SHIELD CRICKET

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 80, 28 December 1935, Page 13

SHIELD CRICKET

Wellington Leads On First Innings LOW SCORING Canterbury All Out In Two Hours BLANDFORD IN FORM lu-and-out batting by Wellington should have enabled Canterbury to gain a promising position in the first day of the I’lunket Shield match yesterday at the Basin Reserve. However, Canterbury’s batting slumped as well and Wellington secured a first innings lead. After M. A. O’Brien (Hawke's Bay) and D. A. It. Moloney (Manawatu) had put on 56 for the first wicket for Wellington, the batting weakened before the slow’ bowling of Canterbury till J. A. R. Blandford played a very creditable knock of 62, with Help in adding 71 for the sixth wicket by J. B. Lamason. W. E. Merritt, the former New Zealand representative slow bowler, secured five for 72, and I. B. Cromb took four for 53. The visiting bowling was well managed, and the field was carefully placed, being varied aceording to the style of each batsman. C. K. Jackman, the wicket-keeper, dismissed five batsmen. Against 'steady bowling well supported in the field Canterbury never settled down, the whole side being oul In just over two hours for 122, 74 behind Wellington. E. D. Blundell bowled especially well, taking three for 29, while C. Parsloe took three for 35. Wellington lost one wicket for 18 in the second innings. The match will be resumed at 11 o’clock to-day. The teams were—• Canterbury: 1. B. Cromb (captain), A. W. Roberts, M. Braham, W. E. Merritt, C. K. .Jackman, L. Butterfield, A. I’. Cobden. -1. L. Kerr. W. A. Hadley, !•'. W. Bellamy. ]■'. I’. O'Brien. Wellington: J.' It. Lamason (captain), E. D. Blundell. M. A. O'Brien. D. A. B. Moloney. .1. A. R. Blandford. J. Ell. W. Rainbird. C. Parsloe, B. Griffiths, J. A. Newman. S. Ward. The umpires were Messrs. L. W. Jenness and C. A. Webb, and the scorers Messrs. B. Warwick and .1. B Reid. About 2(10(1 spectators watched the play. Good Start—Then Trouble. Wellington .-enured an advantage by winning the toss, but ineffective batting to a great extent offset the opportunity provided by first ise of a good pitch with a billiard table outfield. O'Brieu ami Moloney, neither opening batsmen by experience, gave the side a good start, putting on 56 in an hour. O'Brien toon time to play hjmself in, scoring seven singles in the first quarter of an hour. Using his long reach to get to the pitch of the ball to the medium-paced bowlers and his feet to jump out to the slow men he began punching the ball in front of the wicket, his off-driving being especially clean ami strong. He Kt four fours, one to long-off and three to leg, and one three and three twos in making 36 but. of 60. He was given out 1.b.w., the ball striking him rather high up on the leg. Moloney had an early life, being dropped when one by Bellamy at second slip off Graham. After settling down he batted very steadily, staying just over an hour for 23. ' lie bit two fours, one 15 line-leg and the other square with a powerful hook from a short ball, and three twos, lie was particularly sound in onside play, his off-side scoring strokes being confined mainly to taps through the slips. He went forward to the ball which bowled him and was several feet down the pitch when the wickets were struck. Ell was given out. stumped by Jackman off Cromb. He stepped out to drive, but miissed and the ball rebounded from the gloved of the 'keeper on to the bail**. Ward had an uncomfortable stay lotfive runs, being nearly caught by Jackman and then by Roberts at forward short leg off Cromb before falling l.b.w. to Merritt. Rainbird went forward to one from Merritt and was s-tumpeil by Jackman when several feet out of his ground. Five wickets had fallen for 25 runs in half ah hour, and much of the advantage gained in the first hour had been lost. Fighting Partnership. Lamason and Blandford, however, made a fighting stand, adding 71 for the sixth wicket, the last 50 at more than one a minute. Lamason took half an hour to reach 10 and played some of his strokes uppishly, a sweep to leg off a full toss from Merritt going close to Kerr, while an attempted drive just cleared backward point off Graham. At 18 the captain was dropped ou the leg side by Jackman off Roberts. He batted 79 minutes for 28 and hit two fours. Jackman whipped the bails off in a flash when Lamason moved out of his ground and missed a quickly-dropping one from Merritt. Blandford, after three singles, hit three fours from the slow bowlers, and thereafter played most of his scoring strokes with confidence, being particularly effective behind the wickets, late cutting well. His pulling and hooking of short balls from the slow bowlers was strong. He scored 62 in 72 minutes without a chance, hitting seven fours, one three and four twos. He went in when things were bad for his side and was second to last man out when forcing the pace. He tipped one from Merritt and was caught by Jackman. Parsloe, the left-hander, ran to double figures quickly, hitting one four over square-leg and another to long-on from Cromb. Trying to swing a short oue, however, he was clean bowled by the visiting captain. Newman, another left-hander, also fell to Cromb. He was enticed to hit at one served up for the purpose, and the spin carried the ball off the face of the bat, a good running catch being taken at mid-off by Cobden. Blundell “brought down the house” by lifting Merritt for six on to the seats in front of the grandstand and hitting the next for four to leg. He and Griffiths added 23 for the last wicket, before Blundell became another victim of the Jack-man-Merritt partnership. Wellington’s score of 196 was made in just over three hours. Slow Bowlers Effective. Canterbury’s bowling was very well controlled by Cromb. He used frequent changes, making a dozen in two hours before lunch, and depended mainly on his slow men for the taking of wickets, shrewdly employing the spinners to new batsmen, although this sometimes entailed taking off a medium-paced bowler who was bowling steadily. Roberts, medium-paced right-hand, was the steadiest of the bowlers, never being easy to score from. Of his 19 overs seven were maidens, and only 34 runs were hit off him. Graham, slightly faster, bowled outside the off stump, but could not find batsmen to flirt with it.

Merritt, the professional slow bowler, in securing five for 72, varied in his length', but secured good turn. Cromb, who has changed in the last two seasons from medium to alow, bowled with design, rary-

ing his flight and pace cleverly and occasionally bowling from about two feet behind the crease. He took four for 53. The slow bowlers were well supported behind the wickets by Jackman. He had a field day, stumping four and catching one and allowing only three leg-byes. The Canterbury fielding was practically without blemish, the picking up and throwing being especially good. One catch was missed behind the wickets, and one in the slips. The field was placed with care, especially to the batting of Lamason and O’Brien, many of whose strongest strokes went straight to fieldsmen. Canterbury’s Collapse. Canterbury’s innings opened sensationally, Parsloe, the fast-medium bowler, clean-bowling Butterfield in his second over, and with the next ball skittling Hadlee, who made a century last season against Wellington at Christchurch. Bellamy, the left-hander, who also scored a century against Wellington last season, and Kerr, who topped three figures a few days ago against the touring English team, then put on 40. Bellamy played strokes past point, cover and mid-off with grace, and also turned short ones well to leg. He hit four fours and three twos before being bowled in the second over after tea by Blundell. Kerr took over half an hour in reaching double figures, and was never forcing the bowling for runs, though he hit loose balls with well-placed strokes of power. After batting 70 minutes for 27 he went l.b.w. to Blundell. Cromb was well caught by Blandford behind the wickets off Newman, and Ward took a grand catch at forward short-leg to dismiss O'Brien off Blundell. Roberts stayed three-quarters of an hour for 19. and was then snapped trp by Blandford off Parsloe. Merritt, trying to drive Newman, mishit the ball practically straight up in the air. Both Ell and Ward went for the catch and collided, but Ell held the ball. Cobden, a young player appearing in his first shield game, made 23 brightly, with 'strong hooks and drives, and then went for a swipe against Griffiths. The same bowler dismissed Graham. The innings took 125 minutes for 122. Blundell Bowls Well. The Wellington bowlers kept at their task very determinedly, especially fine work being done by Blundell. Lamason made effective use of Parsloe, bowling him for only four or five overs at a time. After Parsloe’s two opening overs, in which he took two wickets without giving awfly a run, the batsmen played him with great care and at.tea he had bowled six overs for 20 runs. He was used twice in short spells after tea, and in one of these took another wicket. He finished with three for 35. His first two wickets had considerable influence on the play, the visitors not recovering from the bad start. Blundell, bowling into the wind, kepv tlie batsmen quiet, the scoring rate from him being loss than two runs an over. He was especially effective after tea, ami was kept at it, bowling for an hour and a quarter without rest, taking three for 19 off 12 overs in that period. His length was always good, and he made pace from the wicket. Newman, the slow-medium left-hander, used with the wind, was also steady, but tlie batsmen did not seem troubled by him. Griffiths was brought ou against the tail, and took two quick wickets with his slow breaks. Wellington's Second Innings. Wellington hud to bat for 20 minutes. O'Brien again fell 1.b.w., this time to Graham, who opened with Roberts. Merritt and Cromb were soon switched on. Cromb and most of the fieldsmen evidently thought he had caught Ell at first slip off Merritt, but the umpire negatived tlie appeal. Ell and Moloney played out time. Scores: WELLINGTON.—First Innings. 0. A. R. Moloney, b. Cromb 23 M. A. O'Brien, 1.n.w., b. Roberts 36 .1. Ell. st. Jiwknirin. li. Cromb 0 S. Ward, 1.b.w., b. Merritt ■' .1. R. Lamason, st. Jaekman, b. Merritt 28 W. Raiirbiril. st. .Jaekman. b. Merritt 0 J. A. R. Blandford, c. Jackman, b. Merritt C. I’arsloe, b. Cromb J A. Newman, v. Cobden, b. Cromb .. 0 It. Griffiths, not out .- • 4 E. D. Blundell, st. Jackman,, b. Merritt 16 Leg-byes " No balls Total Bowling.

front. , , . Fall of Wickets.—One for .A two for 00. three for 64. four for 70, five for 81. six for 152. seven for 169. eight for 173. nine for 176. ten for 196. Second Innings. D A. R. Moloney.-not out 7 M. A. O'Brien, 1.b.w.. b. Graham .... - J. Ell. not out ° No balls 1 Total for one wicket 1S

CANTERBURY.—First Innings. 1.. Butterfield, b. I’arsloe 0 F. W. Bellamy, b. Blundell '-6 W. A. Hadlee. li. Parsloe 0 J L. Kerr, 1.b.w.. b. Blundell 2< I. B. Cromb, c. Blandford, b. Newman t> V W Roberts, c. Blandford, b. Parsloe IS i-'. F. O'Brien, c. Ward. b. Blundell .. 5 A P. Cobden, b. Griffiths 23 W. E. Merritt, c. Ell, b. Newman .... 4 C. K. Jackman, not out •' M. Graham, b. Griffiths j Byes j Leg-byes z No balls _ TOO total 4 "

scored from. Fall of Wickets—One for 5, two for 5, three for 42. four for 56, live for 74, six for 8-1. seven for 90, eight for 111, nine for 120, ten for 122.

A. W. Roberts .... 0. 19 M. K. 34 W. 1 M. Grnbitut . S 0 2S II W. E. Merritt .... 23.1 1 2 <- 1. 15. Cromb , 21 . i 4 ]•’. W. Bellamy .... , 1 0 4 0 Cromb bowled two no balls not scored

0. M. R. w. M. Gru ham .... ... J 0 -1 1 A. W. Roberts . I 3 () W. E. Meritt. ... (J 3 0 1 B. Crotnit ... Fall of Wickets. —One 1 7 fur 2. 0

0. M. It. \V. E. 1J. Blunden .. ...17 211 3 C. Parsloe ... 11 - .1. A Newman . ... 10 II 30 2 B. Griffiths .... ... 3.4 0 21 2 Blundell bowled three no balls not