Cricket: Shell Trophy run feast leaves sour taste

By CHRIS RATTUE

Northern Districts coach Chris Kuggeleijn has strongly defended the contrived cricket which saw his batters plunder about 13 runs an over from the Otago bowlers in the latest Shell Trophy round.

Radio commentators provided a chorus of criticism over the tactics used at the match at Carisbrook, which finished in a draw when Otago gave up on the run chase last night.

New Zealand cricket spokesman Tim Murdoch said the NZC would only look into game if concerns were raised in the match report by umpires David Quested and Steve Dunne.

And umpire manager Brian Aldridge said last night that the two match umpires had told him they would not include any comments on the matter in their report.

"They said as far as they knew, the playing conditions were not breached," Aldridge said.

Kuggeleijn said that while "purists" may not have liked the avalanche of runs in Northern's second innings, it had kept the rain-affected match alive in terms of an outright result remaining possible. He said the tactic was no different to many others employed in cricket to keep games alive.

Otago had declared on their overnight total of 236, four runs ahead of Northern.

Otago then used a bowling attack which included test batsmen Matt Horne and Mark Richardson to feed Northern runs in their second innings.

The visitors declared at 285 for six from 22.3 overs, with Hamish Marshall scoring 83 from just 41 deliveries.

Kuggeleijn denied that there had been any collusion between the sides. Collusion is specifically prohibited in the laws of cricket. Cricket officials spoken to yesterday admitted collusion was a very difficult charge to prove.

Kuggeleijn said that Wellington and Canterbury had each forfeited innings in the opening round of the trophy this season without drawing criticism.

"What's the difference - no one complained then," he said, referring to the first round match in Wellington.

"Sure, runs were fed for 23 overs but the other 77 overs have produced good absorbing cricket. And Matt Horne and Andrew Hore have each got their first first-class wicket."

Kuggeleijn said that while there was no collusion between the sides, it was obvious what was going to happen when Otago declared with such a small first innings lead.

If Otago had not fed runs to Northern, they would have been forced to close the game up because they could not have reached a defendable total and had time to bowl Otago out.

In response to strong criticism from radio commentators who felt it made the game farcical, Kuggeleijn said: "[commentator] Garth Gallaway is entitled to his opinion but it's just a shame everyone in New Zealand is hearing it."

A similar situation led to some record hitting in the match between Canterbury and Wellington in the 1989/90 season.

Canterbury wicketkeeper Lee Germon hit five consecutive sixes from the bowling of top order batsman Robert Vance in a contrived situation, something which did not amuse the editors of the Cricket Almanack.

While Germon's achievement is recorded, it came with the the note that "full tosses and deliberate no-balls were provided for him to hit."