The Guardian from London, Greater London, England • 26

26 Tuesday June 11999 miimimihiw i urn inwinww iiiiniiiw Merry Monty Spectacular 64 seals Wentworth title 22 Bald ambition gassi hungers for success 22 a wamxce to Much of the credit for that the Watford players savour the prospect of Premiership football next season after winning promotion at Wembley yesterday Photograph: Andy Gatt tMMplfQSlDllS David Hop in Edinburgh Z5 1 ChriS- WhSe 2 medium-pace mduckers were Australia's provocative batting ideal on a sluggish surface and go-slow proved of no avail yes- brought him four for seven in 19 terday when New Zealand, the balls. Alec Davies was last out, side they had shrewdly tried to swinginglustilytolongoffjust oust from the World Cup, qual- as New Zealand expressions ified for the Super Six stage weretakingonahintof anxiety. and left West Indies, instead, By the interval New Zealand as another high-profile side to were 33 for two off five overs make an early exit from the and Matthew Hart, a bowler competition. asked to open the batting in his In defeating West Indies at first serious knock for two Old Trafford 24 hours earlier, months, had predictably made Australiahadblockedthrough nought. Composure was in the final hour in order to do short supply, minimal damage to their op- They survived primarily ponents' run rate.

They knew through a big-hearted, if fortu- that if West Indies qualified in- nate, half-century from Roger stead of New Zealand, they Twose, who survived three themselves would carry two chances, including a simple of- points into the World Cup's fering to James Brinkley at second stage. It was a perfectly short extra, in making 54 not legitimate tactic but was not out from 49 balls. Twose's designed to enhance cross- cousin, Eddie the Cushion Tasman relations. Hirer, pronounced himself so But the Scots were incapable agitated that he could not sit of following up the challenge down, which was not much of that Australian scheming laid an advert for the quality of his down. New Zealand, after dis- products, missing Scotland for 121, had Chris Cairns finished things to achieve victory within 21.2 off by flipping Hamilton over overs to qualify, a testing task square they achieved with six wickets embraced Twose in mid-pitch, and 27balls intact.

perhaps hopingthatsome luck New Zealand, by virtue of would rub off. their defeat of Australia in "We have had a fantastic Cardiff, will carry two points adventure," said Love. "Now we forward to the Super Six; the have to take stock. We need Australians, who lost both money to help our develop- matches against fellow quali- ment or we will stagnate." A fiers, take none at all. new 3.3m indoor school is the This game within a game first sign of an optimistic fu- placed added stress on New ture.

Zealand and offered Scotland their best opportunity of a World Cup victory. But their Scotland top-order batting again proved smith cCaimsb Nash i brittle and supporters were left (if baiw to draw consolation from the wintfi i token fact that they had sur- vived in the competition 24 1 hours longer than England. oKtfSffibiiiiB Gavin Hamilton, the Anglo- (49 baiis, 2 fours, 71 mins) Scot, is another source of pride. i'stangeY FierningTcairns 27 That he made 23 more runs (5abaiis. ifaur.

7i mins) than any England batsman has 'Brinkioy parbVe wioti" 0 not gone unnoticed. "I hope that we lose him to England," 10 said Scotland's director of ftfowibitorii cricket Jim Love. "He deserves (48 bails, 3 fours, 61 mins) the chance to play for England. 0 He has been a fantastic influ- mi ence in our dressing-room. He Aim Butte imseb Harris 10 is a success story for Scottish rrirkpt" Dyer not out 2 ltiuwi.

(8bals) New Zealand supporters jiibiib7wi3nb3i vented abuse at Australia Total (42.1 overs) 121 during the victory formalities Fail: 2, 11, 12, 66, 68, 68, 100, 100, 110. in front of the Raeburn Place 6-0-31-0; Cairns 8-0-26-1; Aslle pavilion, but there was no 5-1-18-1; Hams 3.1-0-7-4. condemnation of Aussie artifice from the professionals, new Zealand Stephen Fleming, New MHartbBiain 0 Zealand's captain, stressed: "I NAstlec Davies bBlain 11 could understand what the (10 ballSi (ouri 10 mins) Aussies were doing. In their position We WOUld have done the same. The rules allowed Rtwosonot'out 54 them little alternative and need changing." 7 Hemingpnoritywawin a- the toss, which, once achieved, four siXi 18mins) brought the usual rush of Scot- Mftiib'z'wSnM')' 12 tish wickets against the new TotaidoM, 17.5 overs) 123 ball.

Hamilton and Ian Stanger Fail: 0, 19, si, 92. frayed Kiwi nerves with a half- nb5 ta Parare, ii. Harris, Nash. century stand for the fourth Bow1ng. Blain 70533.

5.0-33-0; wicket, but once Hamilton Hamilton 5.5-0-34-1. holed OUt at mid-On resistance Umplrei: li Koerfeen and I Robinson. faltered New Zea'and won by Up for It Graham Taylor and Martin Thorpe at Wembley Bolton Wanderers 0 Watford 2 Wright 38, Smart 89 The man they named after a vegetable planted himself back into the national consciousness yesterday as his remarkable Watford side won themselves an unlikely place in the Premiership at the expense of Bolton. Time will tell whether this nam proud and decent man was sent packing. It was never in doubt that he was a good manager, just out of his depth at that level.

So after being sacked by Wolves he came home for a cuddle. And yesterday, as he took his 700,000 team on their many laps of honour, Watford's fans embraced him with a glowing affection that went a long way to healing the hurt of his public club of limited playing talents and finances will last longer than a season in the hothouse, but for now Graham Taylor can be excused time to wallow in the sense of satisfaction he must feel at once again being lionised at Wembley and finally proving his critics wrong. The last time he trod the famous turf was six years ago, the final game of his embarrassing spell in charge of England. The nation laughed as a "When I looked around and saw half of Wembley filled with Watford supporters," he said, "that is a picture I will treasure all my life. They were in heaven." Afterwards Taylor refused to indulge in triumphant point-scoring over his personal hell, and instead it took his old friend and chairman Elton John to rewrite the Turnip headline.

"More than anything I'm happy for you," the singer told his manager on a transatlantic link-up. 'You are an incredible part of my life. I told you when you came back you were coming home. Without doubt you are one of the best managers to grace the English game." It is 11 years since Watford were in the top division, guided there by Taylor during his first spell in charge when he took the club from the Fourth Division to the old First in four years. This time Watford's rise has been as direct as their football, having left the Second Division only last season.

But one fears, for their safety at such a high altitude. Yesterday's game exposed them as a very average side. The people cheering this result as much as Watford's supporters are surely to be found at the likes of Southampton and Coventry, who can see one less relegation place to worry about. Bolton were the more accomplished side, passing the ball with a cultured ease as they sought a return to the Premiership for the third time in five seasons. But the string on the yo-yo was broken by Watford's incisive finishing and demonic commitment.

Nowhere was that seen more than in the performance of the ginger winger Nick Wright, who brought the game to life after 37 minutes when he put Watford ahead. Until then Bolton had looked the more likely scorers. Alec Chamberlain saved well from Bob Taylor, Michael Jo-hansen shot wide, Eidur Gud-johnsen missed a sitter from 12 yards and then saw Chamberlain deny him with a brilliant save. Watford's main threat came from Peter Kennedy's whipped crosses and corners from the left. And it was from one of these dead-ball kicks that Watford went ahead.

The corner was cleared by Andy Todd but fell only to Wright who, with his back to goal, executed an overhead kick which looped over the keeper and two defenders on the line. It was Watford's best chance to that point, but they took it. Unlike Bolton who, again in the second half, threatened without scoring. And as Bolton pressed late for an equaliser, Watford lurked dangerously on the break. Two minutes from time Scott Sellars was dispossessed near halfway and Watford launched a counterattack which ended with the substitute Allan Smart sealing victory with a shot from 17 yards.

Bolton, 12m in debt, are now left wondering if they can hold on to their better players. Watford, meanwhile, are left wondering whether they can hold on to their superior status. Bolton Wanderers (4-4-21: Banks; Cox, Todd, Fish, Elliott; Johansen (Sellars, 65min), Jensen, Frandsen, Gardner; Taylor, Gudjohnsen. Watford (4-3-3): Chamberlain; Bazeley, Palmer, Page, Robinson; Hyde, Johnson, Kennedy; Wright (Hazan, 861, Mooney, Ngonge (Smart, 74). Referee: Heilbron (Newton Aycliffe).

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47,500 Tuesday June 1 1999. Registered as a newspaper at the Post Office ISSN 0261-3077..