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confident
. . . and keen
to tour again
Test opening batsman Graeme Wood tests his injured finger during practice yesterday at the WACA on the eve of the first Test against England. Help
Test opening batsman Graeme Wood tests his
injured finger during practice yesterday at the
WACA on the eve of the first Test against
England.
PERTH: Australia's Test
cricket captain Greg Chappell
says Australia can
overcome recent setbacks to
win the first Test in Perth
against England beginning
today.
Chappcll said yesterday, "You
can forget the 3-nil Test loss in
Pakistan."
"There are totally different conditions
here at home. We have 12 in-form
players and there are some not in the
lineup that can really consider themselves
unlucky.
"England can't say the same and
Australia has the edge."
The re-appointed skipper said team
harmony was good and denied there
were any problems caused by his selection
as captain ahead of Kim Hughes.
"Everyone is mature enough to work
together," he said. "We can get results
in four of the five Tests if we play as
a team."
Chappell said he was confident about
the WACA ground and that conditions
would help determine the outcome of
the Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne
Tests.
"There is less chance in Sydney and
the new Melbourne Cricket Ground
strip is an unknown quantity," he said.
"We should be able to get a result in
Adelaide".
He said Terry Alderman would get
first use of the new ball with Dennis
Lillee.
"I would be loathe not to give him
the new ball here in Perth; Lawson will
have every opportunity of sharing the
workload," he said.
Meanwhile, England skipper Bob
Willis said he did not mind his team
starting as underdog — odds of 5-4-on
Australia and 3-1 against England are
reportedly on offer.
"We were the same odds during the
Pakistan tour of England," he said.
Both captains cautioned against a
runaway win, but Chappell seemed the
more inclined to laud his team's
chances.
"Fielding will be a key factor, we
must hold the chances," he said.
"We can get the runs and the bowling
is capable of breaking through."
The England tour selectors named a
team of 12 yesterday afternoon, omitting
paceman Robin Jackman from the
squad.
Both skippers will leave the nomination
of the 12th man until this morning
after looking at the Test strip and
studying weather reports.
Perth was hot and overcast yesterday
with the possiblity of thunder storms.
Chappell said South Australian
Sheffield Shield captain David Hookes had
made a bold challenge to beat young
Queenslander Greg Ritchie to the final
eleven. Hookes has been in great form
this season with scores of 53, 87, 137,
107, 74, 39, 65 and 60.
Ritchie, who scored an unbeaten century
in the second Test in Pakistan, ran
up 67 and 46 for Queensland against
AUSTRALIA
JOHN DYSON
GRAEME WOOD
ALLAN BORDER
GREG CHAPPELL (C)
KIM HUGHES
DAVID HOOKES
GREG RITCHIE
ROD MARSH
GEOFF LAWSON
BRUCE YARDLEY
DENNIS LILLEE
TERRY ALDERMAN
Tasmania, but Hookes is likely to get
the nod today.
Chappell said Queensland pace
bowler Jeff Thomson was another who
could quite well be in the eleven.
Willis said he was relieved Geoff
Miller was fit. Miller batted and bowled
without difficulty at the nets yesterday
and England tour selectors Doug Insole,
Norman Gifford, David Gower, Ian
Bolham and Willis met to finalise the
line-up and included the Derbyshire
allrounder.
"Dusty is a key man in the lineup and
has been batting well on tour," said
Willis.
He said the Australian attack on the
WACA Ground was well balanced,
even without Jeff Thomson causing his
batsmen headaches.
□ EAST LONDON, South Africa,
Thursday (AAP-AP). — The Sri
Lankan cricketers touring South Africa
in violation of a Commonwealth ban,
were all out for 275 yesterday in their
first innings on the opening day of their
two-day match against an Eastern Cape
Invitation XI.
The hosts were 3-49 in their first
innings at the close of play.
ENGLAND
GEOFF COOK
CHRIS TAVARE
DAVID GOWER
ALLAN LAMB
IAN BOTHAM
DEREK RANDALL
GEOFF MILLER
DEREK PRINGLE
EDDIE HEMMINGS
BOB TAYLOR
BOB WILLIS (C)
NORMAN COWANS
PERTH: Greg Chappell wants to
tour again even though he admits
he is not as ambitious as he used to
be.
"Basically, I'm not as young and
ambitious," he said yesterday.
"I enjoy my cricket, but I no longer
have the same tenacity, the same
appetite, as I had. But I still get a kick
out of making runs."
Nevertheless, the 34-year-old Chappell
said he had made himself available
to play at home and overseas until early
1984.
"I'm available for the World Cup
tour to England and Sri Lanka next year
and for the Pakistan visit to Australia
next summer," he said.
"In fact, I will be available for all
programmed cricket until March, 1984.
"I have only played in one World Cup
and I would like to play in another.
Basically, I'm only against long tours."
Business and family pressures
prevented Chappell making the 1981
Ashes tour of England and the recent
tour of Pakistan.
Talking of his playing future, Chappell
also admitted he was not as
tenacious as he used to be.
"I don't think I have the same mental
capacity and tenacity for making runs
that I once had," he said.
"I think I can do more for the side
by batting at four. I feel as though I'm
in the right physical and mental shape
to get runs this summer."
England's opening batsman Chris Tavare had a strenuous workout in the nets at the WACA yesterday. Help
England's opening batsman Chris Tavare had a strenuous workout
in the nets at the WACA yesterday.
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