Cricket: Gallant Klinger chooses not to linger

Australia Under-19 173 & 196 England Under-19 171 & 15

IF VICTORIA'S Mike Klinger ever becomes Australia's senior captain, it will be because he has learned by heart that chapter in the Australian Cricket Board's leadership booklet entitled "How to Stick it Up the Poms".

The Australian Under-19 skipper stands accused this morning of a mortal sin when facing England: chivalry.

Yesterday afternoon, after heavy overnight rain had prevented a resumption until 3pm, he arrived at the crease with Australia, two runs ahead on first innings, on 31 for 1 and rightly took aim at an over-pitched delivery from Northamptonshire's Richard Logan bowled on his leg-stump.

Klinger flicked the ball off his pads to square leg where Yorkshire's Richard Dawson scooped up the catch and then saw the wet ball shoot from his grip.

Was the catch completed? England's players went up triumphantly and then fell away as the umpires, Ray Julian and Barrie Dudleston, walked together to consult.

Where, however, was Klinger? He had already decided that the catch was clean and was on his way back to the pavilion.

That made Australia 39 for 2. In the next over Matt Bulbeck trapped Alan Rowe for a duck and, even when Bulbeck (with figures of 7-1-25-2) and Logan (7-4-14-1) had to take their mandatory rests, England maintained their pressure.

Later, Dawson swooped to make a direct hit on the stumps to run out Dan Harris. The fifth wicket-pair drove so vigorously that the score was doubled in six overs before Worcestershire's Wigan-born Chris Liptrot, admirably persevering, had Clarke caught behind at 94 for 5.