Cricket: Lathwell lays into Tasmania

England . . . . . . . . . . . .420-9 dec

Tasmania

TED DEXTER, England's chairman of selectors who has arrived in Australia from India, was yesterday treated to an innings of 175 from Mark Lathwell for England A against Tasmania in Launceston.

Dexter was so impressed by the 21-year-old Somerset batsman's five-hour reign over the Tasmanian attack, which took England to 420 for 9 declared at the end of the first day of their three-day match, that he left his seat to applaud Lathwell through the dressing-room door.

Lathwell shared a 184-run stand with Surrey's Graham Thorpe, who followed his top score of 78 in Sunday's one-day match against Tasmania with 96 more runs. It was as good a partnership as has been played on any of the four A tours.

Chris Matthews, the former Australian Test bowler, enjoyed some success, his erratic left-arm pace accounting for Tony Middleton, Mike Roseberry and Martyn Moxon before lunch. By the time he had sent back Thorpe late in the day, though, England were in complete command.

Lathwell, who lists sleeping as a pleasure and has never travelled farther than Europe before gaining promotion to the A squad, admitted later: 'I should have been out for a duck. My pads were right in front to the second ball I received from Chris Matthews. The only doubt was did I hit the ball. I didn't'

Dexter will watch the remaining two days of the match before returning to England after his round- the-world fact-finding mission to see the full England side and Under-19 team in India, then the A team at the start of their two- month Australian tour.

(First day of three: England A won toss)

ENGLAND A - First Innings

T C Middleton c Castle b Matthews. . . . . . . . . . .18

M A Roseberry lbw b Matthews. . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

*M D Moxon c Tucker b Matthews. . . . . . . . . . . . 10

G P Thorpe c sub b Matthews. . . . . . . . . . . . . .96

M N Lathwell c Hills b Castle. . . . . . . . . . . . 175

D J Capel b Castle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

R C Russell c Buckingham b Castle. . . . . . . . . . .10

D G Cork c Cox b Courtney. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

D J Millns c Atkinson b Courtney. . . . . . . . . . . 25

J Boiling not out. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

M C Ilott not out. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Extras (lb7 w2 nb22). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Total (for 9 dec). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 420

Fall: 1-59 2-70 3-81 4-265 5-270 6-312 7-325 8-406 9-408.

Bowling: Cooley 18-3-73-0; Matthews 27-2-110-4; McPhee 19-5-55-0; Cox 1-0-4-0; Castle 35-3-105- 3; Tucker 2-0-16-0; Buckingham 4-0-28-0; Courtney 4-1-22-2.

TASMANIA: D F Hills, N C P Courtney, J Cox, R Ponting, *R J Tucker, D J Buckingham, M N Atkinson, C D Matthews, T Cooley, D Castle, P T McPhee.

Umpires: R Donaldson and B Knight.