CRICKET

Evening Post, Volume XCIX, Issue 9, 10 January 1920, Page 12

CRICKET

INTER-PROVINCIAL MATCH

WELLINGTON "TAILS UP"

The sudden revival of Wellington, after losing six wickets for 47 runs, wag the feature of yesterday's play in the representative game against Canterbury. Nobody would have given much for the chances of the local team in euch a plight against a formidable total of their opponents of 285. The partnership of M'Girr and Condliffe for the seventh wicket completely altered the position, and the supporters of Wellington were able to look up again and view the rest of/ the match with renewed hopes. The first six men, with the exception of W. Baker, had gone down like ninepins before the bowling of M'Ewin and R«ad, and the task before M'Girr and his partner was one to bring out the qualities of a cricketer. Condliffe played exactly the, correct game under the circumstances, taking no risks and keeping his end up, while his partner did the scoring. Between them thi pair succeeded, and when M'Girr was given out to what was aamittedly a dubious catch at the wickat, the stand had produced ninety runs. Condliffe carried on his shepherdl!1 o go-slow and steady policy, and sa.w iliddleton add a substantial 41 to the score—the fresh partnership realising another 62 runs. Then came Hutchings and with him Condliffe, with the load of responsibility off his shoulders ss the total passed the second century, let out at the bowling and showed he could hit as well as stonewall. In half-an-houi' he made as many as it had taken him two hours to make before, and put on six 4's to his singles and couples. When he went out Wellington were in a respectable position, and closed their innings only 23 behind their opponents' total of 285.

The visitors produced a remarkable variety of bowlers, and when Read and M'Ewin failed to intimidate and saw their averages of about eight runs per wicket double and more, Watson proved quite effective, and finished with an average of three for 22. For the local team it is fair to say they were up against far better bowling than any attack they could offer. This was shown m the Canterbury second innings, when slow cricket at the start accelerated the scoring, when the bowling was mastered by Blunt and Patrick. The fielding on both sides wjs up to the mark, though at the end of both innings Duncan had an extraordinary run of luck, being missed three times in one over and then caught at the finish. Both wicketkeepers were 'smart behind the stumps and were responsible for a number of wickets.

Following are the details of play after Tha Post went to press. Condliffe was . then partnered by Middleton, who showed a disposition to punish the bowling. Middleton, after hitting Thomas for three 4's in six balls, succumbed to the seventh, a yorker, and retired fot a •well-played and precious 41 —which included seven 4's. 199-^B—4l. The partnership had realised, 62 runs. Hutchings followed, and a no-ball by Thomas raised the score to 200. Eead came on again in place of Sandman, and Beese superseded Thomas with the score at 205. Condliffe pulled Read hard tq the on and ran out 4, amid applause. Hutchings, who was batting freely with ' a fine forward stroke, drove Reese to the oil boundary, and cut him to the opposite fence, bringing up 220. Condliffe played equally vigorously now, cutting Rend's first ball to the boundary for 4, and driving the next cleanly for another 4. The sixth ball went to off with a fine cut to the boundary. The over produced three boundaries and a single. Thomas replaced Reese, and was driven to the boundary by Hutchings. M'Ewin went on at the north end in place of Read. Watson'replaced Thomas, and off his first ball Condliffe was caught by Brunton at the wicket for 63—a splendid effort, which had gone far to the saving 'of his side. He began slowly and cautiously, and his innings took two hours and forty minutes, but the latter part was full of hard, clean hitting, and included the six 4's which stood to his credit. 246—9—62. Duncan was the last batsman. He played out the' remainder of Watson's over, and scored a sirigle off M'Ewin. Hutchings, with a single and a couple, raised the score to 250. Duncan gave a hard chance to Read off Watson, but the fielder in rolling over dropped the ball. Thomas dropped an easier one to square-leg from Duncan off M'Ewin. He was missed again by Evans in the deep field off Watson, "but finally fell to Patrick off the same bowler, with the score at 262. He had made a lucky .7. Hutchings carried, out his bat for 22, which included three 4's—a vigorous display. With the game in an interesting position Watson and Blunt opened Canterbury's second innings to the Bowling of M'Girr, whose first over against Watson was a maiden. MiddMon bowled from the south end. Off his fifth ball Bhyht got one through the slips, G. Baker making his first misfield of the match. Blunt pulled Middleton to the on for four, and -with nice late'cut off M'Girr brought 10 up on the boardr With the spore 14 Watson gave a chance to Condliffe at the wicket, off Middleton, but the ball was not held. M'Girr beat Watson badly twice in the succeeding over Scoring was slow, M'Girr's last over being a, maiden. Only two runs were scored of Middleton's last two overs. , With the score at 17 Hutchings took the ball from M'Girr at the north end Only one was scored off his first over. The score was 20 after half-an- . hour's play Hutchings gave Watson a full toss for the second bail of his next over, and the batsman' pulled a loftyone, which was caught bj Schraeder close by the fence on the run. 22—1—8: M'Ewin followed, and Duncan replaced Middleton at the south end. Runs came very slowly. After forty minutes' play the score was only 30, with 14 overs bowled. The next over of Duncan produced a few more runs. Blunt drove the left hander to the bounda-ry and brought up 40. M'Girr went on again in place of Hutchings. The score rose more rapidly and reached 50, Blunt 36. With the score at 58 Dind took the ball

from Duncan. M'Ewin got him away foi" a pair of twos, but in the next over returned a ball of M'Girr's to the bowler —an easy catch. 65—3—16. Patrick succeeded M'Ewin and the score passed 80, with Blunt 50. After an interval of uninteresting play the visitors' total reached 100, Blunt being 61, Patrick 14. Both batsmen then began- to master the bowling, in spite of changes, Patrick was especially free after an uninspiring opening and began to overhaul the score of bis partner. W. Baker was tried at the north end, and M'Girr tried at the opposite end. Patrick, with the score at 151, passed his halfcentury. Blunt was now .74. When stumps were drawn at 6 p.m. the score was 160 for two wickets, Blunt, not out, 77, Patrick 54, not out. M'Girr had taken one wicket for 43, Hutchings one for 38. Following are the scores:—• CANTERBURY. First innings tt..,..,, 255 Second Inningß. Watson, c Shraeder, b Hutchings 8 Blunt, not out 77 M'Ewin, o and b M'Girr , 16 Patrick, not out • 54 Extras ....as. 5 Total (for 2 wickets) v. 160 WELLINGTON. First Innings. W. Bakei\ c Patrick, b Read 22 Dind. c Brunton, b Read 13 Gcdye, c Patrick, b Eead ...: 1 Schraeder, c Reese,, b M'Ewin 1 Burton, b M'Ewin 2 G. Baker, b M'Ewin 4 Condliffe, c Brunton, b Watson ... 62 M'Girr, c Brunton, b Watson 68 Middleton/ b Thomas 41 Hutchings, not out 23 Duncan, c Patrick, b Watson 7 Extras 18 The fall of the wickets was as follows: 1 for 15, 2 for 30, 3 for 37, 4 for 37, 5 for 42, 6 for 47. 7 for 137, 8 for 199, 9 for 246, 10 for 262. BOWLING ANALYSIS.

Overs. M Read 20 M'Ewin 19 Sandman 6 Reese , 5 Cfonmas 8 Watson .'. 5.5 ldns. I 0 5 0 1 2 0 Rns. V 90 54 27 20 31 22 Wlrts. 3 3 0 0 1 3