Cricket Drama

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30946, 30 December 1965, Page 8

Cricket Drama

At Durban in 1948 an England cricketer of rather moderate accomplishments won enduring fame by running a leg-bye off the last ball of a match and giving his side victory over South Africa. At Lancaster Park yesterday two Canterbury batsmen provided the most exciting Plunket Shield finish in living memory by running byes off each of the last three balls of the match and taking their side to victory over Auckland. When this match is remembered, as it will be fondly and frequently, the talk will turn on the sprinted singles taken by G. A. Bartlett and J. M. Mclntyre as short-pitched balls flew through high to the Auckland wicket-keeper. But the excitement this match produced began early, and lasted for the full three days. There was the magnificence of Auckland’s assault on Canterbury’s bowlers on the first morning, the grim recovery of ground by Canterbury on the first afternoon. Then came Canterbury’s collapse on the second morning—23 for five wickets, and an innings defeat a distinct possibility. At that critical hour D. L. Gallop, K. Thomson, and J. M. Mclntyre fought back, with cool determination and skill, to take Canterbury within a few runs of Auckland’s score. Yesterday morning Canterbury bowled superbly, to put the match back in the balance. And there it remained, all through the last afternoon.

Cricket today has many critics, but a match such as this confounds them all. The mere possibility of such a finish—a win for either team, a draw, or even a tie resting on the fate of the last two or three balls—let alone its being resolved in so dramatic a fashion, gives cricket its particular fascination. Yesterday’s match will reaffirm old faiths, and cast new spells.