MORE CHEERFUL, COLOURFUL CRICKET Australians in control, but good finish likely

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33464, 20 February 1974, Page 28

MORE CHEERFUL, COLOURFUL CRICKET Australians in control, but good finish likely

(By

R. T. BRITTENDEN)

The vitality which marked the opening of Canterbury’s match with the touring Australian cricketers was maintained and increased yesterday, when nine wickets fell and 341 runs were scored.

Not all of the batting would have pleased the purist, but at least there was no pedantic plodding, no scholarly spells of scorelessness designed to demonstrate the extreme difficulties confronting batsmen in modern cricket.

It was cheerful and colourful, and if there were moments when it might all have been part of a junior house match, it was considerably better entertainment than reading a treatise on the forward defensive stroke.

Canterbury enjoyed the satisfaction of a first-innings lead, but not unexpectedly the Australians held control at the close of play. K. R. Stackpole, I. R. Redpath, and K. D. Walters cracked on the runs at better than five an over to put their side 148 in front with seven wickets standing and six hours remaining. Everything points to more pleasant violence from the Australians this morning and a good finish to be a thoroughly enjoyable match. Uninhibited That Canterbury made 249 for nine and a declaration was chiefly to the credit of Victor Pollard, who scored 89 with uninhibited vigour Canterbury’s lower echelons all contributed significantly to a recovery from a pallid 115 for six.

For the Australians, Stackpole made a breezy 33, Redipath 72, and Walters — with awesome power of stroke — 47 not out. Australia’s advance in the [first hour was based on the [liveliness M. H. N. Walker iand G. Dymock were able to [wring from the pitch. Dymock bowled 10 in his opening spell, and he had the [eagerness of a man being [paid on piecework rates. He I found the shoulder of PolI lard’s bat, the edge of Thom- | son’s, and each of these feats [cost four runs 1 Thomson trod a torturous path tor 25 minutes. Then he, and soon afterwards K. J. Wadsworth, were caught behind essaying back-foot drives, from platforms too Ann, at the awkward angle of Dymock’s delivery. But with D. R. Hadlee clearly capable of stout resistance, Pollard began to bend the bowling to meet

the needs of his fiercely aggressive cricketing nature. When Pollard goes walkabout, the most phlegmatic bowlers might be forgiven for casting an imploring iglance at his captain. Pollard I threatens decapitation when Ihe marches purposefully [down the pitch with mayhem [in mind. He did this several times •yesterday, even to the seam [bowlers. He made some magin ificent, some eccentric shots, [but always sought to domin[ate the bowling. A cut for 14 off Walker was a whiplash [of a stroke. D. R. Hadlee was firm and [pure of stroke in a stand [which produced 44 in even [time, until he tried to pull [Bright when he could well [have hit straight. But it was [a fine innings at a critical time. For Bright it was a first wicket for his country, and therefore one to remember especially. A. A. Mallett, discovering quite sharp turn for his offbreaks, tormented R. J. Hadlee for a while, but Pollard continued his rollicking way to 69 at lunch, with Canterbury 180 for seven. Missed Pollard declared the afternoon play open by pulling Mallett with a lovely clean stroke for 6, but in the same over—at 75—he charged and missed, and was out by yards, only for R. W. Marsh to suffer the considerable in dignity of missing the stump ing.

Pollard attacked again, a few balls later, and this time it was hit to a tremendous height over midoff, dropping almost vertically into the main stand. He charged Walker, too, and the bowler, while quickwitted enough to direct it wide down the off side, was hurried into a full toss. Through some extension of bat and arms which discounted the normal limitations of the human frame, Pollard was able to crash it through point to the fence. But when the stand was worth 52 in as many minutes, Pollard slashed again and was easily caught.

Fine drives R. J. Hadlee’s batting blossomed with beautiful drives, briefly, and when he had gone, C. R. W. Dickel and K. I. Ferries were the principals in a diverting partnership which ended, mercifully, with K. Thomson's declaration.

Dickel, splendid in a cherry-coloured cap clearly filched from one of his pupils at Mairehau High School, seemed at first to be intent on playing all his shots with his pads, as if under contract to test a new pair for durability in the interests of some manufacturrer. He did just about everything save hook with them.

Ferries did not allow depression to descend on him when Mallett tortured him, nor when Dvmock, introducing the only slightly sour note of the match so far. bowled several short-pitched ones at him, and at Dickel. Comedy But mostly it was comedy. When R. J. Hadlee was stumped, running inside the line of one from Mallett pitching outside the offstump, it seemed that the square-leg umpire, Mr D. E. A. Copps, had so far forgotten himself as to signal a wide. He adopted the 'arms-raised attitude several I times in the next few | minutes. This, it transpired, was a signal that Chappell I wanted the large roller beItween innings, not the small one.

; Dickel chopped Mallett for 4, but no run was awarded. Chappell, in a close fielding | position, had moved as the i bowler came in. and Mr F. IR. Goodall had declared the ! ball dead. It began to look like something out of Alice in Wonder. iland. Dickel came stiffly to lattention — feet together — Ito hit Bright past point'for 2, and then there was a heartrending cry from a spectator: “Think of the economy,” when Chappell took the new ball. This, and Dymock’s displeasure, may well have hastened Thomson’s declaration. Sharp chance i Dymock and Walker were I both impressive, and so was Mallett, who used all the classical weapons of the off spinner. Bright turned it a 'little, but was a little too flat and fast as a rule. When A. J. Woodcock played on early in the Australian second innings, R. J.j Hadlee had his hundredth I first-class wicket.

Redpath gave a sharp chance off Ferries to Pollard iat leg slip when only 5. and

Redpath looked very vulnerable, being drawn regularly into making passes at R. J. Hadlee when the ball was leaving him a little. In Hadlee’s fourth over he was beaten three times. But Stackpole was cheerfully aggressive, and at a late tea the Australians were 43 for one.

In the last 111) minutes, 130 were added. D. R. Hadlee had 21 taken from his first two overs — through bowling short and allowing Stackpole and Redpath to cut easily and often.

Lean as a whippet, Redpath seems somehow to fit into the accepted picture of an Australian test batsman. After his early misdemeanours, he drove and cut handsomely, and when Walters joined him Canterbury had to dance vigourously to their merry tune. It took Walters 20 minutes to score his first run, and D. R. Hadlee bowled particularly well to him, with worrying

movement in off the pitch. Once Walters all but last his leg-stump when he edged one fine. But Walters played one shot of particular magnificence. From the back foot he crashed R. J. Hadlee through the covers — an exciting, explosive blow.

Canterbury’s slow bowlers were mauled badly, but Redpath after hitting Pollard into the ninth row of the No. 3 stand, swept and was taken at square leg. Both of them had been resplendent of stroke in a partnership of 90 in 71 minutes.

Canterbury’s bowling looked a little tawdry under persistent pressure, but the fielding was keen, even if it did not compare with the speed and certainty the Australians had displayed.