CRICKET AND ITS PLAYERS

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 97, 18 January 1933, Page 3

CRICKET AND ITS PLAYERS

Some Highlights from the Third Test

SHOCK TROOPS OF THE ENGLISH ELEVEN

Wellington’s Last Chance

(Notes by “Burwood.”)

The extraordinary feature about the Test campaign now in progress is the decided manner in which the ball has triumphed over the bat. With the exception of the 524 England scored in their only innings in the first Test at Sydney, the scoring in the Tests has been very moderate indeed. Australia could only manage 360 and 164 in *the first Test. Australia had to be content with 228 and .191 in the second Test at Melbourne, in which England was dismissed for 169 and 139.

In the third Test now in progress at Adelaide, England hit up 341 in the first innings, and Australia fell for 222. We have always been taught to believe that Australia is a batsman’s paradise, but the very moderate scoring in the present series of Tests would point to the fact that better wickets exist in England, despite the climate. In 1930, the scoring in England was much higher than it has been in Australia this year. In the first Test at Nottingham. England scored 270 and 302 to Australia's 1-14 and 335. England winning by 93 runs. In I lie second Test st Lord's. totalled 425 and 375 to Australia’s 729 for six wickets, declared, and 72 for three wic-. kets, Australia obtaining a win by seven wickets. In the third Test at Leeds, Australia hit up 566 to England’s 391 hnd 95 for three wickets, the match being drawn. In the fourth Test, at Manchester. Australia scored 345, and England 251 for eight wickets, this match also being drawn. In the fifth Test. England scored 405 and 251, to Australia's 695, Australia winning by an innings and 39 runs. In this series of Tests, Bradman scored S and 131, 254 and 1, 334, 14, and 232.

What is the reason for the poor scoring in the 1932-33 Test campaign? Have the batsmen and wickets deteriorated, or have a band of outstanding bowlers appeared, who refuse to allow batsmen to help themselves to double-centuries? Chief credit must be given to the bowlers. It is long since England fielded such a strong bowling string as they have in Australia nt present. In Larwood, Voce, and Allen the Old Country have a trio of fast bowlers distinctly above the ordinary. Larwood unquestionably is the fastest bowler in the game to-day, and by no means relies upon pace alone to get his wickets. He is the beau ideal of an 'athlete, well-built and handsome, and looks the part of a demon bowler. He won the first Test match at Sydney by taking five for 96 and five for 28. In the second Test at Melbourne he secured two for 52 and two for 50, and in the first innings of the third Test at Adelaide he captured three for 55. He has thus far secured seventeen wickets in the Tests for 2SI runs, which gives him the splendid average of 16.52. G. O. Allen, the Australian-born member of the English team, is also playing Well his part as a bowler. In the first Test, the Middlesex man. who is 31 years of age, took none for (15 and one for 13. in the second Test two for 41 and two for 44. and in the first innings of the 1 third Test four for 71. Allen is.an outstanding bowler, as he proved in 1929 when he took all Lancashire’s ten wickets for 40 runs. Owing to pressure of business, Allen does not play first-class cricket regularly, but he is a very fine all-; round cricketer. Disastrous Start. There must have been joy in the English camp when Jardine, the English captain, won the toss at-Adelaide for the first time in the present series of Tests, and England bad first strike ou a firm wicket. But there must have been something

like consternation among. English supporters when Jardine, Sutcliffe. H au1 ’ mond and Ames were back in the pavilion before 30 runs were on the slate. If England has her Larwood, Australia has a good man to offset him in Tim Wall, the South Australian fast bowler, who elean-bowled Jardine after the English captain had scored 3, and had Hammond caught behind the wickets.by Oldfield after the Gloucestershire crack had notched a couple. O’Reilly had Sutcliffe caught by Wall, and Ames played over one from Ironmonger. Then came the fighting stands by M. Leyland and R. E. S. Wyatt, the M arwickshire captain, and later by E. Paynter. the Lancashire left-hander, and 11. Verity, the Yorkshire slow bowler, which redeemed the early failures, and enabled England to finish up with the respectable total of 341. Wyatt kept his- pads out of the sticks this time, and hit fearlessly, hitting Grimmett twice and Wall once for six over the square-leg boundary. The two left-handers. Leyland, and Paynter, also played enterprising cricket, and Verity proved that lie is quite a good batsman by contributing an invaluable 45. This is where the English team is strong; so many of the players are ailrounders. '.Hammond. Allen. Tate, verity. Brown. Larwood. Paynter, and Voce, can both bat and bowl.

A Good Bowler. , , , Though a lot was heard about'Australia’s spin bowlers in the second Test, they did not-meet with a great deal ot success at Adelaide. , It was left to Wall, the fast bowler of the side, to bear the heat and burden of the day, anij right nobly be rose .to. the occasion by sending down 205 deliveries for 72 runs and five wickets. His victims included Jardine, Hammond, Paynter, Verity, and Voce. Wall is one of the most.'iiseful men on the Australian side, and his position is now unassailable. O’Reillv did well, as only 82 runs came from the 50 overs he sent down, and he captured two wickets. Grimmett had 94 runs knocked off 28 overs, and took two wickets, but Ironmonger was • not the deadly 1 .bowler he proved on the Melbourne wicket, his solitary wicket costing 50 runs.

Another Sensation. t The Australians started just as disastrously as England had done. Fingleton, Bradman, McCabe and Woodfull went cheaply to Larwood and Allen, who -were clapping on the pace. Ponsford and Richardson then made a pltickv stand, and the score stood at 109 for four wickets op Saturday night. Australia’s hopes rested with this partnership. as the home eleven has a lengthy tail, which cannot be depended upon to make- many runs.-. The English, bowlers got on top early on 'Monday. Allen bowling- Richardson with a trimmer? Oldfield, always a rqpolute fighter, helped Ponsford to hold fort for a time, but after reaching 85, Ponsford was beaten by one from Voce which took the leg stumn. Ponsford proved that he is still one of .Australia’s best batsmen. and should never have been left out of the second Test. The Australian tail crumpled like a child’s house of cards before the bowling of Allen, Larwood; and Hammond, and Australia was all out for 222, 119 behind England's total.

Chapter of Accidents. There was quite a chapter of accidents in the first innings of both teams at Ade--1,1 Larwood had trouble with his boots on Saturday, a chafed toe worrying inn, and causing him to leave the ground sejeial tll lVoodfiill was struck a resounding blow on the chest by a fast one from Larwood, which he failed to meet with the bat, and Oldfield, after hitting up 41 in finished style, played-one from Larwood on to his temple, and had to retire hurt. It takes courage to stand up to a fast bowler, particularly if the wicket is not perfect. IVe had an instance of this at The Basin Reserve in 1929-30, when M. S Nicholls, the Essex professional, was making the ball fly on a worn pitch. Dempster had to retire three tones from raps on the fingers, and G. It. Eaile. tlio Somerset amateur, carried E. McLeod oil the field like a baby in arms when he was knocked out by a rap on the knee from one of Nicholls's rearers. If the wicket is anything like it was that daj, Larwood, when he comes, will make the ball fly over the top of the Caledonian crowd at Adelaide gave Larwood a bad time when Oldfield played one on to his temple, but Larwood could not be blamed for that. It was pure misadventUTo complete the casualties, Paynter in attempting to cut off a four through he slips by Grimmett off Allen, twisted his ankle, and had to retire. Truly, cricket has its casualties as well as war.

England’s Second Knock. .!•*“„ After Sutcliffe had fallen for i, ar< ’ u 3® and Wyatt gave England a g 00< ! £ “ the second innings by carrying the sco c to 85 for one wicket, Wyatt getting I< and Jardine 24. . , „ This meant that on Monday night England had a lead of 204 runs with nine wickets still in hand. It certainly looped then that the Lion had a stranglehold on the Kangaroo.

The Phinket Shield. The Wellington team will leave lor Auckland by the express to-day and will commence the match for the llunkct Shield on Friday. Though defeated outright by bota Otago and Canterbury, Wellington should give the Aucklanders a hard fight. M itu Blundell. J. Newman, Parsloe. Freeman, and Lamason to do the bowling, the northerners will have to earn every rup, unless Dacre. Vivian, and Mills are in hitting mood. This trio are as dangerous batsmen as the Dominion possesses, ami score at a fast clip when they get going. If the Wellington fieldsmen can onl.v hold the catches that come along, the Auckland total should be kept down to reasonable proportions. . . A'ltirt from Matheson and Vivian, the northern attack is not particularly strong, and Wellington should give a good account of itself with the bat. With experienced batsmen on the side such as Dempster and James. Blandford, Tindill. Lamason. Cameron and O'Brien. Wellington should be able to foree the pace. . , , It is not often that a representative team includes three first-class wicketkeepers,.. but Wellington has them in Janies, Blandford, and Tindill. Soiiie Queries. Sir. 8. A. Morris sends the following queries from Raurimu : — "No. 1: Do runs scored from an overthrow go against the bowler in his average. and do no-balls and wides- count against his average? "No. 2: Can a man be given out if the hall first hits his bat and then on to his person, and in the opinion ol the Jtmpirc would have hit the .wicket had it not touched the batsman?" 1. Runs scored from overthrows for strokes off the bat count against the bowler, but no-balls and wides do not count against his average. 2. A batsman cannot be given out l.b.w. if lie plays the ball with his bat. A Swerve Bowler. Few bowlers- in the Dominion can make the leather cut such queer capers ir.

the air as E. Judd, the veteran Hutt trundler, who has been rocking them down for many years. Bowling for Hutt on Saturday, he had the Kilbirnie batsmen looking both ways for the leather on the Kilbirnie ground, and finished. up with the phenomenal tally of eight wickets for 42 runs. The veteran is bowling as well as ever he did, and to date this season has captured 23 wickets for 353 runs, at an average of 15.34.

Always Bat First. Wellington College Old Boys made a tactical blunder ou Saturday, when they won the toss,' and sent University in to bat on a perfect wicket. It is always a sound policy to take first strike, as no one can tell what the weather will be like for the second day’s play. University ran up 296, I’. Wilson showing the way with a stylish knock for 106. L. M. Pacey, the captain, passed the half-century, and McKenzie. Blandford, and Barton also did well. As Old Boys will be without the services of Parsloe next Saturday, they will have to bat well to get the 275 thej- require to win with eight wickets in hand.

A Promising Colt. E. Mallard, the boy googly bowler, who is having his first season in the senior ranks, put up a fine performance for Petone on Saturday in taking six Institute wickets for 50 runs. This lad has a good leg-break, . and disguises his “wrong ’un” cleverly. Institute fell for 74 runs.

0. F. W. Allcott, the Petone captain, was an absentee on Saturday. He is in Auckland, where he joins the ranks of the benedicts to-day. zln xlll-round Athlete.

Mark Nicholls is proving that he can play well any game he sets his mind to. He hit up 73 not out for Petone against Institute on Saturday like a batsman.

C. S. Dempster shaped in his best style for 89, and Petone finished the day with 191 on for the loss of two wickets. Mercantile League Notes. At the New Year the Mercantile League suffered a severe loss in the transfer of its honorary secretary, Mr. 11. J. Lawrence, to Whangarei. "Curley." as he was popularly, known among cricket enthusiasts, possessed exceptional talents, and made an ,ideal secretary. The position will be an extremely difficult one to fill. In the meantime, the management committee lias acted very wisely in appointing Mi*. G. Mann, a capable business man. to the position until the annual meeting of delegates.

Should Mr. Mann not intend to accept office for a further term, it would be a good move on the part of the committee to approach the clubs,now with the object of gaining their support for the nomination of a suitable successor who could understudy, Mr. Mann. A man appointed to a strange position by the delegates at the busiest period of the season can hardly he expected to carry out every detail with the methodical promptness and tact so often required, besides which he cannot do justice either to -himself or to the important position of trust that he is filling. Last Saturday’s fixtures were played in brilliant weather, and some excellent cricket was witnessed. After an absence of several weeks Brough made a weleoihe return to Cowan’s to compile a solid 83 not out. Slow at the start, he gradually settled down to give a

vigorous display of driving on both sides of the wicke't. His work in the field was uncannily accurate. Brooks, of the same team, played a particularly fine knock for 109. His cutting and leg shots were executed with consummate skill. He also proved a decidedly useful bowler. Customs got a bad start against James Snjith’s, but' O’Connor soon altered the complexion of the innings by flogging the bowling to the tune of 146. Stone had Io be content with 2 for 79. but bowled well, nevertheless. Condliffe batted very soundly for James Smith's, despite fine trundling by O'Connor. iyynne (Health) is a batsman with a fine range of strokes, but he is seldom in long enough to give a true indication of his ability. Saturday was one of his on days, and he turned on some classy batting to run up a brilliant score against Sargood's.

(Niven’s continue to lead the way in the B grade. Their victory over Shell was an easy one, and Evans with a splendidly played innings had a lot to do with it. Welch, the popular Telephone Exchange captain, was in scoring mood against State Advances. His fine contribution of 114 contained many full-blooded, lusty drives. The C grade game between Customs and Kirkcaldie’s resulted in a hollow victory for Customs. Marcus Clark was the chief run-getter, totting up a neat 101 not out. Gunson, of Customs, returned the remarkable figures of seven wickets for 8 runs. Clarke, who scored 108 for Telephone B against Gas Co. B, played a very entertaining knock. He is a good batsman who knows how and when to hit the ball.

Next Monday. Anniversary Day. the annual inter-grade matches will be played. The selectors have got together some excellent material in the four teams, and an exciting day’s cricket should be the order. These games will be played at Kelburn.