CRICKET WEST INDIES FORCES N.Z. TO FOLLOW ON

Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26659, 19 February 1952, Page 8

CRICKET WEST INDIES FORCES N.Z. TO FOLLOW ON

The teams are:— » West Indies: J. D. Goddard (captain), J. B. Stollmeyer, F. Worrell, E. D. Weekes, C. L. Walcott ,R. Marlhall, A. F. Rae, S. Guillen, D. Atkinson, A. L. Valentine, and S. Ramadhin. New Zealand: B. Sutcliffe (captain). D. D. Beard, T. B. Burtt, J. G. Leggat, R. W. G. Emery. F. L. H. Mooney, A. M. Moir, J. A. Hayes, J. R. Reid, G. O. Rabone, and V. J. Scott. New Zealand’s scores of 160 and 17 for one wicket were anything but impressive. Not all the runs which could have been made were taken, however, and for the best of reasons. During the Moir-Scott partnership there was a particularly interesting . struggle, the batsmen trying Sard to stay at the ends which suited them best, and several singles were refused. After Moir left the innings collapsed. The last four wickets fell in 10 minutes, and batsmen came and went with a haste which suggested the pavilion might be improved by the provision of revolving doors. Scott’s 84 is his highest score in test cricket, and only the 60 he made at Wellington against England last year—in very different circumstances—could rival it for sheer value. He played only one unsound stroke before he got out, and his whole attitude was one of uncompromising defiance. Only two balls had been bowled at the start of the innihgs before he came in. and the last wicket fell 10 minutes after bis departure. Between these times he put a lock on one end of the pitch which not even the skilful fingers of Ramadhin and Valentine could pick. Although he was all obstinacy throughout his innings he did not make the mistake of refusing runs merely for the sake of refusing them and thereby allowing the bowlers to assume an even greater superiority than the state of the game had already given them. He drove quite regularly but in perfect safety, and from time to tune he guided one through the cover field to the boundary—reminders that it was still a battle and not a mercy killing. Scott Keeps strike Scott was particularly skilful at keeping Moir away from the strike before lunch, a half-hour in which the cricket was particularly good on both sides. Scott may look ungraceful, and he may not comply with aU the edicts of the cricket wise, but courage, skill, and cricket sense are his In full measure. Moir, too, earned full marks for his determination and for staying with Scott so long. Moir instinctively prefers to hit hard, but he kept his aggressive impulses tightly under control. Before lunch his bat and the ball were often . strangers, and had he not. had Scott’s assistance in keeping him away from Valentine he might well have lost his wicket in that period. After the interval he was much happier, getting the middle of his bat to the ball, and the new ball did not trouble him unduly. -His was a good effort, and the 20 runs with which he is credited do not do him justice. At the start of the day Rabone looked likely to keep Scott company for a very long time: He batted a further 45 minutes, and although he added only five to his score, he looked reasonably sure of himself. Mooney also started well, using his feet confidently, but he was out to a very poor stroke. Beard, limping badly, was sadly handicapped, but he struck one gallant blow, a four off Valentine, and only his inability to use his feet lost him his wicket. - In neither test has a bowler been as accurate as Valentine was this morning. He conceded only one single in his first 13 overs, and then the sequence of maidens was broken by Scott snicking him luckily through the slips at a catchable height. Valentine turned the ball and kept in on the spot with what must have been to the batsmen a most maddening accuracy. Few bowlers turn the ball as abruptly as Valentine can, yet he has the precise control of length and’direction of a Verity. Ramadhin took three wickets, but he did not look as hard to play'as Valentine. He turned the ball, but only a little, and he, too, maintained an excellent length. Valentine, as no doubt has happened before, probably helped Ramadhin to his successes. Atkinson, who bowls a little above medium pace right hand, looked quite ordinary for overs at a time, but he has the ability, no matter what the state of the pitch may be, of making an occasional ball do something really unexpected. Scott, for instance, who had remembered to get right in behind the ball, nearly had his cap knocked off by one which really flew. Stoilmeyer’s Success The success of the day for the West Indies, was, however. Stollmeyer. who took tile wickets of Rabone and Mooney when New Zealand really seemed to be on the way to saving the match. Stollmeyer seldom bowls, and to-day’s overs were his first in a test, but during the Australian tour he nearly always had the happy knack, according to his team mates, of breaking an awkward partnership. Again, according to reports, Stollmeyer usually achieves his success with long hops or full tosses, but to-day he took Rabone’* wicket with one which not only pitched well up but turned in a little and then conveniently failed to rise more than about an inch. It hit the base of the leg stump, and Stollmeyer accepted the congratulations of his companions with a becoming modesty. A little later he doubled his test aggregate with a full toss which Mooney hit straight to cover, the ball disappearing in Walcott’s ample hands. It may be difficult for Goddard to induce Stollmeyer to bowl again in the remaining matches. Heavy rain overnight made the outfield slow for the start of play, and the ground on either side of the pitch was very greasy. Valentine picked up the ball and started bowling maiden overs, but Scott, who had made 41 on Saturday, hit Ramadhin firmly and convincingly through the covers for a four, to reach 50. Stollmeyer then enjoyed his moment of cricket history, and Moir joined Scott. With six wickets down and 10 hours' play remaining, he almost immediately earned the displeasure of some of the spectators by refusing a single which would have taken him to face Valentine. He preferred, with Scott’s obvious concurrence. to play Stoilmeyer’s full tosses, although he was so badly out of form that he could do no more than push them away like a disgruntled diner. The struggle went on. and an absorbing one it was, Scott looking after Moir like an anxious parent. A few minutes before lunch Scott cut one from Goddard, and the batsmen set off to run the three that were obviously there. Ramadhin. however, allowed the ball to roll over the boundary. 'Velantine immediately took over from gtoumeyer to have an over at Moir, but " T . “t* first time the batsman had all his and ha played out the

V. J. Scott Makes 84 In Total Of 160 ONE WICKET DOWN FOR 17 IN SECOND INNINGS \ —— — (From Out Own Reporter) AUCKLAND, February 18. The unyielding defence of V. J. Scott and the intervention of the weather have given New Zealand some hope of achieving an honourable draw in the second test against the West Indies at Eden Park. At the close of play to-day New Zealand has nine wickets intact in its second innings, and five hours and a half remain for play. To-day the pitch showed occasional signs of life, and for the first time since the match began there was some encouragement m it for the spin bowlers. It is still placid enough, however, to give the New Zealand batsmen more than a faint chance of seeing the last day through to its end. Scott played a magnificent and almost lone hand in New Zealand’s first innings. He batted for four hours and a quarter —all but 10 minutes of the innings—and made 84 in a total of 160. Seldom has he played a more valuable innings, and never has he given so freely of his courage and concentration. A. M. Moir stayed with him for an hour and a quarter, another most valuable contribution, but almost as useful to New Zealand were the 40 minutes lost through rain and the ending of play 70 minutes early because of the light.

over with reassuring confidence. It had been a trying half-hour for Moir, and when in the last lunch he turned one from Goddarel for four, he did it almost disbelievingly. Moir and Scott Go After lunch the pair went on steadily, wdth the West Indies still* making every effort to keep Moir facing the bowling. The new ball came and went, and it was Ramadhin who broke What had become an awkward partnership for the visitors. Moir snicked one on to his stumps, and Scott's vigil ended almost immediately. He played quite a good on-drive to Valentine, but Stollmeyer, fielding close at silly mid-on, took a lovely catch about ankfe height. While Scott and Moir had been together the prospects of playing out time had seemed reasonable, but the innings was all over 18 minutes after Moir was out. New Zealand followed on 45 minutes before tea with a deficit of 386 runs and with eight and a quarter hours' play stretching before the batsmen. Leggat and Emery opened ‘ again, and it is more than suspected that the long hop Worrell sent Leggat as his first ball had some connexion with the fact that Leggat had failed to score in the first innings. He made the most of it. Emery was badly out of touch, and m the next half-hour simply clung on by his eyebrows. He was beaten very frequently, but when rain began to fall at 3.25 p.m. no wicket had been lost, and the score was nine. Play resumed an hour later, and Emery was still not at his best, and he lost his wicket with the total at 14 and the innings three-quarters of an hour old. It was a superb catch by Walcott, fielding a short mid-wicket. Emery hit the ball hard, but Walcott gathered it in very low and to his right. Sutcliffe was not in long before he consulted Goddard about the light, and the west Indies captain rather surprisingly agreed to an adjournment without the need for an appeal to the umpires. Play was not resumed. Leggat batted solidly for the best part of an hour, and if he can get a start tomorrow he should be very hard to shift. Much will depend on him and on Sutcliffe and Scott. It may not be the exciting finish New Zealand supporters fin£h d f ° r ’ ' 3Ut may be an exc ‘^ n 8 The gate takings for the day were £4OO. Scores:— WEST INDIES First Innings, for six wickets dec. 546 NEW ZEALAND First Innings J. G. Leggat, b'Worrell .. .. o R. W. G. Emery, c Guillen, b Atkinson 5 V. J. Scott, c Stollmeyer, b Valentine 84 B. Sutcliffe, c Worrell, b Ramadhin 20 J. R. Reid, st Guillen, b Valentine .. 6 G. O. Rabone, b Stollmeyer .. .. 9 F. L. H. Mooney, c Walcott, b Stollmeyer .. .. 6 A M. Moir, b Ramadhin .. ..20 T. B. Burtt, c Goddard, b Valentine 1 p. D. Beard, c Weekes, b Ramadhin 4 J. A. Hayes, not out .. .. 0 Extras .. .. ... 5 Total .. .. .. 160

MALVERN ASSOCIATION The following are results of matches played by teams of the Malvern Cricket Association last week-end:— Sheffield 112 for three wickets declared (G.T. Wright 38. O. Clarke 31 not out, N. Wnght 27, D. Deans 24 not out, B. Bishop two for 27, D. Gunn one for 37) beat Darfield 36 (D. Gunn 13, G. E. Wright four for 11, A. Wright four for 24, D. Deans one for 0) and 195 for seven wickets (R. Gunn 45) by 76 runs on the first innings. Hororata 196 (T. Richards 132 retired, N. Rothwell 22; G. Wilson one for 33) beat Coalgate 112 (R. Stuart not out 17, R. Nirnmo 17, G. Nimmo 11; T. Richards five for 42, N. Rothwell three for 18, R. Breese one for 9, D. Oliver one for 16) by 86 runs on the first innings. Greendale beat United by default. ELLESMERE SUB-ASSOCIATION Playing in the Ellesmere Cricket SubAssociation's competitions during the week-end, Weedons drew with Springston. Scores were:— Weedons 151 (C. Tilson 75, T. Watson 23, Campbell 14. Hulston 13; McGrath three for 42, Wilson two for 40, Cornish two for 43). Springston 129 for six wickets (Cornish 31. Manson 29. Wilson 24, McGrath 13, Tweedie 19; Wild one for 24, W. Wilson three for 23, T. Watson one for 5, Campbell one for 11).

Bowlins Worrell O. .. 12 M, 3 R. 20 W. 1 Atkinson .. 18 3 42 1 Valentine .. 34 21 29 3 Ramadhin .. 25 12 41 3 Stollmeyer .. 8 3 12 2 Goddard .. 2 0 11 0 Second Innings R. W. G. Emery, c Walcott, b Atkinson 8 J. G. Leggat, not out 6 B. Sutcliffe, not out 2 Extra •. 1 Total for 1 wicket 17 Bowling Worrell O. .. 9 M. 2 R. 12 W. o Atkinson .. 8 5 4 1 > •