CRICKET SLOW BATTING BY CENTRAL

Press, Volume C, Issue 29402, 3 January 1961, Page 12

CRICKET SLOW BATTING BY CENTRAL

G. Lowans Makes 100 A painstaking century by the Nelson left-hander, G. E. Lowans, put Central Districts in a fairly strong position on the first day of the Plunket Shield match against Canterbury at Lancaster Park yesterday. At the end of an uninspiring day’s play, Central Districts had scored 277 for nine wickets. In scoring only 254 runs off the bat -in 390 minutes, Central Districts gave an undistinguished and sometimes tedious display. The pitch played so easily that it was difficult for a batsman to get himself out. By the same token, it was not always possible to make forcing strokes. For all that, Central Districts showed a lack of enterprise throughout the day, and the policy rather foundered in the last hour, when wickets were lost quickly at the very time the runs should have been coming readily.

A remarkably patient crowd paid £374 at the gate.

The teams art:— Central Districts.—L A. Colquhoun (captain), D. T>. Beard. G. A. Bartlett, K. F. H. Smith, B. W. Yuile, B. Congdon, L. B. Reade, G. E. Lowans, D. N. Macleod, B. F. Hastings, and L B. Leggat Canterbury.—M. E. Chapple (captain). A. R. Mac Gibbon, S. C. Guillen. J. T. Ward, A. G. Duckmanton, P. G. Z. Harris, K. Thomson, B. A. Bolton, G. T. Dowling, J. W. Kiddey. and R. C. Mote.

It is odd to reflect that in an innings as long as Lowans’s—it lasted 350 minutes, man and boy as it were—he should seldom look like getting out, and just as infrequently seem likely to take charge. He is a batsman out of form, and by one of cricket’s peculiar contradictions, he stayed out of form while batting for nearly six hours and making a century. Any opening batsman may be expected to lay the foundations for an innings, but Lowans kept mixing concrete all day. And he worked in a hair shirt. After two hours, his score stood at 11; it took him nearly four hours to reach his 50. It was the innings of a left-handed Bailey. All the time he was in. he looked solid and safe. But he was not timing the ball well, even at the end.

For all that, one could not but admire his patience and concentration. He weathered a fairly lively opening spell from Motz and Mac Gibbon, and then set off to a century which seemed preordained and inevitable, altering the pace of his progress only briefly after lunch, in company with Hastings.

It says much for Lowans that, being out of touch, he could go on accumulating runs for his side, and in the end, his effort was immensely worthwhile. He was clearly unable to force the pace, and apart from Hastings, there was no-one else to take advantage for long of the fatigue the Canterbury bowlers no doubt suffered towards the end of the day. Lowans sometimes seemed to be

collecting runs anonymously, but there were some firm drives and cuts, and some lucrative sweeps. It was his first century in firstclcss cricket, and it could well lead the way to more. Hastings, of whom high hopes are held, began rather sketchily, for he missed the ball as often' as he middled it in the early stages. But later there was some magnificent driving between point and mid-off. Hastings too has been out of form, and those patriots at Lancaster Park still able to see the national needs must have been heartened by this young player’s accomplished batting. Macleod looked perhaps the best of the batsmen, and he went too soon, but there was a magnificent square cut for four off MacGibbon to remember. Smith also found form, but was brilliantly thrown out by Dowling. Useful Contribution L B. Leggat, one of the remaining members of the first Central Districts team —the other is Beard —saw the need for quick runs, made some beautiful strokes, was missed twice, and got out for 25 in even time; a useful contribution. Beard took 12 in an over, and that was undoubtedly the day’s excitement; he hit a 8 off Duckmanton. Every match serves to increase the stature of Motz. Again yesterday he bowled with tremendous heart and wonderful accuracy. He may not have the late out-swing of a Lindwall, the lift from a length of Cowie, or the speed of a Tyson, but he has a little of all those attributes; none of the three could have shown a more dogged perseverance. In his last spell he bowled for 90 m Wmte« and took three of his wickets. Mac Gibbon began well, then fell away. Kiddey seemed to come on to the bat more easily ♦han usual, but Duckmanton had a good day. Lowan’s passive resists nee encouraged him to keep ball up, and allowed him every latitude to vary his flight and pace On this easy pitch he barely turned the ball, but he keot hireling away, for handsome rewards Ward kept wicket well, and there was some very good -throwing by Thomson. Dowling and Bolton. In a day devoid of the spectacular, Canterbury’s opening was memorable, for Motz started with an ample wide, and Mac Gibbon with one of the widest on record. Then the battie was properly joined, and when the smoke drifted away at lunch, the score was 73 for two. In the early afternoon. Hastings batted beautifully—be took 19 from 15 balls by Kiddey—but at 40 he was biased by Ward off Kiddey. Central Districts went from 100 to 150 in only 40 minutes, with Tgnwans doing his share, but then the brakes went on again. Before Hastings was deceived by Bolton, the pair scored 124 in almost three hours. At tea Lowans had received 221 balls from the four main bowlers and had scored from 21.

After tea the wickets fell quite rapidly as Lowans went stealthily on to his century; in the over he attained it, he was beautifully caught by Ward, low on his left hand. Duckmanton was the sufferer when Leggat was missed twice in an over, but Motz yorked Leggat, and the ninth wicket fell 14 minutes from time.

Canterbury clearly did not want to take the last wicket too soon, because of the embarrassments of having to go in for a few minutes, so Motz bowled well clear of the off-stump. Then he had to tie a boot-lace. Then he fell over before delivering the ball. Canterbury kept Central Districts in —but at the expense of 16 valuable runs and the possibility of more being made this morning—on a pitch which, in the last halfhour, was showing a tendency to let the ball shoot The umpires were Messrs W. Barnes and J. Reece. Scores:—

CENTRAL DISTRICTS First Innings L. R. Reade, b Motz .. .. 5 G. K. Lowans, e Ward, b Motz .. 103 D. N. Macleod c Ward, b Duckmanton .. .. 25 B. F. Hastings, b Bolton .. 60 B. Congdon, lbw. b Duckmanton 2 K. F. H. Smith, run out .. 19 I. B. Leggat. b Motz .. ..25 D. D. Beard, not out .. .. 13 B. W. Yuile. c Ward, b Duckmanton .. .. .. 1 I. A. Colquhoun, not out .. 4 Extras (byes 11, leg-byes 6, wides 2, no-balls 4) .. 23 Total for nine wickets .. 277 Fall of wickets: One for 5 (Reade), two for 48 (Macleod). three for 172 (Hastings), four lor ITO (Congdon), five for 229 (Smith), six for 249 (Lowans), seven for 260 (Leggat). eight for 260 (Yuile). nine for 261 (Bartlett). BOWLING ... O. M. R. W.

Mac Gibbon bowled 3 no-balls and 1 wide; Motz bowled 1 wide. Bolton bowled 2 no-balls.

R. C. Mota ..34 10 54 4 A. R. MacGibbon 18 7 28 0 J. W. Kiddey ..20 7 48 0 A. G. 3 B. A. Bolton .. 13 3 40 1 M. E. Chapple .. 9 } ™ J P. G. Z. Hams 3 1 » A’