CRICKET

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 70, Issue 120, 6 March 1950, Page 5

CRICKET

CANTERBURY BEATEN AUSTRALIA’S EASY WIN (P.A.) CHRISTCHURCH, March 5. Canterbury lost a rare opportunity of giving the visiting Australian cricketers the tight of their lives at Lancaster Park on Saturday, and were beaten, with a full day .to spare, by 10 wickets. At 12.20_p.m., after 50 minutes’ play, Australia had lost eight wickets for 115 runs, and was still 28 runs behind Canterbury’s first innings score; at 4.45 p.m. the Australians had established a first innings lead of 67 runs and dismissed the pick of Canterbury cricketers for 96. It was a change of fortunes typical of post-war Australian cricket, but the game can have given the home team’s supporters little comfort, for Canterbury seemed to be beaten more by the reputation than the quality of the opposition. Just as on the first day the Canterbury all-rounded, A. R. Mac Gibbon, had dominated the play, so on Saturday the Australian, L. Johnson, held the centre of the stage. He scored 61 in an hour and then in a spell of eight overs took five wickets for seven runs. It was a fine performance, but he was perhaps assisted in it by some particularly irresolute batting. It took Australia a full hour to score the 30 runs needed, and, although the large crowd was reasonably patient, Australian cricket could have won few friends with such a ponderous performance. The gate takings on Saturday were £lOlO, making a total of £1417 for the two days the game lasted.

TEST AT DUNEDIN NEW ZEALAND TEAM CHOSEN (P.A.) CHRISTCHURCH, Mar. 5. ' The New Zealand cricket team to play Australia in the unofficial test match at Dunedin, beginning on March 17, was announced this evening by the isecretary,of the New Zealand Cricket Council ((Mr E. E. Luttrell). Twelve players have been chosen, and the twelfth man will be named on the morning of the match. The names are: —T. B. Burtt (Canterbury), G. F. Cresswell (Wellington), W. A. Hadlee (Canterbury), A. R. Mac Gibbon (Canterbury), N. A. McMahon (Waikato), F. 11. L. Mooney (Wellington), G. W F. Overton (Otago),- G. O. Rabone (Wellington), J. R. Reid (Wellington), V. J. Scott (Auckand), B. Sutcliffe (Otago), W. M. Wallace (Auckand). The management committee of the council has appointed Hadlee captain and Wallace vice-captain.