"HOW'S THAT?"

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 117, 20 May 1931, Page 6

"HOW'S THAT?"

A gasp of surprise and delight has gone up from New Zealand to-day, and for a little while many men (women, of course, take but little interest in cricket) have forgotten the iron face of the time. On the historic ground of Lord's the New Zealand cricket team has crushingly defeated a strong M.C.C. side, dismissing them for 48 runs in the second innings. "Where are your All Blacks now?" one can imagine an enthusiastic cricketer asking. It is true we had all' the best of the luck in this match, batting on an easy and attacking on a difficult wicket, but to rout so strong a side was a fine performance. The outstanding fact is that our bowlers were able, like bowlers of old, to make full use of such an opportunity. This generation is so accustomed to huge scoring in international cricket that it may be surprised to learn that in test matches there have been many totals o£ under a hundred. For instance, on an English wieket an Australian eleven that included Trumper, Duff, Hill, Gregory, Darling, Noble and Armstrong, was dismissed for 36, of which Trumper made 18. The bowling, helped by the state of the wicket, was completely master of the situation, and so it was at Lord's yesterday. Our bowlers knew how to push home their advantage, and the team, remembering perhaps the dropped catches of 1927, supported them brilliantly. More than any previous success this puts New Zealand cricket on the map.