CRICKET

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 135, 5 December 1930, Page 11

CRICKET

TOWN V. COUNTRY

A SLOW BEGINNING

lIOBBS'S EECOED BROKEN

The Wellington Cricket Association takes a particular interest in the country districts under its wing, and one way of bringing out the talent is to stage a match each year between representatives of Country and Town. Some of these matches have provided very bright cricket, but this season's game, commenced at the Basin Kcserve to-day, had a very slow beginning. The Country representatives had first use of the- wicket, but during the- first hour's play only 25 runs had been scored for. tho loss of three wickets. Blundell, Newman, and Crook, the first two particularly, were too hot a proposition with -the ball, and at the end of the first hour their figures wore very interesting, if the same could not be said of the batsmen's efforts. One point of special note regarding; the batting, however, was that a Country opening batsman (Pacey) succeeded in breaking llobbs's latest record., .In India recently Hobbs occupied an hour in scoring five runs. Pacey to-day was at the batting crease for an hour and scored three runs.- During that hour Blundell had had seven overs at a cost of six runs, Crook eight at a cost of 16 runs, and Newman nine (of which seven were maidens) at a cost of 3 runs. Crook had taken one wicket and Newman two. The batting improved subsequently. Except that the weather was overcast, tho conditions were excellent, tho wicket being in splendid order. The teams are:— Country.—T. C. Lowry, captain (Eangitikei), O. Naismith (Tarauaki), Pacey (Manawatu), Stephenson ■ (Hawkes Bay), D. Cameron (Eangitikei), Norris (Manawatu), Kainey (Hawkes Bay), N. Gallichan (Manawatu), H. B. Massey (Wairarapa), O'Br,ien (Hawkes Bay), and A. Newman (Nelson), with F. Hoar (Wairarapa) and Bullock-Douglas (Wanganui) as emergencies. O'Brien replaced Burke (Eangitikei). Town. —C. S. Dempster (captain), A. K. Hamilton, W. F. Airey, W. Hepburn, J. E. Lamason, E. Tindill, J. Standidgc, B. Crook, F. Warnes, E. D. Blundell, and J. Newman. Messrs. C. G. Wilson and J. Hutchings are the umpires, and Mr. L. Dumbletoii official scorer. PLAY DESCRIBED. The spin of the coin ( favoured Lowry, and the Country team had first use of a fast wicket. Dempster led the Town team on to the field at 11.8 a.m., and Paeey, the Manawatu colt, came out to open the innings with Naismith, of Taranaki. Blundell took up the bowling from the southern end, send-, ing his deliveries down in the face of a fairly strong northerly wind. Naismith scored a single in the first over, and scored another off Crook, who came on at the other end. The batsmen were experiencing difficulty in scoring off Blundell, whose first five overs included two maidens and-cost only two-runs/ although- a no-ball was ealled'ih his second over. Crook was also treated with respect, but ' after he had bowled three overs for six runs he was replaced by Newman, who sent down three maidens before he- had a run scored' off him. : Double figures appeared on the board, after half an hour's play, tho batting continuing to be on the slow side. Naismith at length showed an inclination to open! out, and a drive for two off Blundell,. followc'd by a single in .tho same bowler's next over, gave him 10. With the score at 14, a successful change was made in the bowling. Crook was brought on in place of Blundell (seven overs, including two maidens, for six runs), and his first delivery boat Naismith all the, way. 14-1-11. . .' ■ Stephenson (Hawkes Bay) filled, tho vacancy, ands glided the last ball of the over to leg for two. ■ Crook's wicket had cost S runs. Pacey credited Newman with his fourth maideii over, but a drive by Stephenson off Crook realised two runs, the next delivery rising sharply off the pitch and going over the heads of the slip fieldsmen. for the first bye of the match. Matters were still painfully slow, and a snick through the slips by Pacey brought 20 up after 50 minutes of play. ' ' NEWMAN'S BOWLING. The second wicket fell at 12.o'clock, when Stephenson lifted one from Newman to Airey at mid-off. 21-2-5. Newman had bowled seven overs, including, five maidens, for one wicket, and one run. Cameron (Eangitikei) was the next batsman, and he commenced well by forcing one from Crook to the off boundary. At the end of the first hour's play Pacey had scored only three: runs, the score at that stage being 25 runs for two wickets. Without any addition to tho score, Newman clean-bowled Pacey.. 25-3-5. Newman's average now read better still —two wickets for one run off eight overs, including seven maidens. Norris (Manawatu) joined Cameron. With the total at 27, Blundell took over from Crook—one wicket for 16 runs off eight overs, including one maiden. With the help of an overthrow for three runs when Dempster attempted to throw down Norris's wicket, six runs came off the over, sending 30 up. 'A USEFUL PARTNERSHIP. Norris and-Cameron were facing the bowling confidently, both some nice strokes. Norris, a left-hander, was playing some nice strokes on the leg side, and one of those realised a boundary off Newman. Newman, after bowling eleven overs, including seven maidens, for two wickets at a cost of 9 runs, was relieved by Warnes when the score reached 41. Six runs came off the new bowler, and a single off the first delivery of Blundell's next over put 50 runs on tho' board after 85 minutes' play. In the same over Cameron opened out to Blundell, and drove one of his deliveries to the fence. At 12.40 p.m.' the score -was 66 for three wickets. HALF-CENTURY ADDED. Progress was slow, only two runs being added in ten minutes. When Newman was brought on in place of Warnes (none for 10 off four overs), Norris helped matters along by glancing a ball to leg for four. The total was 73 when Crook took over from Blundoll (none for 28 off fourteen overs). The batsmen continued to play confidently, and stSme singles wero added, though play was still quiet. For the last over before lunch Hamilton was brought on, but his slow deliveries did not tempt Cameron, who played out the over without scoring. When the adjournment was taken, tho partnership had put on 51 runs, and the score was 76 for three wickets —Cameron 21 not out, Norris 33 not out. CAMERON OUT. Play was resumed after the adjournment at 2.8 p.m., Norris taking strike to Newman, who bowled from tho southern end. A hit down the gully,was all the scoring of the over, and Blundell took up tho attack from the other.end. Cameron brought 80 up by lifting the third ball of the over to the leg boundary, but in Newman's next over, after Norris had scored a. single off a hit to mid-on, Cameron was clean-bowled. 83— i —25. Cameron had played a useful innings, doing some free hitting, al-

though maintaining a sound defence. Lowry filled the vacancy and played out the remainder of the over without scoring. Newman had bowled fifteen overs, including seven maidens, for threo wickets," at a cost of 18 runs. Two nice hits, eacfi for a brace, in Newman's next over gave Norria 40. Ho was still batting freely and some of his shots on the leg side earned warm applause from the spectators. After opening his account with a single. Lowry added four by driving Blundell hard to the on boundary- The play was now fairly interesting, and the century appeared after the innings had been in progress for two and a quarter hours. At 3 p.m. the score was 136 for six wickets—Lowry. 30 not out, Gallichau 6 not out. Details:— COUNTRY. First Innings. Pacey, b Newman 3 Naismith, b Crook U Stephenson, c Airey, b Newman 5 Cameron, b Newman 2a Norris, c-Dempster, b Blundell .. 45 Lowry, not out • 30 Eeaney, lbw, b Blundell 0 Gallichan, not out 6 Extras H Total for six wickets '. 136