DRAWN MATCH AT DURBAN

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27206, 25 November 1953, Page 11

DRAWN MATCH AT DURBAN

Last N.Z. Wickets Go Cheaply . (From the Special N.Z.P.A. Correspondent with the team) DURBAN, November 33. New Zealand lost seven wickets for 34 runs and considerable prestige when the match against Natal ended at Kingsmead today. After the magnificent effort of Reid and Miller,, who today took their fourth-wicket partnership to 254. and left only 39 runs to be made with six wickets in hand for a first innings lead, the New Zealand innings ended four runs behind Natal’s first innings total. Again the batting, if healthy enough on top, suffered from paralysis of the lower limbs. The day should have been memorable for the splendid batting of Reid, and the dogged defence of Miller, but the effect was completely spoiled by anaemic batting lower in the order. Tayfleld, taking six more wickets today for 46. certainly deserved to be treated with respect, but for all that there was a sorry lack of resolution among the batsmen. After the dismissal of New Zealand, there was little interest in the play. By the end of the day Natal had scored 114 for four wickets in 170 minutes and the match was, drawn. Most of the New Zealand batsmen, apart from Reid and Miller, got out to wretched strokes and batting of such poor quality that the fact that the total was the highest ever made by a New Zealand team against the South Africans passed unnoticed except by the most avid statisticians.

Tayfleld today had the assistance of a breeze which blew straight down the pitch, and into this he bowled very well indeed.

Reid was nearly always his master. Miller kept him at bay, but he was at the throats of the others as .soon as they came in. At some stages he had six fieldsmen grouped about the bat. He was able to turn the ball a little more sharply than on Saturday, but his threatening demeanour seemed to be his chief weapon. New Zealand’s 379 runs were made in 365 minutes, but the scoring rate, in spite of Reid’s brisk four-hour In- •* nines was below that of Natal, who made 383 in 375 minutes. New Zealand bowled only 82 overs in 10 minutes longer than It took Natal to bowl 110 overs.

The rest of the proceedings were almost entirely formal. The Natal battine was slow, and the New Zealand bowlers merely went through motions. The spectators periodically broke into slow clapping, possibly because the evening was unusually cool for Durban.

Goddard was run out through a fine pick-up and return by Rabone. McLean threw his wicket away, and Leggat took his first wicket of the tour. In the field New Zealand gave a better display, and Sutcliffe was outstanding. Scores were:— NEW ZEALAND First Innings ..379 NATAL First Innings, for 7 wickets doe. .. 383 Second Innings D. J. McGlew, not out .. ..88 T. Goddard, run out .. .. .. 89 H. J. Keith, c Mooney, b Dempster 7 A. R. McLean, b Leggatt .. .. t J. C. Watkins, c Sutcliffe, b Leggat 9 D. Napier, not ofit .. .. «« 3 Extra (bye J) .. ..114 Total for four wickets ~ 114 Fall of wickets: one for 74, two for 89, three for 99, four for 111. Bowling: Blair, 4 overs. 0 maidens, 18 runs, 0 wickets; Mac Gibbon, 4. 1, 10, 0; Overton, 4,1, 13. 0; Dempster, 17, 8, 38, lj. Rabone, 7,8, 2,0; Leggat. 10, 0, 37 2.