SOUTH AFRICA WINS TEST

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27225, 17 December 1953, Page 12

SOUTH AFRICA WINS TEST

CRICKET

Innings Margin At Durban SPIN BOWLERS ACCURATE (From the Special N.Z.P.A. Correspondent with the team] DURBAN, December 15. South Africa won the first test against New Zealand at Kingsmead today with an innings, 58 runs and 90 minutes to spare, and had the match in safe keeping from 3 p.m. when another splendid fighting innings ©f 68 by the New Zealand captain, G. O. Rabone, was brought to an end. New Zealand had made 22 for two in the second innings on the third evening, and were dismissed for 149, only Rabone scoring more than 20. In spite of the loss of Sutcliffe and Mooney in the first 20 minutes, there were times during the day when it seemed that New Zealand might see the day through, for Miller, Poore, and Mac Gibbon all gave valuable assistance, although they had few runs to show for their efforts. South Africa deserved to win because on the helpful pitch they had accurate spin bowlers to make the most of the conditions, and because their ground work was of a consistently high standard; and some brilliant catches were made.

Today, Tayfield and van Ryneveld were able to spin the ball more than yesterday •nd they still confounded the batsmen with the ball that rose sharply or scuttled through low. Against these allies, the New Zealand batsmen generally were not sufficiently equipped to last out the day, but Rabone again set an inspiring example, and at the end of the match, when both captains addressed the crowd, Cheetham made particular reference to Rabone's “two magnificent fighting knocks.” In two innings. New Zealand batted about 111 hours, and, although in the second innings. Rabone did not go in until the fall of the third wicket, he was in for nine of them. No praise is too high for his self discipline, determination and courage. Today he was in more than three hours, and while he was in there was always a chance of New Zealand saving the match. The weather in the morning was clear and hot, but in the afternoon there was a heavy cloud. The attendance was 3000. making a total of about 23,000 for the match. Test Win After 23 Years It was South Africa’s first test win In the Union for 23 years. Only two runs had been added in the morning before Sutcliffe was out. He tried to drive Tayfield, but seemed to stop short, and was easily caught by Endean at silly mid-on. This was a catastrophe for New Zealand. and it made the task of the others much more difficult.

New Zealand was beaten by far too big a margin for any excuses to be made, but there were two decisions today which, had they gone the other way, might have seen the defensive programme fulfilled

Miller thrust his right foot well forward to let the ball hit his pad, obviously under the impression it was outside the off stump, but he was given out leg

before. Then from the first ball after tea MacGibbon played a decisive forward defensive stroke with the bat at an angle of 45 degrees, but was given out caught at silly mid-on. If these decisions were bad ones—and they may not have been—they were just a part of the game, but, on the other hand, the luck which favoured the South Africans in this match influenced its course to a very great extent. For the first time today, however, the South African catching faltered. Rabone gave an almost impossible chance to Tayfield at leg slip off Adcock before he had scored.

Waite twice missed stumpings, although they were not expens e mistakes, and Mac Gibbon at 4 was dropped by Funston, also at leg slip. New Zealand had two targets at the start today—to bat the fi ll 330 minutes or to score 185 runs anu stay in long enough after scoring them to prevent South Africa finishing the match. 61 Balls Without Score At first it seemed that the batsmen had this dual object, but after lunch the scoring rate came almost to a halt, and in one period 61 balls were bowled without a run being scored. Rabone produced hour after hour of sound defence, relieved by a sweep shot backward of square leg, which brought him 41 of his runs. Poore was in an hour for his single. Miller nearly an hour and a half, MacGibbon an hour, and Blair three-quarters of an hour.

It was good, but not good enough against the length and spin of Tayfield, the flight and sharper spin of van Ryneveld. the maddening accuracy of the medium-paced bowlers, and the speed of Adcock.

Poore played very well, but after an hour made his first offensive stroke, and was stumped. Blair hit one or two defiantly through the covers, and Mac Gibbon also drove very strongly and well

But the picture of the match, or at least of the last' three days, i» one of Tayfield with his nagging length and his group of dose fieldsmen just in front of the bat—there were five of them late this afternoon —bowling over after over to a grimly determined Rabone. This was a wonderful triumph for the New Zealand captain, who made 175 runs in the match. The only other New Zealander who comes to mind as having scored a century and a half-centurv in a test is H G. Vivian against the South Africans in 1932. New Zealand was well beaten in this match by a better team, but there was nothing in the game to suggest that the margin will be as big next time. Scores:— SOUTH AFRICA First innings (for nine wickets declared) .. .. ..437 NEW ZEALAND First innings .. .. .. ~ 230 -Second Innings B. Sutcliffe, c Endean, b Tayfield .. 16 M. E. Chapple, c Funston, b Watkins 1 J. R. Reid, c Funston, b Watkins .. o F. L. H. Mooney, c Waite, b Adcock .. 7 G. O. Rabone, b Adcock .. .. 68 L. S. M. Miller, lbw, b Murray .. 18 M. B. Poore, st Waite, b van Ryneveld 1 A. R. Mac Gibbon, c Watkins, b Tavfield .. .. .. jg E. W. Dempster, c McGlew, b Adcoek 0 R. W. Blair, st Waite, b Tavfield .. 6 G. W. Overton, not out .. ..3 Extras (byes 6, leg-byes 3, no- . balls 1) .. .. ..io Total .. .. 249 Fall of wickets: one for 6, two for 15, three for 24. four for 36. five for 85, six for 103, seven for 125, eight for 125, nine for 146.

N. Adcock O. 14 M. R. 38 W. 3 J. C. Watkins 14 7 16 2 H. J. Tayfield 26.1 12 35 3 A. R. A. Murray .. 7 8 C. V. van Ryneveld 21 9 42 1