FAVELL’S XI FOLLOWS ON O’Neill Gets Ovation For Half Century

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31340, 10 April 1967, Page 3

FAVELL’S XI FOLLOWS ON O’Neill Gets Ovation For Half Century

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

MELBOURNE.

The 14,000 spectators at the Melbourne cricket ground yesterday gave a standing ovation to the Australian batsman, N. G. O’Neill, when he scored a brilliant half century in the “Bushfire test.”

The crowd cheered every scoring stroke in his 50, knowing that it was O’Neill’s last innings in firstclass cricket. O’Neill gave the spectators cause to hope that he might turn it into a farewell century today, on the last day of this four-day match. At stumps, O’Neill was 50

not out, the half century tak- I ing him only 87 minutes, off ■ 93 balls. Surrounded By Boyi He left the ground surrounded by about 100 schoolboys who had jumped the fence to race across the ground and touch him on the back. O’Neill’s innings gave L. E. Favell’s New Zealand tourists a faint chance of avoiding defeat to R. B. Simpson’s South African tourists, after being forced to follow on 176 runs behind. At stumps, Favell’s XI in their second innings were 165 for four, still 11 runs short of their opponents’ first innings total of 439 for eight declared However, Favell’s XI were virtually five wickets down as the opening batsmen, K. G. Cunningham, had to retire on Saturday when a bouncer from G. D. McKenzie broke his jaw. Simpson Surprises The New Zeaand tourists ended their first innings at 263 soon after lunch yesterday—27 runs short of avoiding a follow-on which Simpson surprisingly enforced. It had been expected Simpson would elect to bat again, and set Favell’s side a reasonable total, thereby opening up the match on the last day. By sending the opposition

back in, Simpson made it clear he wanted to crush the New Zealand tourists and show that the national selectors were correct in their choice of players for the number one touring side. Watson Dominant Play on Saturday was dominated by the 22-year-old Victorian all-rounder, G. Watson, who scored 98 and then took four wickets for 26 off his nine overs of medium pacers. Another Victorian, the lefthander, R. M. Cowper, carried his bat for 169, taking his runs tally for his last three innings at the Melbourne ground to 555; an average of 277.5. He made 307 against England in the fifth test last season, and then 79 against South Australia. Watson was the more aggressive, compiling his 98 in 150 minutes. With Cowper, he put on 177. Cowper’s 169 took 347 minutes and included 20 fours. The biggest disappointment to the crowd of 15,707 on Saturday was the failure of O’Neill, who lasted only two balls before giving a catch behind off Watson for a duck. But O'Neill made his amends yesterday with his half century and produced the batting form to make a magnificent exit from first-class cricket today.