Stewart seeks dedication from Ashes party (28 October 1998)
ENGLAND put the final touches to their early tour preparations before today's opening match, with captain Alec Stewart urging his team to ignore the festival atmosphere and produce a clinical, professional performance
28-Oct-1998
28 October 1998
Stewart seeks dedication from Ashes party
By Nelson Clare in Perth
ENGLAND put the final touches to their early tour preparations
before today's opening match, with captain Alec Stewart urging
his team to ignore the festival atmosphere and produce a
clinical, professional performance.
Stewart returns to Lilac Hill, where he spent eight years playing
grade cricket, to lead England out against an ACB Chairman's XI
featuring former Test players Dennis Lillee, Graeme Wood and
Bruce Reid.
"It is a festival atmosphere, and I appreciate that," said
Stewart. "But it is a game we want to win."
A gentle introduction it may be - by Australia's high standards -
but England are also keen to utilise as many members of their
17-man party as possible, either today or in the four-day game
against Western Australia at the WACA, starting this weekend.
Memories still linger of last winter's tour to the Caribbean,
where injuries in the opening few weeks forced England to select
players who had not had a game prior to the opening Test - and
that is clearly a situation Stewart is anxious to avoid.
"We are trying to let everybody have a game in the next two
matches," he said. "Whoever the Test side are going to be, I want
them to be a well-prepared Test side."
The whole touring party were put through their first closed
coaching clinic on wrist spin by former Australian Test
leg-spinner Peter Philpott yesterday, and after an enthusiastic
response plans have already been made for further sessions.
Source :: Electronic Telegraph (https://www.telegraph.co.uk)