CRICKET Unhappy Day For Batsmen In Rothman’s Tournament

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30054, 12 February 1963, Page 18

CRICKET Unhappy Day For Batsmen In Rothman’s Tournament

Although the day was shortened and spoiled by rain and grey clouds, considerable progress was made when the second annual Rothman’s under-2S tournament opened yesterday at Hagley and Sydenham parks. In the morning, the pitches played easily, the ball was wet and the foothold uncertain. But when the pitches began to dry, the ball flew venomously, and batting was often as much a matter of survival as stroke-making.

Otago ended the day in a very strong position against Northern Districts, Central Districts made swift progress, and Auckland, after a weak start, restored its game with Wellington to an even balance. The teams which batted first were more fortunate than their opponents, but even allowing for the assistance given them by the pitches, the performance of the pace bowlers was outstanding. A. R. Taylor (Wellington), R. Baddeley (Auckland), A. Cartwright (Otago) and R. O. Collinge (Central Districts) all looked likely exponents of an art which has few rewards here on earth.

But the day was not barren of batting. Two young men

with considerable reputations, M. Burgess and J. Carson (Auckland), joined in a very useful partnership, and the first four Otago batsmen all played with skill and confidence. That Canterbury emerged from a terrible plight to modest respectability was to the credit of P. G. Coman, who batted determinedly and well. Scores: Auckland, 127; Wellington, 60 for four wickets. Otago, 152; Northern Districts, 81 for nine wickets. Central Districts, 165; Canterbury, 54 for six wickets. OTAGO AND NORTHERN DISTRICTS In an hour and three-quarters Otago did extremely well, with a slow outfield, to score 90 tor the loss of one wicket. The bowlers were certainly handicapped but the batsmen showed enterprise, and a good command of strokes. B. Turner played a solid, rather phelgmatic Innings, while M. McKenzie scored briskly. Then K. Campbell made some lovely shots, and in the early afternoon the captain, W. Robertson, batted splendidly for 21 in 20 minutes. But J. Beuth, getting the ball up head-high at times, cleaned out the lower-order batsmen efficiently, and Otago was out for a surprisingly small score. G. Clarke, clearly one of the famous five, took three wickets. Northern Districts was in trouble soon after the start, although C. Beach played two or three handsome strokes and M. Cotter batted doggedly for an hour and was still there at the end. A. Cartwright was full of life, and after an unimpressive first spell, the left-handed A. Madigan took quick wickets before the end. Scores:— OTAGO First Innings B. Turner, c Mountain, b Clarke 33 M. McKenbie, b Beuth .. 20 K. Campbell, c Mountain b Clarke .. .39 W. Robertson, c Kennedy, b Clarke .. .. 21 J. Bilcliff. lbw, b Kennedy .. 13 R. Stewart, b Beuth .. 5 P. Anderson, c Mountain, b Beuth 8 A. Cartwright, c McErllch. b Kennedy 4 C. Croudis. c Beach, b

Beuth .. .. 2 A. Madigan, c McErllch, b Beuth .. .. 1 G. Shaw, not out .. 6 Extras .. .. 6 Total ..152 Bowling.—J. Beuth, 19.5 7, 59, 5; G. Clarke. 17, 6 41, 3; C. Fox ,6. 2. 11, 0; K. Kennedy. 22. 12, 35, 2. NORTHERN DISTRICTS First Innings L. Mountain, b Cartwright 15 G. Bright, b Cartwright .. 12 C. Beach, lbw, b Croudis .. 12 P. Carew, b Croudis .. 0 M. Cotter, not out .. .. 10 G. Giles, b Cartwright .. 0 I. McErlich, run out .. 9 C. Fox, b Madigan .. 8 G. Clarke, c McKenzie, b Madigan .. .. 0 K. Kennedy, c Robertson, b Madigan .. 0 J. Beuth, not out .. 2 Extras .. .. 13 Total for nine wickets .. 81 Bowling.—A. Cartwright, 12, 5, 18, 3; A. Madigan, 10, 4. 24, 3; C. Croudis. 8,2, 18, 2; G. Shaw, 3. 0, 8. 0. Wellington v. Auckland The pace and penetration of A. R. Taylor and J. St. J. Parson broke through the top Auckland batting, but Burgess batted very sensibly and efficiently. Carson, in appearance very like his famous uncle, the late W. N. Carson, displayed great power in some clean onside hits but he played and missed frequently at the ball just outside his off-stump. Their partnership of 56 for the fifth wicket restored some sort of batting order, but when the pace bowlers eventually went off, the medium-pace of G. McLellan and the off-spin of D. Paetz, finished off the innings. S. Kohlasse was the only later batsman to progress, and he made some very vigorous hits. Taylor, who has an easy action, is really fast, and he bowled accurately. Parson had one spell of an hour and a half, and his stamina was as remarkable as his tenacity. R. Redmond made only a few runs for Wellington, but he looked a good batsman. I. R. Mason made a useful score, and at the end J. Hammel was batting with such purpose as to suggest that Auckland will be very glad to see the back of him today. Baddeley is another bowler of genuine pace, and with the ball flying so awkwardly, Wellington could do little with him. But it should be a keen struggle for firstinnings points. Scores:— AUCKLAND First Innings T. Jarvis, c Hammel, b Taylor .. .. 8 H. Schuster, b Parson .. 5 L. Jones, b Taylor .. 0 P. Scott, run out .. .. 0 J. Carson, c and b Parson 43 M. Burgess, c TindiU, b McLellan .. ..28 P. Davidson, b McLellan .. 2 S. Kohlasse, c Hammel, b Psetz • • • • 21 H. Howarth, e Tindill. b Paetz .. .. 7 J. Jessup, not out .. 0 R. Baddeley. c Neal, b Taylor .. 5 Extras .. ■ • 8 Total .. .. 127 Bowling.—J. St. J. Parson, 21, 9 41, 2; A. R. Taylor, 16.4. 6. 31, 3: G. McLellan, 10, 1, 38, 2; D. Paetz. 4,2. 9,2. IVELLINGTON First Innings R. Redmond, c Burgess, b Howarth 7 A. Woolford, c Carson, b Kohlasse .. .. 0 I. R. Mason c Jarvis, b Baddeley .. .. 22 P. Neal, c sub., b Baddeley 0 J. Hammel, not out .. 2L B. Harris, not out .. .. 0 Extras -. •• J> Total for four wickets 59 Bowling.—R. Baddeley, 11. 7, 13, 2: S. Kohlasse, 8,2 20, 1; M. Burgess, 4, 1 16. 0;, H. Howarth 3 3,0, 1; H. Schuster, 2, 1. 1,0. Central Districts ▼. Canterbury Only in the early stages of Central Districts' innings were the batsmen on top, in the match at Sydenham Park. The former Sydenham opening batsman, G. Beer, showed N. F. Curtis, in the space of three overs, that short bowling on a slow pitch was futile to a good hooker. Those three overs cost 24 runs (all to Beer) and consisted of four hooks, an on-

drive, and an exquisite square cut. Beer was magnificently caught at leg-slip off another full-blooded hook. D. H. Payton, who made a solid 29. displayed strength on the leg-side-and shared a promising partnership of 46 with A. K. McCarthy. However, both were out at the same score and the spin of M. L. Ryan and M. G. Lester took over.

Lester, bowling with the grace of a Colin Blythe, enticed the middle-order batsmen into thinking he could be hit against the spin; G. L. Hermansson tried repeatedly and scored an inelegant 30 without ever looking comfortable. J. R. Smith and Collinge came together and put on a valuable 27 runs in 23 minutes. That they survived against the finger-spin of Lester and Ryan was due to an unusual blend of limp-bat defensive shots and an uncanny knowledge of which ball would miss the stumps. Collinge finally succumbed to temptation and was caught on the mid-wicket boundary. An unusual feature of the innings was that all wickets fell to catches; the fielding, generally, was of a fairly high standard and G. T. Barrett gave a sound display for a substitute wicketkeeper.

When Central Districts fielded, Collinge found life in the pitch that was lacking previously. His left-arm bowling fivas distinctly quick from such a short run. and lifting deliveries from just short of a length had all the batsmen worried. However, Coman battled on while the batting crumbled about him. and when an appeal against the light was upheld at 5.25 p.m., he was undefeated with 38 in 54 minutes. Scores: CENTRAL DISTRICTS First Innings G. D. Beer, c Hortin, b Curtis .. ..24 D. H. Payton, c Barrett, b Lester .. 29 A. K. McCarthy, c Gearry, b Ryan I. .. 14 W. L. Murdock, c and b Lester .. ~ 0 D. G. Burns, c Barrett, b Ryan .. 9 G. L. Hermansson, c Hortin. b Lester .. ..30 I. D. Woon, c Coman, b Lester .. 0 R. T. Francis, c Hortin, b Ryan .. ~11 B. E. Furlong c Truscott, b Lester .. .. 1 J. R. Smith, not out .. 16 R. O. Collinge. c Clements, b Lester .. ..12 Extras (byes 11, legbyes 2, wides 2, no-balls 4) ..19 Total ... .. 165 Bowling.—N. F. Curtis, 8,2, 33, 1: B. H. Hopkins, 10, 5. 18. 0; M. L. Ryan. 16. 1, 54, 3; M. G. Lester, 13.3, 1, 41, 6. CANTERBURY First Innings P. B. Truscott, lbw, b Smith 0 M. A. Clements, c Furlong, b Collings .. 0 M. L. Ryan, b Smith .. 4 G. T. Barrett, c Francis, b Collinge .. .. 0 P. G. Coman, not out .. 38 R. G. Hortin, c McCarthy, b Collinge ... .. 3 C. Reid, b Francis .. 4 R. M. Gearry. not out .. 8 Total for six wickets 54 Bowling.—J. R. Smith. 10. 3, 24, 2; R. O. Collinge. 9, 4. 16, 3; R. T. Francis. 4. 1. 13, 1; B. E. Furlong, 0.4, 0, 1. 0.