COMMENT ON THE PLAY

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 19, 24 January 1927, Page 10

COMMENT ON THE PLAY

■ HENDERSON. BOWLS WELti

(By Telegraph.) {?'■ (Special to "The Evening Post.") ;' ■'■■•■ / AUCKLAND, This Day. Saturday's play, though devoid o£ sparkling displays of batting, was as full of mci.dent and excitement as that of Friday, and : left the result of the game in, a more indefinite state. The Dacre-Alcott partnership, from which Aucklanders hoped for.much, finished soon after resumption, Henderson to the bowler's end, when "hander with, a ball that would hav.e accounted for many a better batsman. Most ■1 of the Northern side's batting strength had gone, with Wellington's small total yet ' unpassed, but the seventh wicket stand added 64. Daere and Gillespie were a determined though lucky pair. The former, ? impressed with the necessity of holding . his end. up, scratched and poked -round in. a most un-Dacre-lilie manner, with luck certainly smiling on him. To his two • Jives of Friday he added another two, and .'. in addition, what looked like a certain-run out was lost through a wild return by Henderson to the bowler's and, when „ both, batsmen were hesitating at the other ones. Gillespie, solid and cautious, gave -.. not a. single chance, but was certainly sever at-home to Henderson, who was trundling at the top of his form. The , bowler got no assistance from the wicket, ; on which his.deliveries kept much lower than they would have done on the Basin, but he swung in a manner that had the batsmen continually guessing, and with ' fine pace and * a perfect length came through an innings where he carried the brunt of the attack with the splendid ay- ', erage of six for 70. The stand warmly ap- • plauded his effort when he came in at the conclusion of the innings, and it cer.'tainly looks as if he has made, the selectors' task of finding a. suitable fast . .bowler much easier. Both Dacre and Anthony fell through Z feeling at.- Henderson's off stuff, and when Matheson got right in front of M'Girr to give him his only wicket, eight ; ■«[ere down for 246, and the third century for Auckland seemed hopeless. Player, I however, settled down at once, and durY. ing his tour at the wickets for 27, not (; out,' never looked like being dismissed. It I- took Gillespie- two and a half hours to L make a chanceless half-century. Then he, j : too, was tempted to have a go at Hen- |. derspn»- There was a confident appeal for [;'a-catch behind, from James, and all the I slips.-J The umpire, to their evident as- ' tonishment, shook Ms head. Next ball r came a- similar stroke, a similar appeal, f and Gillespie was out. His effort and '; .that of Mills were the only really good j ones in Auckland's first innings, which left [, Wellington'l2s behind. The Southerners' r bowling had. been 1 much superior to that I .which dismissed them on the previous \ day for. 182. "Henderson put up a remark- ; able performance, and Badcock, though |he got only: one wicket, was always [■.troublesome. He was unlucky^ with the mew ball.at 200, in riot securing more, for r.Jie had: Gillespie and Daere sorely puzzled at times.- Lambert did not add to |-iis. bag of two f0r,22 of Friday, and Holdings ■;■ was ■ but little used. Brice and j' M'Girr^ fthough they did not look lik« get- / ting, wickets, were, both accurate, and sent r: down: but few loose, ones. V U JBACKS TO THE WALU

i'\ The crowd "'of about 9000 had two sensa--1 tioria early in Wellington's second venture. With but 3.runs on, Hiddleston ', touched one in Allcott's first over, and ■ Rowntree took it. Matheson again proved , fatal to Worker, for in the next over he 1 jwas :for the second' time caught behind ;" off-this bowler.-VThe catch was a brilliant '' ione, taken by Rowntree on the leg; side of : the batsman. The crowd were keyed up ? .with excitement,; expecting Wellington to • again go. cheaply, but there followed a ■ "•partnership which, for dogged back-to-the- ' ball fighting, was worth going a long way " tq-see; • iowry joined Kortlang, andboth. •? set out to wear down the bowling.- Most • successfully they did it, too. Dacre-soon "itried'hia spin bowlers, Bowley and Snedden; but the pair refused to be tempted, ■ arid- despite good-natured chafE from the spectators, s>tuck to their game. Kortlang's footwork jalpne was an education, and the way-in. which'he countered all ■ of Bowley's- wiles showed him at his best. | ■ Throughout the ufternoon he appeared to use only two shots,.but he used them most -' effectively. Hia dismissal was a peculiar one. Bowley, after delivering, swung out Wide to-'the ofE •in anticipation of the -. stroke, but the ball hit Kortlang's pad. jlhe umpire's hand was up before there " .was an appeal, which-came from behind the. wickets,; and the batsman seemed very . dissatisfied with the decision, shaking his "head as.he {ipproached the pavilion.' Lowry carried on unbeaten till the end ;'of ;the.day with a splendid, if restrained, •* innings. Just after he .had got into :". double 1 figures he sent one hard and low : tq Cooper at mid-on, but the fieldsman slipped and fumbled the ball. Before stuips. both he and. James drove the slow * bqwfer'high to leg, where Matheson badly ' misjudged two: possible chances, but the Hawkes Bay player's great effort was invaluable, to his :side, and changed the complexion of .a game that bo far. has been replete with thrills. Wellington are now '. 48 up; on Auckland's first innings total, Z. -,.and have' seven good wickets in hand, so ■; that the issue is still in doubt, and there "\ is little likelihood of the game concluding 'VJ)efpre Tuesday at the earliest. .".