Little resistance after Cowdrey VICTORIA BEATS M.C.C. BY 6 WICKETS

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32450, 10 November 1970, Page 34

Little resistance after Cowdrey VICTORIA BEATS M.C.C. BY 6 WICKETS

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) MELBOURNE. The Sheffield Shield title-holder, Victoria, beat the M.G.G. by six wickets with 5.4 overs to spare at the Melbourne Cricket Ground yesterday.

The state side, needing 180 to win in 195 minutes, never looked in danger of falling short of its target after the openers, W. Lawry and I. Redpath, had put on 77 for the first wicket.

Redpath, driving powerfully, made 57 in 106 minutes, and his test colleague, P. Sheahan, stayed until the close when he was 58 not out. ■ : The M.C.C. resumed its second innings at 268/4, and soon lost its captain, R. Illingworth, yesterday morning when he was bowled by A Connolly. Illingworth had looked uncertain at the start of his innings, and twice survived confident lbw appeals. His task had been made even more difficult by a constant stream of barracking from the crowd of over 13,000, but he had refused to be flustered and was still there at the close. A. P. E. Knott joined M. C. Cowdrey yesterday, and the pair added 51 before Knott fell to the 22-year-old spinner, A Sieler. Cowdrey went on to complete his century in 311 minutes, but was then brilliantly caught by Redpath off A. Thomson. Cowdrey’s departure signalled the end of the M-GG’s resistance, and it was all out shortly after lunch, for 341.

The M.C.C. was without fast bowler, A. Snow, when it came out to field, and the manager, Mr D. Clark, confirmed that Snow would not

bowl again in the match. Snow has a badly blistered foot, and Mr Clark said the injury had become slightly infected.

Illingworth did not want to risk aggravating the injury with the first' test match less than three weeks away.

' After A. Ward and K. Shuttleworth failed to break through. Illingworth came on, and in his first over bowled Lawry for 38. Redpath and Sheahan then put on 48 for the second wicket, before Redpath was caught low down by Shuttleworth at deep mid-on. Quick blows Ward struck two quick blows when he sent back J. Scholes and P. Bedford, but Sheahan and G. Watson then stayed together to see Victoria to victory.

The former Australian test cricketer, W. J. O’Reilly, commenting on the match said that ever since the M.C.C. team was chosen, Australians had been saying that the whole accent of the visitors’ prospects of success depended upon the capacities of their four fast bowlers.

No-one doubted that there would be tremendous emphasis placed upon the bouncing ball, O’Reilly said. But Snow had continued to be just “a nice fellow” after being noballed early in the game. Ward - and .Shuttleworth too had presented a similar picture. “I think there might be a conspiracy afoot. I hope there is, but they had rather not keep to it much longer,” O’Reilly said. "It would be best for them to try themselves out in Sydney where they will play two of the tests in this series.”

O’Reilly concluded: "This Victorian game has not done anyone much good. The selectors got no more out of ft

for the present than did the spectators. “The M.C.C. will say that it played a crucial part in getting Cowdrey into import, ant form, but the spectators will counter with the retort that it would have been well for him to have practised shots as well as defence. “Victoria came out of il wonderfully well in present l ing young Alan Sieler, for the left-handed batsman who bowls accurate orthodox spinners and fields beautifully is destined to go into the Australian team hurriedly.” The M.C.C. left by air fol Sydney after the match finished, and has three days rest before playing New South Wales on Friday .