canberra Raiders awaits coach Shane Flanagan’s side after a dominant performance in front of 36,000 fans last night.
The result turns around a 39- 0 thrashing at the hands of the Cowboys in the finals last year that ended their season. It also ensures veteran hooker Michael Ennis’ career will continue for another week when he will play the second grand final of his career having missed the Broncos triumph in 2006 due to injury and the Bulldogs loss to the Rabbitohs in 2014. Sharks skipper Paul Gallen will make his first appearance in a title decider in a 16- year career.
Cronulla played with significantly more energy than the North Queenslanders, the Sharks benefitting from a week off courtesy of their week one finals victory.
The Cowboys lacked the zip they’ve played with all season. The effects of a brutal and extremely fastpaced extra time game a week ago against the Broncos in Townsville seemed to show early.
The defending premiers endured a horror first half where, aside from completing their first set in possession, they struggled to hold on to the ball and spent the majority of time defending their own line.
For all of their dominance and possession, the Sharks managed just two tries — the first to winger Sosaia Feki and the second to former Warrior Chad Townsend. It was a testament to North Queensland’s well- structured defence and willingness to keep turning up that they weren’t down by more than 14- 0 at the break.
The veteran Sharks players — Gallen, Luke Lewis, James Maloney and especially retiring hooker Ennis — controlled the side’s attack and patiently pounded away trying to break down the Cowboys defence.
Cronulla had 65 per cent of possession in the first half and could well have been ahead by more had powerful prop Andrew Fifita not been denied a try for a double movement and Townsend been able to ground a bouncing ball in the in- goal. Both bunker decisions were spot on, however.
The Cowboys had to score first after the break and they managed to get on the board immediately through fullback Lachlan Coote.
But the fightback was shortlived. The forward domination continued for Cronulla and they eventually broke the Cowboys through veteran second rower Lewis. Maloney added another try moments later from an intercept and the game was decided.
The big Cowboys pack had nothing left in the tank — powerful Kiwis lock Jason Taumalolo and Kangaroos enforcers Matt Scott and James Tamou were ineffective, with the latter’s time in Townsville coming to an end with the loss.