M.C.C. MAKE 427

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 154, 27 March 1937, Page 13

M.C.C. MAKE 427

Strong Position Against New Zealand ALLEN’S LIVELY 88 Six Dominion Wickets Down for 201 PAGE-VIVIAN STAND The 3000 spectators who watched the second day’s play between the M.C.C. and New Zealand elevens, on the Basin Reserve on ’Thursday, enjoyed an interesting day’s cricket. The feature or the latter part of England’s first innings, which closed at 12.40 p.m. for a total of 427, was a breezy knock for 88 bv the English captain, G. O. B. Allen, who hit up his score in 103 minutes, making 13 boundary strokes. The wicket was faster than on M ednesday, and the Now Zealanders, who started their innings at 12.55 , P-m--found difficulty in playing Allens fast deliveries. At one stage Allen had three wickets for nine runs, and nilished up with three for 30. This fine bowling performance, following up hi® 88 with the bat. demonstrated what a fine all-round player the English captain is. . . f „ The outlook did not look bright o New Zealand when three wickets were down for 40 runs, but the captain, M. D Page, and the vice-captain, H. u. Vivian, then got together, and put on 146 for the fourth wicket. Both batsmen played the English bowlers witn confidence and scored freely from -■ en. Voce, Ila mmond and Verity. Page reached 50 in 124 minutes, and Vivian ran to 88 in 149 minutes, and their displays were quite up to anything the Englishmen had given. When stumps were drawn at i»A> p.m. on account of fading light - Zealand had lost six wickets for -Vi runs.

A Captain’s Innings.

With seven wickets down for 334 runs. Vilen (14) and Verity (8) continued Ln land's first innings on Thursday morningThe weather was overeast, and a tai stiff north-westerly, wind was 1 ‘"r Roberts and Cowie took up the J ”' vl ' Allen reached 20, mid then doitlj I . glided one from Cowie to the fence. 1 lay ing freely, the English captain soon ran ’“tEc 350 came up in 347 mi nut.es. Allen was playing breezy cricket, going . the Pitch to Vivian’s slows, and hitting him into the deep field, one lusty rattling the pickets. He turned one from Roberts to the ropes, and twice cutTivm square for four, reaching his hall century in 74 minutes. He had at this stage hit "At GHDunning took the ball from Roberts, who had bowled very steadily for 40 minutes. 400 Appears. Sims reached double figures in 40 minutes. Allen, with a crisp late-cut to fence off Dunning, brought 400 up aftei the innings bad been in progress lor 401 “pachig Cowie, the M.C.C. captain square-cut one sweetly to the ropes,.and in the next over from the fast bowler reached 80 with another perfectly-timed square-cut to the boundary. Roberts had a turn with the new ball, but Allen banged one to the ropes at square-leg. The next ball, a slower one. clean bowled the English captain, and ended a bright and sparklmg innings which lasted for 103 minutes. His bb included 13 boundary strokes. Niue wickets were down tor 426, tvlicn Voce, the last man, joined Sims, who was on the devil’s number. He scored one, and the next ball saw the end of the innings, which had lasted for 426 minutes, bims being caught in the slips by Dunning off R °Cowie, Roberts, Vivian and Page each took two wickets and Dunning and Weir one each. Dunning sent down 41 overs for 100 runs and a wicket. He was doing well until the English captain hit out. A Bad Start. Hadlee and Kerr opened the New Zealand innings at 12.55 to the bowling ot Voce and Hammond, aud all that came from an over by each bowler was one legbye. The luncheon adjournment was then On resuming at 1.47, Voce and Allen took up the attack. The third ball of Allen’s first over Kerr played into Voces safe hands at second slip, and one wicket was down for one run. Wallace, the Auckland colt, filled the vacancy. Both bowlers were sending them down at. a good pace and kept tee batsmen strictly on the defensive. With the total at 9, off as many overs, Allen handed the ball to .Hammond. Hadlee reached double figures in 35 minutes by hitting one from Hammond through the covers to the fence, bringing 20 up. Hadlee raised applause by hooking a “rearer” from Voce to the pickets. Wallace ran into double figures in 28 minutes. Both batsmen were shaping soundly to accurate bowling. At 31 Allen took the ‘ball from Voce whose seven overs had cost 18 runs, and Verity relieved Hammond, whose four overs had produced 11 runs. Hadlee reached 20 in 50 minutes. (tn Alien’s fifth over Hadlee was snapped up by Ames behind the sticks. Two wickets were now down for 33 dud Allen had taken both at a cost of two runs. < Vivian joined Wallace, who was 13, but. with seven runs added, Wallace was clean bowled by Allen. A Splendid Stand. Page, the New Zealand captain, came in to stop the rot and arrived to see Vivian off-drive one from Verity to the track at long-off. Vivian repeated the stroke in the same over, reaching double figures. With the total at 48 Hammond relieved Verity, whose three overs had cost 12 runs. Page popped a no-ball from Allen into Verity’s hands at fine-leg and scored a single off the next ball, bringing 50 up in 71 minutes. After bowling eight overs for 8 runs and three wickets, Allen handed the ball to Sime. Page enlivened a drab period by hitting a full toss from Sime to the fence at long-leg, and he placed one to the track past third man in the same over.

Vivian brought 70 up by placing one from Sims down the gully to the fence, and ho raised applause by lifting one in the same over to the ropes at long-leg. This made his score 27. At 76 Worthington had a try in place of Hammond, and Vivian crisply drove his seventh ball to the ropes at long-off, reaching the thirties. Page swung one from Sims to the fence at long-leg. The partnership had added 50 in 44 minutes. With the total at 99 Voce took the ball from Sims, whose six overs had cost 27 runs.

Applause greeted the hoisting of the first, hundred, which took 110 minutes. Vivian placed one from Voce down the gully to the fence. Verily took the ball from Worthington, off whose four overs 13 runs had c'ome. Worthington and Allen were fielding close in to the bat while Verity was operating. The tea adjournment was taken with the ucore al 10.8 for three wiekels, Vivian being 46 and Page 23. On resuming at 4.5 p.m., Verity and •Allen took up the bowling. Pago drove

one from Verity straight for four ami crisply off-drove Allen to the ropes, reaching 30 aud bringing 120 up.

Vivian reached bis 50 in 88 minutes, and this was the signal for Page to glide Alien to the ropes. Page reached 40 with a snick through the slips off Allen to the fence.

The batsmen had now warmed to their work, and runs were coming freely. Vivian late cut Allen Cor Cour, and placed the next one to cover for a couple.

Wlu'ii 42 Page bad a narrow escape. He skied one to Leyland at square-leg, but the Yorkshireman, who has been handicapped by a stiff left arm on this tour, misjudged the catch, falling as he tried to get to the ball. The partnership bad now put on 100 runs in 94 minutes. Vivian lifted Verity to the long-on boundary, bringing 150 up in IGO minutes.

Vivian banged one from \ erity to the fence at square-leg, running into the set entice.

At 158 Sims took the ball from Verity, off wiiose 14 overs 36 runs had come. Vivian hit the Middlesex slow bowler to the fence nt long-on, bringing 160 up. Voce had a turn with the ball, but Vivian ran into the eighties by placing him twice to the off for a couple. By offdriving Sims past cover to the fence, Page reached 50 in 124 minutes. One from Sims went through for four byes, the ball being fielded in front of the sight-screen by a policeman. This brought ISO in sight. End of Bright Partnership. With the total at. 186 Page's long innings came to an end. One from Voee kicked up and the New Zealand captain popped it. softly into Sims's hands close in at square-leg. Page had been at the wiekets for 135 minutes, and had assisted Vivian to put. on 146 for the fourth ivieket. He hit eight fours. Moloney joined Vivian, who was BS, and arrived to see the end of Vivian's brilliant innings. The Auckland lefthander touched one from Voee and was brilliantly taken by Ames. Vivian had been batting for 149 minutes aud hit 10 fours. Tindill followed and arrived to see Moloney on-drive one from Sims to the ropes at extra long-on. The 200 came up in 214 minutes’ play and then Tindill played one from Voce on to his sticks, and six wickets were down for 201.

This finished play for the day. as an appeal against the light, which bad been dull for some time, was upheld, and stumps were drawn nt 5.33 p.m. Allen aud Voce bowled particularly

well for England. The English captain, though not bowling at his top pace, worked up a good turn of speed. He was a yard faster than Cowie, and eventually came out witli three for 30. off 13 overs. Voce was dangerous throughout the 15.2 overs lie bowled. His ability to make the ball lilt had all the batsmen with the exception of Vivian and Page in trouble, ami he at last dismissed both these men, his tally being three tor 40. Hammond bowled very steadily in sending down 13 overs for 22 runs. Worthington, Sims ami Verity did not trouble the New Zealand batsmen. The match will be concluded to-day, play commencing at 11.30 a.m. Following are the scores: — M .C.C.—F irst tu n.i ngs. It. E. S. Wyatt, c. Dunning, b. Weir .. 144 T. S. Worthington, c. Roberts, b. Vivian !.• J. Uardstaff. c. Hadlee, b. Vivian 22 L. B. Fishlock. c. Weir. 1). Page 1+ W. It. Hammond, e. Wallace, b. Cowie 4 M. Leyland, c. Vivian, b. Page J L. E. G. Aines, c. Vivian, b. Dunning .. tb G. O. B. Allen, b. Roberts 8S 11. Verity, e. Moloney, b. Cowie 10 J. M. Sims, c. Dunning, b. Roberts .... 13 IV. Voce, not out 1 Extras: Byes O. leg-byes S, no-balls 1 IS Total '■ 427 Fall of Wickets.—One for 33. two for Ml, three for 137. four for lot, five for 1112, six for 277, seven for 31-1. eight for 336, nine for 426, ten for 427.

NEW ZEALAND.—First Innings. J. L. Kerr. e. Voee. b. Allen o W. A. Hadlee, e. Ames. b. Allen 20 M. W. Wallace, b. Allen 1'; H. G. Vivian, e. Ames, b. Voce SS M. 1,. Page. e. Sims. b. Voce >">O IK A. R. Moloney, not out 0 E. W. Tindill. b. Voce •• Extras: Byes 6, leg-byes o, no-balls 4 13 Total for six wickets 201 Fall of Wiekets.—One for 1. two for 33, three for -10. four for l-Sti, five for 101. six for 201.

Bowling Analysis. M. IL W Cowie 30 S 73 Roberts . .s Du nniug -11 8 1U0 1 Vivian Page ... o Moloney li 0 20 I) Weir .. 0 41 1

Bowling Analysis. O. M. R. AV ... Io.2 4 40 11 ] la m mo nd ....... .... 13 4 0 Allen .... 13 3 30 • i Worthington .... + 1 1.3 o 1 II I *5 .... 11 - 0 Verity .... 11 3 36 V