England 'A' Tour: Betts off as mud sticks (20 January 1999)

20 January 1999

England 'A' Tour: Betts off as mud sticks

By Charles Randall in Harare

THE frustration endured by Melvyn Betts on the England A tour of Zimbabwe intensified yesterday when he was told that he would not be selected for the four-day game against Mashonaland, starting here today. He was a victim of an early injury doubt and the 'glue' factor.

The Durham seamer's inactivity means he will not be bowling in anger for the first two weeks since arrival.

The England management have decided he is not 100 per cent injury-free, which could be connected with the torn groin muscle that cut short his season last August.

The glue factor has affected all the seam bowlers on the tour. John Emburey, the coach, said: "I think because we've had so much rain, the soil is tacky, like glue. What is happening is when the bowler hits the crease, it isn't as in England when his foot slides a little bit and there's a little bit of give.

"Here, when your studs go in, they stick in and you're being jerked forward in your action and you're not likely to get a nice smooth run-through. You feel as though you are being pushed forward." Betts has bowled in the nets off a short run-up, as have his seam colleagues, and yesterday, England's attack completed a morning's unopposed practice in the middle at Country Club. Betts might find his tour effectively finishing almost without starting, as Ben Hollioake experienced on the recent Ashes trip in Australia.

Steve Harmison, Betts' county team-mate, has a fine chance to advance his fast-bowling reputation. Mashonaland have selected a side containing current Test batsmen, led by Alistair Campbell, the national captain, and England A's attack will have to winkle out the Flower brothers, Andy and Grant, and Murray Goodwin, an expert against fast bowling, on a slow Old Hararians pitch near the city centre.

The rainy season has knocked the practice pattern sideways and the seam bowlers have failed to make much impression. Emburey felt that the altitude, at 1,400 ft, did not affect swing bowling. The sluggish pitches were the main problem, he said. "You've got to bowl a fuller length and the players have to adapt to that as well. We're not making excuses - they're professional cricketers and this is a learning process for them. If you're going to be an international bowler, you've got to learn to bowl in all conditions."

Nottinghamshire are ready to make a move for Dominic Cork if he succeeds in securing his release from Derbyshire. The 27-year-old Test player is locked in a power struggle with Derbyshire over his role as captain and has demanded to be released from his contract.

Source :: Electronic Telegraph (https://www.telegraph.co.uk)