BETTER CRICKET

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 58, 1 December 1933, Page 20

BETTER CRICKET

Runs Come More Freely TOWN v. COUNTRY GAME Match Results in a Draw Considerably, brighter cricket was seen in the second day’s play of t'he Town v. Country auuual match concluded at) the Basin Reserve yesterday. The game ended in a draw. Scoring was decidedly quicker, and, almost . without exception, the batsmen were livelier. Town’s second innings realised the respectable total of 223 for five wickets, when the team retired, and Country redeemed themselves for bheir Inglorious. performance on Wednesday by collecting 201 runs for eight wickets before stumps were drawn. V. H. Du Chateau batted confidently for his 59 runs, and looked set for a bigger score when a ball struck him in the face, forcing him to retire. D. Cameron headed Country’s batting list with 53, scored slowly but safely, and Al. A. O’Brien gave an attractive display in making 34. O’Neill, Blundell, and Morgan bowled particularly well for the Town representatives, the last-mentioned, in addition to taking two wickets for 49, making 46 runs. R. Hatch, the Country express bowler, displayed form which would suggest possibilities for big cricket, his bowling throughout the match comparing more than favourably with that of R. Crook, the Kilbirnie player. The attendance was probably larger than on the first day, when the sum of £lB was taken at the gate. That sum, however, hardly represents the average crowd, as some persons paid admission to see the game for an hour or so only. Town Innings Continues. Wednesday's not out men, Du Chateau (19) and Ell (2), went-to the wickers again for Town at 11.5 a.m. The bowlers were Hatch and Massey. Ell improved his score by only a couple of singles before being caught by Hayward behind the wickets off Hatch. Town’s score was then only 47 for the losls of two wickets. Morgan partnered Du Chateau, who gave a chanee when 32, while another leg shot was missed badly by Massey when the batsman was -39. Play was brighter, than on the first day, a little life being added by Morgan, who was scoring neatly to the off, and hitting the leg balls forcefully. When Morgan reached 46 a good ball from Reaney skittled his- wickets, the total being 111. The partnership had contributed a useful 64 runs. Morgan’s score included eight fours. Two left-handers were together when Tindill became associated with Du Chateau, who reached his half-century when he sent Lambert nicely to the. leg boundary. making the total 125 after 65 minutes., Du Chateau, who had been batting confidently, had hard luck when, after putting on 59, a ball from Chadwick came off his bat. and caught him a nasty blow on the face. He was accorded a hearty clap on returning to the pavilion. The total was 145, Tindill, who had been batting half an hour, having 13 to his credit. '

Ward, who filled the breach, exhibited some neat shots, particularly to the off, and when the luncheon adjournment was taken at 1 p.m. he had 30 runs beside his name, while Tindill, who was much quieter, had 23. 1110 total was 186 for three wickets. The mosf successful bowlers then were Hatch, one for 30, Reaney one for 31, and Freeman one for 32. 1

Ten minutes after piny recommenced Ward was dismissed by Hatch with a fine ball which broke in from the off to topple over the leg stump. With the total at 195 for four Blundell joined Tindill, who had reached 30, and 200 appeared when the new batsman scored a five (overthrow 4), and a single off Massey, Hayward, the Country wicketkeeper, who was standing close up to Hatch, stopped a fast ball on the body which caused a short pause in the play. Hatch was unlucky when he just failed to hold n return from Tindill at 37, but ’in the next over he met with success when Blundell was clean bowled in stepping out to clout one of his deliveries. Town declared at that stage with a total of 223 for five wickets. Country Opens Quietly. Cameron and Massey started the second innings for Country at 2.40 p.m.. the opening bowlers being Crook and Blundell. The batsmen at the beginning were very quiet, and when Massey was caught behind the wickets by James off Blundell the total was 20 after play had been in progress the same number of minutes. Blundell’s four overs had cost only G runs. O’Neill relieved Crook at 29. and in his third over Reaney, who had replaced Massey, was dismissed l.b.w. Tiie Midltihd bowler had had only nine knocked off him. Reaney had contributed 15 and the total was 43. Cameron being 16. Af(*r an hour's batting, which produced 58 runs. Griffiths commenced serving up wily slows in place of O’Neill. Ho bowled only the one over, which cost. 8 runs. Q-imoron then had 20 and O'Brien 13. At the afternoon tea adjournment nt 3.45 p.m. the total was 71, Cameron being 23 and O'Brien, who was hitting some pleasing drives, 21. Morgan took over froip Griffiths at 84, and the century came up at 4.30 when O'Brien drove Blundell hard to the boundary. Blundell had bowled 17 overs unchanged for a total cost of 37. Four runs later O’Neill wns brought on again in place of the Wellington club player, and. with the last ball of the over, he knocked O'Brien’s bails off. The retiring batsman, who was warmly . applauded, had given a fine performance, his 34 being scored all round the wicket.

With three down for 100. of which Cameron had scored 42. Lambert ca... to the crease and. nfter notching four singles, he was dropped by Ward in the outfield. Morgan secured his first wicket when he elemi bowled Cameron, who had batted patiently for bis 53.- Seven fours figured in his score, which was made in 125 minutes. Evans, who followed, wns with Lambert while four more runs were added for the fifth wicket. Lambert was then held by Blundell off O'Neill for five, nnd the total was 126. O'Neill had taken three for 29.

Ongley joined Evans and 139 was registered when Morgan bowled the former’s wicket over. Freeman came next, but was bowled by O’Neill after getting only a single, and Chadwick, who followed. opened cautionslv. but warmed to it later and sent O’Neill over the.fence for six; the first of the day and the second of the. match. Blundell came on again at 162. and O’Neill, who had captured four for 43. went on at the south end. in place of Morgan, who had taken two for 4.3. Chadwick’s forceful knock of 23, which was appreciated bv the crowd, ended when he smacked Blundell heartily and Griffiths brought off an excellent catch in the outfield. Eight were down for 183 when Hayward took his stand, and when stumps were drawn at 6 p.m. the Country team bad 201 for eight wickets. Evans and Hayward being unbeaten with 39 and 8 resnectively. The umpires wore Messrs. R. F. Steele nnd S. H. Ferguson. Details are as follow:— TOWN. First innings 191 Second Innings. W. Dustin, 1.b.w., b. Freeman 13 V. IT. Du Chateau, retired Hurt tilt J. Eli. c. Hayward, b. Hatch 4 R. T. Morgan, b. Reaney 4G E. W.' Tindill. not out 3S S. Ward. b. Hatch 32 E. D. Blundell, b. Hatch 15 Extras (byes 12. leg-byes 2, no balls 2) 1G Total for five wickets, declared ... 223 Bowling Analysis.—R. natch. 12.1 overs, 0 maidens. 53 runs. 3 wickets: IT. B. Massev.. 14. 5. 2.8 0: D. L. Freeman. 6. 1. 32. 1; T. P. Reaney. fl. 0. 31, 1: M. A. O'Brien. 1, 0. 5,0; 11. N. Lambert. 12 2. 33. 0: R. B. Chadwick. 6,0, 25. 0. Fall of wickets: Ono for 29: two for 47; five ■

COUNTRY. First innings 101 Second Innings. ft. Cameron, b. Morgan 53 H. B.- Massey, c. James, b. Blundell .. 7 T. P. Reaney. 1.b.w.. b. O’Neill 15 M. A. O’Brien, b. O’Neill 31 H. N. Lambert, c. Blundell, b. O’Neill 5 E. Evans, not out 39 M. Ongley, b. Morgan 4 D. L. Freeman, b. O'Neill 1 R. B. Chadwick, c. Grim ths. b. Blundell 23 H. Hayward, not out 8 Extras (byes 8. leg-byes 4) 12 Total for eight wickets 201 Bowling Analysis.—R. Crook. 8 overs. 1 mniden, 20 runs. 0 wickets: E. D. Blundell. 23. fl. 58. 2: R. O’Neill. 19, 4. 54. 4: B. Griffiths. 1. 0. 8. 0; IL Morgan. 17. 3, 49. 2. Fall of wickets: One for 20: two for 43; three for 100; four for 122; five for 12(1; six for 139; seven for 140; eight for 183. .