SINCLAIR LEADS GREAT N.Z. RECOVERY

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30391, 16 March 1964, Page 3

SINCLAIR LEADS GREAT N.Z. RECOVERY

Batting, Bowling With New Spirit

[From Out Cricket Correspondent] AUCKLAND, March 15 An innings by B. W. Sinclair heroic in stature, polished in production, and some bowling of fine quality by the most exacting standards picked New Zealand cricket up from the canvas at Eden Park yesterday. South Africa, 327 for five wickets at the end of the first day, was dismissed for the addition of only 44 runs, and by the end of a lovely, summer day New Zealand had scored 185 for three wickets, with Sinclair 104 not out. I he darkest hour, as someone sagely observed, comes before the dawn. It had seemed a long night for New Zealand, with the dreary, ineffective batting at Dunedin and Wellington.

Yesterday’s recovery, measured in purely mathematical terms, was eminently satisfactory. Even more important was the resurgence of a fighting spirit in the whole team. With their every action, the New Zealanders stated quite clearly that they were weary of being pushed about. The batsmen were never able to achieve a spectacular scoring rate, although the runs came much faster than in the first two tests. But it was not a lack of aggressive strokes which kept the scoring down to 40 an hour. Superb Fielding There was some excellent bowling by the South Africans, and some truly magnificent fielding. T. L. Goddard’s clever field platings and the many extraordinary saves by the fieldsmen made dozens of fiercely-hit strokes mere dots in the bowling analysis. But the determination of the batsmen not to fall again into the pit of passive defence and the eagerness of the South Africans to contain them made this a memorable day’s play. The New Zealand batting fairly bristled with aggression, and Sinclair led the way all down a golden afternoon. His century, the first ever scored for New Zealand in a test at Eden Park, was almost without a flaw. He was in four hours to reach his hundred, but his insistence on attack was expressed in 16 boundary hits. Big Of Heart Small of stature, big of heart, Sinclair took a knock or two from the fast bowler, P. M. Pollock, but this was a battle he won handsomely and decisively, for his magnificent hooking soon had Pollock off, Goddard being a captain who likes to keep opposing batsmen on workhouse rations of runs. From delicate cuts, through skimming cover drives, bold straight hits, powerful ondrives, hooks and pulls, to leg glances, Sinclair made his runs with a bat mellow of note from good timing. It was truly beautiful batting, and it was sensible, mature batting, too. Sinclair’s self-effacing partner in a stand which has so far realised 109 runs was S. N. McGregor, whose madcap days are now so far behind him that yesterday he scored 34 in 160 minutes and hardly ever dropped the bowlers a hint that he might be expendable. Great Player The splendour of Sinclair’s batting brightened the day for the 10,000 spectators. If ever a cricketer deserves success, Sinclair does. He trains and practises assiduously and at 27 he has emerged as a great player. Sinclair has been regarded, these last several seasons, as a cultured, steady batsman, neat of movement, but one rather without power of stroke. Yesterday he became a personality: a sketch became a portrait For not even Reid himself could have hooked with more vehemence. or Sutcliffe have timed his cover drives more sweetly. If it was Sinclair’s day, he shared the stage with the New Zealand bowlers, with the South African wicketkeeper, D. Lindsay, who took a quite fantastic catch to dismiss Reid, and with McGregor: although McGregor’s task was more that of the prompt than the performer. With quiet efficiency he helped give Sinclair most of the strike. He encouraged his p rtner, he watched over him, occasionally there was advice in a c nsultation. McGregor’s share of this fine partnership was of much importance. Bowler’s Role New Zealand's steady and attractive batting took place on a pitch quite without vice. But by the same token, the success of the bowlers in the morning was startling and spectacular. South Africa, with Bland and Lindsay in possession, looked likely to set New Zealand an insurmountable hurdle, but only a dozen runs had been added in 20 minutes before Blair produced a beauty

which cut back and struck Lindsay’s middle stump a satisfyingly sharp blow. Farrer edged a ball from Blair at convenient catching height directly between the wicketkeeper, Dick, and Bradburn at first slip, the fifth chance missed off Blair. Bland brought off some sumptuous strokes but Cameron had him leg before wicket and then D. Pithey was given out caught behind, after an umpires’ consultation.

Reid beat P. M. Pollock with almost embarrassing regularity, and the batsman then made a desperate attempt to hit his way out of trouble. He hit one up to a tremendous height, so high that there was time for Reid to get under the ball himself after it seemed no-one was going to go after it.

Reid thus took his seventyfirst test wicket and set another New Zealand record. He wound up the innings by beating Farrer: five wickets for 44 runs in 72 minutes was a magnificent achievement. Blair again bowled most impressively, and with reasonable luck he could have had six or seven wickets. He has become to New Zealand what Partridge is to South Africa. He has done more off the pitch than anyone else, and he also has at his command the out-swinger, most useful of weapons. Blair must surely be persuaded by his progress in a new role that his announced retirement should be postponed. Audacious Start When New Zealand batted, tl.e first ball bowled by P. M. Pollock was pushed a few yards by Gedye, and the batsman raced through for a single which became two with Bland’s swift throw ricocheting off the stumps. The audacity of the run hinted that the batsmen were determined to assert themselves. Partridge, however, at the start of a long spell of highly skilful bowling, thrust through Bradburn’s defence and bowled him. At ’ meh. New Zealand had a moderate 21 for one in 38 minutes, but already Sinclair h-d bravely hit Partridge to mid-wicke*- for 4. The first ball of the afternoon was utterly heartening for New Zealand: a classic cover drive by Sinclair off Partridge brought 4. Gedye, quite confident, had similar success, but in trying to square cut, was caught at the wicket Partridge, swinging late, had Reid under his thumb until the batsman savaged him with a sort of dropkick shot for 4. Sinclair Dropped Sinclair, pulling Pollock to the boundary, took New Zealand to 50 in 75 minutes, but he then turned one straight to D. Pithey at backward square. The ball came very quickly, and the catch was dropped. Partridge changed ends and bowled down-wind, and from there he was somewhat less effective, for the shine did not last as long as it had on the first day. Reid hit a magnificent cover drive for 4, and Goddard floating one up to Sinclair, was also sent through the covers for 4. It is always an achievement to hit a boundary from the parsimonious Goddard; this blow by Sinclair was one of several which, however, were no more than the meeting of overdue instalments. The batsmen are still very much in Goddard’s debt With Reid beginning to find himself after his worrying passage with Partridge, there was a distinct feeling that the game was running strongly New Zealand’s way, until Lindsay intervened with his extraordinary catch. Acrobatic Dive Reid swung at Partridge, achieved only a thin edge and the ball flew fast and a long way wide of Lindsay on his left. But Lindsay took off in a acrobatic dive and held the catch, with his left hand stretched full. So Sinclair and McGregor were together at 76 for three, an intimidating sort of score for a New Zealand team. Partridge, who bowled for the 38 minutes before lunch, was on an hour threequarters after the interval it was a great display of and swing and length. Yet, if he bowled finely, the batsmen were always willing to attack him and by tea they had the score up to 103 in 158 minutes. New Zealand’s most spectacular advance came straight after tea.

Beautiful batting brought 46 runs in as many minutes, and it was startling swift progress: running shoes, where there had been thigh boots. McGregor brought off a lovely square drive for 4 off Pollock, Sinclair swept Pithey to reach 50 in 163 minutes and the partnership was worth 50 in 70 minutes. 10 From Over One over from Pollock produced 10, with two memorable shots by Sinclair, one a pull for 4, the other a superb cover-drive for 4, made with grace and power from the back foot. The spectators revelled in the quality of the batting and it was further heartened by a public address system announcement that the caterers were making pies available at only 7d each. The statement might seem to lack relevance, but it helped a simmering, chattering crowd to feel that God was in his heaven, and all was right with the world. With Pithey also being plundered for ready runs, Goddard brought Partridge back to apply the brakes. Partridge, however, looked quite worn-out as he started his second spell. On his way to the wicket he looked rather like a cyclist pushing up a steep hill: and he could not contain the batsmen either. So with an hour and a quarter to go, Bland was brought on, and he had the desired anaesthetic effect—l 3 overs, 13 runs. He bowled short of a length, often a little wide of the stumps and although McGregor, in particular, fairly hammered him on the off-side, it was only occasionally that the vigilant, fleet-footed field was defeated. Goddard chimed in with another succession of maidens, but Sinclair finally hit him straight and high for 4 to reach 98. Twenty-five minutes from the end, Sinclair, with Bradmanesque audacity, pulled Goddard from off his stumps, a clumping blow for 4 and he thus became the fourteenth New Zealander to score a test century. It is doubtful if Eden Park has ever given a cricketer such an ovation. The applause was deafening and sustained and the excitement was such that several gentlemen were induced to hurl their beer bottles over the fence on to the ground. It must have been a wonderful moment for Sinclair, a brave and talented little batsman.

It was a great day for New Zealand. If the batsmen can acknowledge that there is still a long road ahead, and prepare properly for the journey there may be further cause for pride on Monday.