VICTORY AGAIN.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 136, 11 June 1927, Page 9

VICTORY AGAIN.

WORCESTER BEATEN. N.Z. Cricketers Beat the Sauce County by 194. COUNTY MEN TEASED OUT. (By Cable.—Press Association.—Copyright.) (Received 8..").") a.m.) LOXDOX, June 10. The Xew Zealand cricketers dismissed Worcestershire County team in the latter's second innings for 200 runs and won the match by 194 runs. The defeat of Worcester is considered an excellent performance, for the Xew Zealand eleven played like a team which considered itself the better side and never allowed momentarv discomforts to upset that belief. Fox played cautiously, but Tarbox batted spiritedly, otherwise the match would have ended before lunch. Lowry's policy plainly was to entice the batsmen to get themselves out. He seemed to have told Merritt to persevere in pitching the ball up. Thus lnbowled him for 105 minutes continuously but failed to get the wicket, thouir'n Merritt succeeded when tried again just before lunch. Merritt puzzled King immensely, but Fox and Tarbox were comparatively comfortable to him. King was run out unluckily. He drove Merritt hard and nit the stumps but did not see the ball stop and was easily run out. James, who kept wickets excellentlv throughout, caught Fox magnificentlv on the leg side. Ihe wicket played beautifullv and the local bowling club used the outfield each evening when stumps were drawn fur playing bawls. XEW ZEALAXD. First innings 27t; Second innings (.3 wickets, declared) WORCESTERSHIRE. First innings 222 Second Innings. Wright, st James, b Merritt 2 Gibbons, lbw, b Merritt 17 King, run out \ \ 2S Fox, c James, b McGirr 79 Tarbox, c Jaines, b McGirr 3:, Spencer, b McGirr [[['_ 2 Shakespeare, b McGirr ''.. Coventry, c Henderson, b Alleott ... lr, Foster, not out Garratt, c Mills, b Merritt .'...'... i j Price, c Alleott, b Merritt ' ,1 Extras j 7 Total 200 Bowling: McGirr took four wickets for 62 runs, Henderson none for 20, Merritt four for 75, Lowry none for 13, Alleott one for S, Bernau none for 13. THE NORTHAMPTONSHIRE MATCH. To-day, Monday and Tuesday the Xew Zealanders will try conclusions with Northamptonshire, which countv stood one place higher than Worcestershire in last season's championship. The visitors may therefore be considered to have a fair chance of winning, bearing in mind their good performance against the latter count v.

Against the Australians at Northampton, at the end of last June, in perfect weather, and before good attendances, but weakened by the absence of V. W. C. •Jupp and A. E. Thomas through injuries, the county suffered an overwhelming defeat by an innings and 147 runs. E. C. Clark, their fast left-hand bowler, did very well at the beginning of the Australians' innings and dismissed Woodfull (2), Macartney (42), and Andrews (11), but his efforts combined with the bowling of J. H. Nicholson, V. Murdin. C. N. Woolley and F. Walden could not keep the Aussies' total below 397. Northants could only notch 125 in each innings against the* slow bowling of Mai ley and Grimmett. the most success ful batsmen being A. P. R. Hawtin, with 29 and 34.

This season the county has beaten Worcestershire and Glamorgan, but has lost to Kent, Warwickshire, Yorkshire and Leicestershire. Clarke and Jupp, both of whom obtained over 100 wickets at a cost of a fraction over IS runs each last season, are again bowling well, and the latter and Hawtin have scored centuries.

Clark, who is a tall left-hander with an easy action, bowls faster than medium, and makes the ball come off the ground with plenty of life. His command of the ball has greatlv improved since he first played for the county in 1024, and judging by his performances this season, viz., live for 13 v. Kent, five for 42, and five for 20 against Glamorgan, he is likely to become one of England's best bowlers.

.Tupp, who has played for England, bats with great skill and courage, and as a bowler is somewhat unique in that he can bowl with pace and finger-spin on a fast wicket, and slow breaks of good length on a soft or treacherous pitch.

Xorthants' bowling, all round, proved far better than their bating last season. W. W. Timms and : V. \V. C'. Jupp being the only ones to average over 30, and they, and F. Walden, the only batsmen to rcach the coveted century.

For the New Zealand match the county lias many players to draw upon, but if they field their best suit? it will probably be selected from: -T. M. Fitzrov (captain and a very hard-hitter). V. W. C. •Tupp, K. C. Clark. B. Bellamy (wicketkeeper). W. W. Timms. J. E. Timms. C. X. Woollev, H. F. Bagnall, F. Walden, another bitr hitter. A" E. Thomas, V. ♦ lurdin, J. H. Nicholson, A. P. R. Hawtin and A. C. L. Wills. It fc not likely that either P. A. or P. L. Wright will be available. Xortliants plav their home matches on the countv grounds at Northampton and Kettering, the latter having been chosen for the New Zealand match. Kettering is about 10 miles from Northampton and eight miles from \\ eliinsbrousrh. At the last-named town resides Auckland's old cricket and Rugb} captain, W. W. Robinson, now 78 years old, but very keen to watch the New Zealand boys play at Kettering. He is an old boy "of Wellingborough Grammar School, where he has done much cricket coaching, and whence have come many <rood cricketers, including W. E. Hazel ton, the Bucks all-rounder, who bowled so well against New Zealand recently at Ealing.