CRICKET FIRST INNINGS LEAD TO NEW ZEALAND

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28217, 4 March 1957, Page 10

CRICKET FIRST INNINGS LEAD TO NEW ZEALAND

Australia Two Down For 77 For the first time in 14 matches between the two countries, New Zealand established a first innings lead at Lancaster Park on Saturday, but when Australia was reduced through injury to three regular bowlers, the middle batting failed badly io exploit a situation rich with possibilities. After an unimaginative and almost profitless performance, New Zealand headed Australia’s score by only 52 runs. Perhaps the worst feature of the innings was that three of the leading batsmen lost their wickets through foolish run-outs. At lunch, New Zealand was, in a splendid position, for the score was only 42 behind Australia with seven wickets standing. Estimates of a total of 350 some time before stumps were not pipe dreams, so that the loss of seven wickets for 94 was bitterly disappointing. The Australians had scored 77 for two wickets by the close of play, and the game has swung away from New Zealand.

The attendance was put at 12,000. The gate receipts were £3OlB, making a total of £4220 for the first two days.

The teams are:— Australia: I. D.-Craig (captain). R. N. Harvey, R. Benaud, L. Favell, B. Jarman, L. Kline, R Gaunt, I. Meckiff, P. Burge, R. Simpson, and W. Watson, with J. Martin twelfth man. New Zealand: J. R. Reid (captain), H. B. Cave, B. Sutcliffe, G. O. Rabone, L. S. M. Miller, U. D. Taylor, M. E. Chapple, A. R. Mac Gibbon, S. C. Guillen, J. C. Alabaster, and R. W. Blair, with J. W. D’Arcy twelfth man. Only on very rare occasions has a New Zealand team been better placed to attack in an international match than Reid’s side was on Saturday afternoon. Thp fast left-hander, Meckiff. suffered torn back muscles during the morning play, and left the field wh'en the score was 108. New Zealand lost Taylor soon after lunch, and after Reid was out at 196 the innings as a whole looked like that of a new and nervous batsman approaching his first century. Between lUnch and tea only 76 runs were scored, against bowling which tried hard but which succeeded chiefly by a colossal bluff, imposed on a side which seemed unable to appreciate that it had all but achieved a winning position. Even though the last few steps to the first innings lead were tortuous, that distinction was behind the New Zealanders .midway between lunch and tea, with four wickets still standing. It would then have been foolish to throw wickets away, but it was equally foolish not to score every possible run. But no real effort was made to thrust home the advantage, and in the hour before tea 34 runs were scored, 17 of them in the final 40 minutes. Australia was very badly placed, for Benaud had to double as new ball bowler and right-hand spinner, while Harvey, who in his test career has taken only one wicket from 22 overs, was allowed to bowl 12 overs for nine runs. The only other bowlers were the. industrious but far from dangerous Gaunt, and the left-hand Kline, who, notwithstanding his three wickets, seldom looked likely to beat the batsmen. Defensive Bowling The Australians certainly made a determined effort to bowl defensively, but they made their point too easily. A. R. Mac Gibbon, by nature an attacking batsman, was in. for 100 minutes, had one life, saw two batsmen run out. and scored 25 runs. He seemed to be batting in a hair shirt; an innings more out of character is difficult, to imagine. His batting in recent weeks has been excellent, but on Saturday, he batted himself out of form, and he contributed heavily to New Zealand’s marking time when everything pointed to a confident advance. But if New Zealand in the afternoon was full of disappointments, there was no question of the quality of the partnership which had New Zealand so happily placed at lunch. Reid and Taylor came together when the overnight score of 79 for 1 had become 86 for three, and for a time the burden bore on them heavily. Reid played no false stroke, Taylor very few, as the runs trickled in. The partnership reached full stature in an over from Benaud from which Reid took seven runs and Taylor eight. It was like the switching on of a light, for from that point the batsmen were in command. The runs were never made at breakneck speed, but they came from the middle of the bat, and anything loose was hit powerfully. Never in Trouble Reid has seldom played an innings in which he has looked quite so safe or so sure of himself. He. was never in trouble, and when runs were offered him he hit with explosive force. For the ball a little short of a length, he was in position with astonishing speed, and his hooks, or his back-foot forcing strokes through the covers, presented the fieldsmen with occupational hazards they rarely encounter. It was a magnificent innings, replete with strokes and majestic in its power. Taylor, celebrating his thirtyfourth birthday—an occasion which did not go unnoticed by a group of spectators which sang its greetings to him—helped Reid score 92 for the fourth wicket in an hour and three-quarters. Taylor, more restrained than Reid, batted very soundly and took his full share in a notable recovery. He drove strongly, and often exploited the gap between mid-on and square leg. Taylor remains one of the best of New . Zealand’s stroke-makers. and while he and Reid were together New Zealand looked very much a test team. New Zealand suffered two fearful shocks in the first few minutes of a golden morning. Sutcliffe played a ball from Benaud on to a pad and Craig from silly mid-on dived to hold a good catch. Then Taylor played one to square leg, Miller ran, but only to join Taylor. It was an unhappy end to

a very useful innings by Miller. When the Reid-Taylor partnership began, Benaud was bowling well enough to warrant two plose leg-side fieldsmen, a silly mid-off and a slip and the struggle was tense and prolonged, until Benaud over-pitched one at last and Taylor moved into it to hit it gratefully for 4. Then came the 15 runs in one Benaud over, the scattering of the field, and the subsequent short but easy singles which measured the change in the situation. The partnership was worth 50 in 56 minutes when Reid pulled Kline savagely for 4 and when Taylor gave Kline similar treatment, the left-hander’s field had to be split. For once in a way, two New Zealand batsmen were authoritative and assertive, although a maiden Benaud bowled to Taylor was a fascinating passage in the duel. Quiet Period About half an hour before lunch there was an inexplicably quiet period, when 15 minutes produced only seven singles, but before the interval Reid thrilled an appreciative crowd by hitting Kline clean and swift through the covers. But straight after lunch Taylor tried to drive one Kline bowled very tfride of him. and he was caught at slip. Reid reached the first 50 of the match with as impudent stroke as could be imagined: he shaped to square cut Benaud, but at the last moment converted it into a deft late cut which gave him 4. Chapple began very confidently and soundly, but at 196 Reid attempted a forcing stroke off the back foot and hit the ball straight to Craig at mid-on. Reid had batted like a master of his craft for 130 minutes. In a matter of moments Harvey, the change bowler, began to worry the batsmen persistently. A right-hander, he bowled a little short of a length, with a suggestion of off-break occasionally. Chapple tried to drive him, jnissed and inspected the bottom of his bat as if he suspected sabotage. Then came the new ball, with Gaunt and Benaud sharing it, and then a few minutes later Benaud reverted to his legbreaks. Chapple and Mac Gibbon had added 18 in 26 minutes when Chapple was run out when an overthrow was being attempted. New Zealand Ahead Guillen put New Zealand ahead when he tucked Benaud away for 4, but at 6 he was dropped by Simpson off Gaunt—with one of Simpson’s reputation, material for Bateman. The innings began to glow again when Mac Gibbon twice swept Benaud to the boundary but then Guillen was run cut, a decision the crowd on the embankment contradicted vociferously. Then Mac Gibbon had a life, missed by Benaud off Harvey—but it was a sharp catch. Mac Gibbon and Cave were together 45 minutes for their 19, and the only other incidents were a magnificent catch by Watson on leg side, to dismiss Alabaster, and Alabaster’s forthright batting. Australian Bowling Gaunt failed to take a wicket, but he bowled very steadily and moved the ball in and away a little. He lacked the penetration he had shown in earlier bowling spells but he kept trying with commendable spirit. Meckiff was very lively in the few overs he was able to bowl. His loss should have been a serious one but the Australians covered his absence wonderfully well. Benaud was nearly always good, and much was asked of him. Early in the morning his leg-breaks spun and spat viciously, but later he found the pitch a less cordial ally. Kline could not turn the ball from off appreciably, but his wrong'un went away nicely on occasions, once leaving Taylor’s defence stroke beautifully. He concentrated largely on pitching wide of the off stump and allowing his line of flight to take it further away, and waiting for the batsman to fall into error. As a stand-in bowler. Harvey was a great success, and he did his side signal service by keeping one end tight closed. The New Zeaj landers flattered him perhaps, but Ihe certainly bowled tidily. The fielding was not as good as expected, although some very good stops were made, and Jarman kept wicket will a skill to match his enthusiasm. Started Badly Australia again started badly, with 85 minutes’ play before stumps. Cave beat Watson, and ' Blair bowled with rather more ’ hostility than in the first innings. However, after a bumper had hit Favell. the batsman responded • with a straight-hit 4 and a magi nificent hook for 6 which sent the ball half-way up the terraces • —a stroke strong and sure, but • played almost casually. > Cave beat and bowled Favell i at 41, and in the last half-hour 1 there was some cricket for the . connoisseur as Harvey and Craig • added 36 stylishly and easily ’.made runs. Craig again saw little

of Cave-one single from 11 balls —but took 18 from three overs from Alabaster. He drove splendidly, and Harvey’s batting .was better, than in any of his other three Christchurch innings, for this time he never allowed a suggestion of fallibility to reach the bowlers. Cave was again the best bowler. As it stands, six hours seems insufficient for a decision, but Australia is only 25 runs in front, and two early wickets this morning could at least cause concern,. Conversely, a profitable partnership could give Australia time to worry New Zealand, particularly if the batting is as lacking in assurance as it was on Saturday afternoon. The umpires are Messrs L. G. Clark (Wellington) and W. J. Gwynpe (Otago). Scores.— z AUSTRALIA First innings .. • • • • 216 Second Innings W. Watson, lbw, b Cave .. 1 L. Favell, b Cave .. .. 26 R. N. Harvey, not out .. .. 31 I. D. Craig, not out .. .. 19 Total for two wickets .. 77 Fall of wickets: one for 15 (Watson), two for 41 (Favell). Bowling O. M. R. W. R. W. Blair .. 7 3 24 0 H. B. Cave ..11 5 18 2 A. R. Mac Gibbon 3 1 B*o J C. Alabaster 6 1 27 0 NEW ZEALAND First Innings • G. O. Rabone ,lbw, b Benaud .. 22 L. S. M. Miller, run out .. 38 B. Sutcliffe, c Craig, b Benaud 13 D. D. Tavlor, c Simpson, Kline 37 J. R. Reid, c Craig, b Harvey .. 58 M. E Chapple, run out .. .. 19 A. R. Mac Gibbon, c Jarman, b Kline • • .. 25 S. C. Guillen, run out .. ..11 H. B. Cave, not out .. ..13 J. C. Alabaster, c Watson, b Benaud . • • .. 9 R. W. Blair, st Jarman, b Kline 2 Extras (byes 4, leg-byes 13, no-balls 4) .. ..21 Total .. •• -.268 Fall*of wickets: one for 46 (Rabone), two for 86 (Sutcliffe), three for 86 (Miller), four for 178 (Taylor). five for 196 (Reid), six for 214 (Chapple), seven for 233 (Guillen), eight for 252 (Mac Gibbon nine for 263 (Alabaster), 10 for 268 (Blair). Bowling

SECOND TEST TEAM

SELECTION TODAY The New Zealand team to play Australia in the second test, which commences at the Basin Reserve, Wellington, next Friday, will be selected today. The team will travel to Wellington by the steamer-express in the evening and for the next three days will be coached by Mr W. M. Wallace.

MECKIFF MAY NOT PLAY INJURY NOT SERIOUS Doubts about I. Meckiff’s chances of playing today were expressed by the Australian team’s manager (Mr J. Norton) last evening. Meckiff, Australia’s fast bowler, tore a muscle in his shoulder early on Saturday and’ received treatement for the injury during the week-end. Mr Norton said much would depend on how Meckiff felt this morning. He was still very sore. Asked if the injury was likely to affect Meckiff for the remainder of the tour Mr Norton said that the injury was not serious and it was only expected to be a matter of days before it had' mended.

O. M. R. W I. Meckiff ..11 3 31 0 R. Gaunt .. 25 6 61 0 R. Benaud .. 36 13 83 3 L. Kline .. 23.2 5 63 3 R. N. Harvey ..12 4 9 1