CRICKET BATTING COLLAPSE AT EDGBASTON

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28606, 7 June 1958, Page 14

CRICKET BATTING COLLAPSE AT EDGBASTON

N.Z. Narrowly Avoids Follow-On (Special Correspondent N.Z.P.A.) EDGBASTON, June 6. New Zealand had no answer to the hostility and accuracy of England’s bowling when the first test was continued at Edgbaston this morning. For the whole two hours of play before lunch, England was completely on top, and the wickets fell at regular intervals on a pitch which gave the bowlers little assistance. It was left to the last pair, H. B. Cave, and J. A. Hayes, to avoid the follow-on, and the innings ended half an hour after lunch for 94.

England made a quiet st 45 minutes batting, the sc< Although the England bowling was of the highest quality, none of the New Zealanders, except the tail-enders J. Hayes and Cave, could do more than prod defensively and wait for the inevitable. The teams are:— England: P. E. Richardson (Worcestershire), M. J. K. Smith (Warwickshire), T. Graveney (Gloucestershire), P. B. H. May (Surrey, captain), M. C. Cowdrey (Kent). T. E Bailey (Essex), T. G. Evans (Kent). F. S. Trueman (Yorkshire), J. C. Laker (Surrey), P. J. Loader (Surrey), G. A. R. Lock (Surrey). New Zealand: L. S. M. Miller, J. W. D’Arcy. N. S. Harford, J. R. Reid (captain), W. R. Playle, T. Meale, A. R. Mac Gibbon, E. C. Petrie, J. C. Alabaster. H. B. Cave J. A. Hayes. After May had been dismissed, England’s batting broke down, notwithstanding a stout-hearted effort by Cowdrey, who went on to the offensive, and was successful to a marked extent in managing the strike.

Mac Gibbon kept up his magnificent effort, and Alabaster made the most of the opportunities presented by England’s rather long tail. Mac Gibbon, who holds the New Zealand record for test dismissals, completed a wonderful day beating and bowling Cowdrey, and the ninth wicket fell at 191.

Then Loader and Laker managed to xscore 30 for the last wicket, with some hearty hitting and a considerable amount of luck. Mac Gibbon was kept on. and so was Alabaster, and it seemed Reid had erred: Hayes might have done the trick and Cave was overdue for a bowl Either would have presented violent tail-enders with a more difficult task than Alabaster and a tiring Mac Gibbon. K Eatting for almost two hours. New Zealand lost three wickets for 41 and the only batsman to look at all comfortable was Harford D’Arcy was all stubborn defence, but had a life, dropped by Graveney in slips off Loader The batsmen had a tremendous struggle to stay in against bowling of quality and hostility. Brisk Start After the labours of the first evening. New Zealand made what amounted to a brisk start today Bailey began with a maiden, but from Trueman’s first over both D’Arcy and Playle scored singles Even then, D’Arcy might have been out. pushing Trueman just wide of Lock, close on the leg side. On a fair June morning, the pitch played easily, although Trueman, dropping one short, made it fly past D’Arcy. The batsmen’s dutiful defence continued for 20 minutes, but then New Zealand suffered another grievous blow. Trueman bowled D’Arcy a quick one of perfect length, lifting a little and leaving the batsman. D'Arcy was well beaten and Evans took the catch. The left-hander, Meale, oarely survived a trying first over from Trueman, who was bowling with rare pace and accuracy. In New Zealand’s desperate situation each run scored was a minor triumph. In the first half-hour, onlv five runs were added. Playle was next to go, and it was ironic that after his studious and prolonged defensive effort,

art, and at 3.35 p.m., after ore was 20 without loss. he was bowled without playing a stroke. Trueman brought one back at him and took the off stump, and New Zealand was 46 for five wickets. Trueman, after conceding two runs in his first over, had taken two for none in four overs. Brink Of Collapse This brought Mac Gibbon in to partner Meale, and the New Zealand innings was poised on the brink of final collapse. MacGibbon began with a show of confidence, and he certainly put much more weight into his shots than the others had done, but still the runs would not come. After nearly an hour’s play, six runs had been scored, and Trueman was rested; if there was relief for New Zealand in his temporary retirement, his replacement, Loader, was the man who had routed the tourists at the Oval. However, in Loader’s first over, Meale scored his first run, after passive resistance for 36 minutes. Then, New Zealand finally reached 50, with the assistance of an over-

throw, in a shade under three hours. Mac Gibbon put a little colour back into the batting with a strong straight drive for 3 off Loader. Bailey was rested after bowling for nearly an hour and a quarter —lO overs for six runs—Laker bowling in his place. Another wicket fell immediately. MacGibbon was caught behind with the score only 54. He had scored only five in 35 minutes, but he, alone among the New Zealanders, had been willing to hit the ball The rout continued when Loader beat Petrie witfi one which snapped back from outside the off stump and found him in front: 59 for seven wickets., First Four Alabaster, ninth in the order, had the distinction of hitting the first four of the day. a fullblooded pull off Laker and when he turned Loader for two he passed Meale, who had started 66

minutes earlier. Fifteen minutes before lunch Trueman came back for his second spell in place of

Laker, and again the change brought results. Meale being dismissed leg before wicket. Meale had batted with patience but without strokes for 83 minutes. At 67 for eight wickets. New Zealand still needed five runs to deprive May of the pleasant problem of deciding whether to enforce the follow-on. Alabaster gave Bailey in the gully a sharp chance off Loader, but it brought another run. Then Alabaster was struck a painful blow on the foot by Trueman, and next ball his stumps were hit; 68 for nine. Alabaster had made a brave attempt to get runs, and had the distinction of being secondtop scorer—with 9. Hayes came in, and Trueman’s first ball to him was over-pitched. He hit it hard on the off-side for 3. and in the same .over Cave pushed one backward of sauare for a single to save the follow-on. After lunch Cave and Hayes went on to share the highest partnershio of the innings, and both achieved the dignity of double figures, the first batsmen to do so since D’Arcy—and they did it bv applying the bat to the ball. They batted quite confidently in taking the score to 94. a partnership of 26 before a mis-

understanding led to Hayes being run out. The innings had lasted nearly four hours and a half. Richardson made a very brisk start, taking eight from Hayes’s first over, and it was clear from the beginning that the New Zealanders would not have any help from the pitch. Mac Gibbon, however, found his length immediately and once defied the somnolent turf by whipping one barely away from Richardson's bat.

After a quiet half-hour, England had 15 runs, and although the bowlers were beating the bat occasionally, there was no suggestion that the England openers were really in any difficulty. Smith looked much more vulnerable than Richardson, but MacGibbon again beat the left-hander with a lovely ball which moved late and all but bowled him. Mac Gibbon continued to command the greatest respect, and after six overs had yielded only four singles, so that in 45 minutes England had scored only 20, after eight had come from the first over.