Pollard’s Superb 125 Against Queensland

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31542, 2 December 1967, Page 15

Pollard’s Superb 125 Against Queensland

(From D. J. CAMERON)

BRISBANE.

In a day of thrills and spills, the 22-year-old V. Pollard providing the biggest thrill of all by scoring 125, New Zealand made 349 and Queensland 57 for no wicket when their three-day match began yesterday.

The second biggest thrill was another invaluable innings by B. G. Murray—but this one was tinged with sadness as he again missed his century. He scored 98, to add to the 84 be made against Victoria last Tuesday. The spills came when no fewer than six New Zealand batsmen failed to get into double figures and when the batsmen of both sides were ducking for cover as the numerous bouncers flew up from this unusually lively pitch.

Perhaps the New Zealanders should have scored more runs after Pollard and Murray, with their partnership of 144, had taken the score to 180 for three. At this stage, 400 seemed a reasonable tarPerhaps, too, the New Zealanders should have taken the one catch offered when Queensland batted briskly for 70 minutes.

However, these were minor disappointments compared with the wonderful batting of Pollard and Murray, the willingness of all batsmen to attack and the number of rich strokes. The New Zealanders, regarding the scorching sun, probably thanked their lucky stars when B. W. Sinclair won the toss and gave the Queenslanders the task of fielding in the oven-like atmosphere. Barge’s Brilliant Catch Even so, there were early misfortunes. Murray and B. E. Congdon studiously avoided a barrage of bouncers sent down to them but when P. Allan dropped one short outside the off stump, Congdon could not resist a fullblooded cut. The ball rocketed away from the bat and somehow P. J. Burge threw his 17st frame to his left and pulled down a brilliant catch. Sinclair was curiously uncertain against the bounce and outswing of the third seamer, J. Morgan, and twice flirted with death before he got a snick and L. Cooper, the wicket-keeper, took the catch. So New Zealand was 36 for two, but within a few minutes Pollard began throwing his bat at Morgan’s outswingers, With Murray playing so soundly and picking off the fours—by this stage be was hooking the bouncers with admirable skill Pollard settled down. Rash of Boundaries Then came perhaps the best batting of the tour. Murray cut, hooked and pulled Duncan for fours from successive balls, and when R. Paulsen came on with his leg-spin, he quickly conceded three fours to Murray.

The Queenslanders seemed powerless to stop the flood of runs. Murray had eight fours in his 50 in 94 minutes, and the pair raced through the second 50 of the innings in only 34 minutes. At lunch, New Zealand was 136 for two in 140 minutes—the century partnership taking only 90 minutes.

After lunch, New Zealand seemed poised for the kill but somehow the wily Queenslanders managed to lift their attack under the burning sun. Murray was moving effortlessly towards his 100 when he jabbed at a ball from Paulsen and the catch lobbed easily to Burge at mid-wicket.

Murray had batted 181 minutes, with 14 fours, and had helped Pollard to score 144 in 133 minutes for the third wicket.

M. G. Burgess had time for only a fluent four through point before Duncan had his wicket and K. Thomson was out one run later trying to cut the left-armer, A. Skuse. Century With A Six

In half-an-hour New Zealand had lost three wickets for 26 runs, but B. W. Yuile was next and his careful, poised batsmanship was just the foil that the eager Pollard needed. On and on this gifted youngster went, moving smoothly to 94 when he jumped out to Skuse, and with a magnificent stroke hit the ball into the grandstand at long on. Pollard’s century took 211 minutes. Yuile also began to attack and quickly hit six fours, but he drove at a ball from Paulsen, hit more ground than ball and Burge had his third catch of the innings.

Pollard and B. R. Taylor were greeted with the new ball after tea and Pollard, with superb ease, drove Duncan straight for four—perhaps the finest stroke of his wonderful innings. It was also his last. He took a big swing at the

next ball, missed and was leg-before. His 125 had taken 248 minutes, with a six and 12 fours. There was a buzz of anticipation when R. C. Motz came in, but there were no fireworks this time. He was run out for three, trying to stretch a Taylor single into a two. Taylor slammed six meaty fours and R. O. Coinage had a couple of drives Pollard would have been proud to call his own before the innings came to an end. The New Zealanders’ patchy fielding showed up quickly when Trimble and R. Crane batted against some explosive bowling from Motz and Collinge. When his score was one and the total six, Crane gave Yuile a hard low chance at second slip from Collinge’s bowling. The chance went down, and Queensland did not offer another.