Germon on Canterbury's team (3 Oct 1997)

3 October 1997

Lee Germon praises Canty's team spirit

by John Brooks

Canterbury cricket teams of recent summers possessed strength in batting and bowling, but the factor which placed them apart from other sides was their spirit.

So said provincial and former national captain Lee Germon at the launch yesterday of the testimonial season for himself and Mark Priest.

A corporate lunch to mark the event drew 160 guests to the Grand Cafe of the Christchurch Casino.

Guest speaker Germon, in a wide-ranging address encompassing reminiscence, beliefs, values, and not a little whimsy, heaped warm praise on the highly successful Canterbury XI. He contrasted Canterbury's team spirit with that of the New Zealand side, claiming that some players in the national XI were more interested in themselves than the team ethic.

"My philosophy is that as well as possessing the necessary skills, a player should display the ability to fit into the team environment," he said.

He lauded deposed national coach Glenn Turner, who, he said, sought to make the players self-sufficient.

"He was probably the best tactical coach I worked with," he said.

As an example, he told of Turner's assessment of a total necessary for New Zealand to beat Australia in the 1996 World Cup quarter-final in Madras. Turner's pick of a winning score was 320, and he then described to an astonished Germon how this would be achieved. After outlining the targets for each stage of the innings he said, "now you tell the players".

It is now history that this target was spot on, as was his decision to promote the left-handed Chris Harris to No. 5 to attack the dreaded Shane Warne. Harris made 130, and Australia was into the 48th over before it overhauled New Zealand's 286-9.

Asked by Turner if he would care to bat at No. 3, Germon wanted to know whether he should attack or defend.

"He asked me to hang in there for six or seven overs, to see off the new ball bowlers, and then let the proper batsman take over," he laughed. Against Australia, of course, Germon exceeded his brief by making 89.

Later, Germon and Priest faced questions from the audience, but none was as curly as Priest's deliveries.

Source :: The Canterbury Press (https://www.press.co.nz/)