N.Z. BATSMEN FAIL

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 26985, 10 March 1953, Page 10

N.Z. BATSMEN FAIL

CRICKET

Follow-On Against South Africa 294 RUNS BEHIND; EIGHT WICKETS IN HAND (From. Our Own Reporter) WELLINGTON, March 9. The loss of 11 wickets for 150 runs in 330 minutes during the third day of the first test with South Africa at the Basin Reserve today cost New Zealand most of the cricketing prestige it had left after the match against the West Indies at Auckland last season. Tomorrow,.if New Zealand is to struggle through to a draw, most of the batsmen will have to show a vast improvement on their performances today. New Zealand, 80 for one wicket when play was resumed, was all out before tea for 172, and two more wickets were lost for 58 runs in the second innings, South Africa having scored 524 for eight wickets declared.

New Zealand’s performance, damaging as it was, was not quite as feeble as the cold figures might suggest. For most of the match the team has been completely outplayed, but it is not unfair to suggest that the loss of the toss has exaggerated the difference between the teams. South Africa batted on a pitch which offered the batsmen runs by the hundred, but when New Zealand’s innings began late on the second day the pitch took spin for the first time, and today it was definitely in favour of South Africa.

The swing bowlers, assisted today by a strong north-west wind, made the ball move late, and they were often able to extract enough lift to demand really sound defensive batting. H. J. Tayfield made his off-breaks bite and lift, and by afternoon he was turning the ball a good 18 inches and turning it very quickly. The bowling was good, but the batting nevertheless was more than disappointing. •

There was an attendance of about 6000, and the gate takings were £lOOB, making a total of £4379 for the three days. To this total £320 paid for reservations will be added tomorrow’.

The only satisfaction New Zealand could derive from the day's play was purely on a domestic plane. The New Zealand opening batsman, B. Sutcliffe, added only five runs to his not out score of 57, and he was out for 33 in the second innings, but he took his career aggregate to 7794, beating R. C. Blunt’s record, and he became the first New Zealand cricketer to make 800 runs in first-class games in one home season. He is now only 35 runs short of Victor Trumper’s 1913-14 record foa a New Zealand season. The New Zealand first innings, in which today nine wickets were lost for 92 in 224 minutes, was a depressing affair. A. R. A. Murray, bowling into the wind, moved the ball enough and late enough to worry the best of batsmen during a long and accurate spell, but the New Zealand batting lacked sufficient resources and determination to meet undoubtedly a difficult situation. Sutcliffe took the best part of a bad hour to make five runs, and although there were two later partnerships which lasted more than an hour each, the team never looked likely to recover fromxhis loss. In the second innings, J. G. Leggat i batted in his own phlegmatic fashion, and I on the occasion his strict regard for defence was most commendable. New Zea- ■ land was so far behind on the first innings that there was no prospect of making the South Africans bat again. The only possible policy was defence, provided Sufficient scoring was done to keep the field at a respqptful distance. Leggat, looking as if he bad a 99-year lease on the pitch, did well to counter Tfiyfield and Murray fiom the tea interval until the k close of Play. In the morning. F. E. Fisher, sent in on Saturday evening to hold a very vulnerable fort, diverted attention Jrom the serious nature, of the proceedings by scoring five successive singles to fine leg, not all of them by design. Murray often made him gdess and grope, but he exceeded expectations and his strict duty by staying half an hour. Wallace IU at Ease

Sutcliffe, held tight in the South Africans’ clutches, was joined by the New Zealand captain, W. M. Wallace, who was distressingly ill at ease. E. Fuller helped him by bowling an over in which. only one ball demanded that a stroke be made, but Wallace did not last long. One of the : few stylish batsmen left in an impoverished cricket country, Wallace fell from grace by attempting a drive off Murray, and somehow translating the ball to backwars square leg. It was like a announcer bereft of his aspirates, and ■Wallace was dismissed, with the following ball. Again he attempted a drive, but it v. as badly made, and he gave the wicket - keener, J. H. Waite, a verv easy catch. Ohly five runs later Sutcliffe, imprisoned by bowlers in a fashion foreign to him, tried to hook a short one from J. C. Watkins, but did not get properly into position, and D. J. McGlew. running hard from backward square leg, was able to get under the ball, steady himself, and take a good catch, an accomplishment he greeted *.’ith a delighted Nijittsky-like leap into the air. New Zealand had then lost four wickets for 98, but the Taranaki batsmen, L. S. M. Miller and E. Meuli, saw out the hour to lunch, although both were heavy with doubt time after time. Miller began his innings with a confident drive into the covers, and often his forward defensive stroke made his bdt look of a more than adequate width, but just as frequently he was made to miss very badly, and when the ball was pitched on or about the off stump, he looked to be in extreme peril. Cheetham’s Firm Hold Meuli was perhaps a little sounder, but he, too. was often in trouble, and his cares were not decreased by the South African

captain, J. E. Cheetham. taking the new ball at 107. In this manner, and with his field placmgs throughout the day, Cheetham kept a firm pressure on the batsmen, and they writhed under it. When Slay had been in progress for 90 minutes ew Zealand had scored 27 and lost three wickets, hardly a profitable morning's i work, but Miller, for several overs unable to get his bat to E. Fuller, turned him very neatly to mid-wicket for 3. and | when six came from one of Fuller's later - overs it seemed a dizzy pace. The batsmen were still there at luncn with the score 122, and that they survived in spite of their miss-shots and mishaps argued courage above the average. Even the presence in the stand of the noted English comedian. Tommy Trinder, did nothing to ease the tension. Miller and Meuli Caught When New Zealand resumed its innings Miller was soon out. He pushed forward at Tayfield and presented W. R. Endean, at silly mid-off, with a very easy catch. A few minutes later Endean took another catch to dismiss Meuli, to make New Zealand's score 131 for six. Meuli followed an in-s Winger round outside the leg stump, and Endean, at leg slip, dived to his right to take the ball. Meuli, more than any of the others, had shown an aptitude for driving, and although his innings could not be described as sound, it left a handful of handsome strokes behind it. Murray twice appealed dramatically for leg before wicket against Mooney without success, but when the batsmen changed ends—an occurrence rare enough during the day to be remembered—J. R. Reid was badly beaten and bowled. After Moir, attempting a second run from some misfielding, had been run out. New Zealand had lost four of its best batsmen, and it was left to T. B. Burtt j to stage with Mooney the second of the i brief defensive skirmishes which relieved I the New Zealand innings from a com—l plete rout. Burtt inspected the bow-ling critically for half an hour, and then de-1 cided it could be made to yield runs. He ' produced his chop stroke and cheered the i spectators by using it deftly. Mooney, alinough he should twice have j been stumped by Waite off Tayfield. drove ' veil and once or twice used the prettiest of leg glances. His errors were only occasional, and tore than "lost of the others he looked as if he thought he could hold the innings together. When Fuller came back, however, he dismissed Burtt, who had breathed defiance for 67 minutes, and R. W. Blair was cut first ball. Murray’s Bowling Murray, with his lift and iate swing, I which sometimes left the batsman helpless. was the best of the South African 1 bowlers today. He did not bowl a loose i ball. He kept it up to the batsmen, I and his good figures were no more than a just reward for clever and persistent; bowling. In his long spell after lunch, he bowled 14 overs for 1J runs and two •wickets, and he was assisted materially bv Tayfield, who gave away only 16 runs In 16 overs, and dismissed Miller. Watkins did not look as likely as the others

to take wickets, but the batsmen were*" seldom able to get him through the field* Sutcliffe and Leggat opened New • Zealand’s second innings with a deficit comparable to the New Zealand debt. Sutcliffe from minute to minute delighted and alarmed the spectators, for-whom his dismissal means that half the enjoyment ol the, day is gone. Sometimes he made strokes of fluent grace, which fired the imagination, sometimes he defended nobly, but sometimes he hit across the ball with a wanton disregard for the situation in. which his team was placed. In his 33 runs he made 24 in boundaries, and most of the fours were lovely hits, but finally he flung his head back and hit all over a bail from Murray, arid New Zealand had lost a good half of its chance of a secund innings score which would give some room for comfort.

Wallace was again badly out of touch, but Meuli at the end looked the part, and Leggat' played very skilfully. He countered Tayfield by taking guard sjx inches or so outside his leg stump and dropping a very dead bat on the turning ball. Two or three times he fluttered the covey of short legs with a powerful sweep, shot off Tavfield. Tomorrow New Zealand’s best prospects of a draw will probably depend on Leggat. In his hour and three-quarters’ batting so far he has given no hint that the South Africans are anything more than another set of bowlers, and it was diverting to see when he batting with Sutcliffe that it was Sutcliffe nodding agreeiment at the ejd of each of their many ! conferences. It was, however, a bad day for New I Zealand cricket. -Tomorrow it is expected ithat the pitch, after being brushed, will (play more easily for a time, but in the s afternoon, if not earlier, the New Zea- : land batsmen will be fighting for their lives. Scores SOUTH AFRICA j First innings, for eight wickets dec. 524 NEW ZEALAND First Innings \ 18. Sutcliffe, c McGlew, b Watkins .. 62 ;J. G. Leggat, c Fuller, b Tayfield .. 22 F. E. Fisher, b Fuller .. 9 W. M. Wallace, c Waite, b Murray .. 4 E. M. Meuli, c Endean. b Murray .. 15 L. S. M. Miller, c Endean, b Tayfield .. 17' J. R. Reid, b Murray 1 F. L. H. Mooney, not out .. 27 A. M. Moir, run out .. .. 1 T. B. Burtt, lbw, b Fuller .. ... 10 R. W. Blair, b Fuller .. 0 Extras (byes 3, no-ball 1) , ... 4 Total .. 172 Fall of wickets: one for 71, two for 91, three for 96, four for 98, five for 127, six for 131, seven for 134, eight for 135, nine for 172, 10 for 172.

Second Innings B Sutcliffe, b Murray .. .. 33 J G. Leggat, not out .. .. 13 W M. Wallace, o Tayfield .. .. 2 E. M. Meuli, not out .. .. 6 Extras (byes 4) .. .. .. 4 Total for two wickets .. .58 Fall of wickets: one for 43, two for 46.

ANNUAL SCHOOL MATCH x CHRISTCHURCH PLAYS WAITAKI Waitaki BoyS’ High School made a good start against Christchurch Bbys' x ’ High School in the annual cricket match between the two schools at Straven road yesterday. Waitaki, at lunch, had scored 144 runs for three wickets, and appeared set for a good score, . but after the luncheon adjournment lost six wickets for only 24 runs. At stumps, Christchurch had lost two wickets for 141 runs, with the captain, B Bolton 81 not,out. Both P. Wright, opening batsman, and J. Lindsay, first wicket down, scored well for Waitaki. Wright scored. 33 before being well stumped by K. Jury off Bol-ton’s-bowling. With him in, a sound partnership. Lindsay scored freely' on both sides of the wicket before being bowled by the Christchurch medium-fast bowler, T W. Kirk. Kirk and- F. Rapley took the remaining six Waitaki wickets between them after the adjournment. Rapley, who bowls leg spinners, was brought on after lunch, and he and Kirk proved an ideal combination. Rapley struck a length immediately, and troubled the remaining batsmen. The wicket had been previously easy paced, but Rapley managed to get some work on the ball. His figures were three wickets for eight runs from 9.6 overs. j Christchurch opened its first innings i with a good partnership between Bolton and J. D. Capstick, with Bolton doing 1 nearly ail the scoring. With the total |a<. 56 for one wicket, Bolton had scored 145 runs. B. M. J. Direen joined Bolton j and settled in immediately. He scored :38 before being bowled oy Austin, who . took both the Christchurch wickets. The match will be continued today. ’ Scores:— WAITAKJ BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL First Innings P Wright, st Jury, b Bolton .. 33 H K. Blaikie. c Dineen, b Kirk .. 8 J. Lindsay, b Kirk .. .. 69 G Loe, c Barnes, b Bolton .. .. 17 M Brinsley, lbw., b Kirk .. ..25 G. K. Austin, lbw. b Kirk .. .. 5 ■ K Murray, b Kirk .. 0 I D D. MacDonald, lbw, b Rapley .. 0 i E Freeman, c Bolton, b Rapley .. 0 |D F. McDonald, c Kirk, b Rapley .. 2 ■ C T. Preston, not out .. .. 1 I Extras .. .. .. 8 Total .. ..IS I Bowling.—T. W. Kirk, 14 overs. 5 1 maidens, 18 runs, 5 wickets; K. M. Burnett. 16. 4. 47. 0; J. Kent. 8. 2. 28. 0. E. i Barnes. 8. 0. 30. 0; B. Bolton, 16 4, 29, 2; ' K Newton, 1,0, 1,0; F. Rapley, 9.6, 5, i 1 8, 3.

CHRISTCHURCH BOYS' HIGH SCHOOL First Innings B. Bolton not out >.. .. 81 J. D. Capstick, c and b Austin .. ‘9 i B._M. J, Dineen, c McDonald, b Austin 38 I D. V. Spicer, not out .. .. .. 2 Extras .. .. 11 ' Total for two wickets .. 141 Bowling.—D. F. McDonald, 5 overs, I i maiden, 7 runs, 0 wickets; G. K. Austin, ■ 27, 5, 55,• 2; C. T. Preston, 8,3, 32, 0: . K Murray, 12, 1, 28, 0; B. Freeman. 3. [ 0, 10, 0. SECOND ELEVENS’ MATCH I Christchurch Boys’ Hign ’ School beat ■ Waitaki Boys’ High School in the second • elevens’ match by an innings and 111 runs. Christchurch batted first and made ' 224 runs. Waitaki in the first innings , scored only 59 runs, mainly because of the fine bowling by M. A. Sandelin, who . took seven wickets for 13 runs in eight I overs. Waitaki batted again and scored • 54 runs. Sandelin igain bowled well and ■ took six wickets for nine runs in 11 overs. Scores :-ri Christchurch Boys’ High School 224 1 (J. N. Creighton 55, including 13 fours, , R. J. Conway 35, A. A. Pearce 26, and D. L. Shepherd 25. Bowling: A. R. f Barker five for 45, R. H. White four for • 73. K. M. Stevens one for 27, and J. W. > Smith none for 18). Waitaki Boys’ High School 59 (W. G. ■ Draper 30, Chapman 6, G. R. Price 6. ■ Bowling: Sandelin seven for 13, D. Gallop ■ two for 9, R. V. Thompson one for 16). ' Second innings 59 (Draper 15, Price 12, L. : Burt 9. Bowling:, Sandelin six for 9, ; Gallop one for 18. B. Pankhurst one for > 5. and J- Creighton one for 0). ' . MALVERN TEAM , The following have been selected to i represent Malvern in a representative I match against North Canterbury at Darfield on Saturday, March 14, at 10.30 a.m.: I A. F. Wright (capfain), K. H. Jarman,'E. H. M. Richards, G. T. Wright. R. E. Gunn, C. Price; B. Ridgen, D. S. Gunn, N. Q. Wright, J. G. Gunn, and R. Stuart. Advt. BANKS PENINSULA COMPETITION Akaroa (195 and 141 for four wickets) beat United Bays (92) on the first innings when the Banks Peninsula ver- ; icks Cup cricket competition was con- ; tinued at the week-end. In a game postponed from a fortnight ago, Kaituna (119) . beat United Bays (72). ? Akaroa put on 80 runs in the first 26 minutes of their match with Utiited Bays, the best scorers being T. Haley (67), P. j Prendergast (48). and J. Densem (20). For > Bays, A. Doak was best scorer (25 not 1 out). Bowling for Akaroa, Haley took six j wickets for 45 and W. Ditford one for 24. For United Bays. B. Fleming took 1 three for 46 and G. Moore four for 39. - P; Bayley (24) was top-scorer for Kaituna, and for Bays T. Morten made 39. For Kaituna R. Allen took five wickets for • 30 and D. Turner one for 10, and for Bays A. Doak took one for 19 and Morten two for 23.

BOWLING O. M. R. W. E. R. H. Fuller .. 19.4 7 29 3 J. C. Watkins .. 27 17 29 1 H. J. Tayfield .. 38 15 53 2 P. N. Mansell * .. 11 3 27 0 A. R. A. Murray .. 28. 15 ‘ 30 3

BOWLING ' O. M. R. W. E. R. H. Fuller ..6 0 12 0 J. C. Watkins 8 4 11 0 H. J. Tayfield .9 5 10 1 A. R. A. Murray ..10 5 IS 1 P. N. Mansell 3*1 5 0