ANNUAL CRICKET MATCH

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 137, 6 December 1930, Page 15

ANNUAL CRICKET MATCH

COUNTRY'S GOOD LEAD OVER TOWN

After making none too promising a start, the Country eleven -was in a strong position when stumps were drawn at the close of yesterday's play in the two-day match against a side picked from the City players. Although their contributions to the total wore not great, the', opening Country .batsmen-rendered good service by taking the edge off the bowling, and those who followed' met the attack with confidence, all but Keaney and Massey scoring well. As recorded in "The Post" yesterday/ Cameron and Norvis -were associated | in a partnership which added close on (50 runs, and, after Resiuey had been sent back, without. scoring, Lowry and Gallichan carried on well. Even when the last two men were in Wellington's troubles were not ended, as A. Newman and O'Brien provided stout resistance' to the bowling for an appreciable period,.and added 37 runs for the last wicket. No individual effort was more popular than.that of Lowry, who added to his value as a captain by hitting up the highest score for the side. His batting was soundness itself, but he gave a display of free hitting that was most refreshing in comparison with much of the earlier batting. This indication that Lowry is keeping iv! form with the bat will be welcomed by those who remember the signal service he has given in this department of-the game in the past both to Welling ton and to New Zealand. Galliehan and Norvis, the .Manawatu polts, followed I owij close and then batting was on the. right lines. Non-it plajed a paitieulaily stjli^h hind" and if Gallichan's showing included one or two faulty strokes they could be excused in view.of the very little cricket that the Palmerßton players have: been able to enjoy this reason 0 Buen, one of the Hawkes Bay lepiesentatnes went m ninth wicket down, but shaped like a real bats man. His 35 runs were scored in good time,-%hd he appeared to be well set when the innings-closed. The Town team's stock bowlers, Blundell, Crook, and Newman, had a Jicavy day, but it was seldom that runs were scored freely off them. Newman performed particularly well, and his figures speak for themselves. In the morning, while he was fresh, he had the batsmen strictly on the. defensive, and in .the afternoon he was always liable to take a wicket. Blun-' dell also bowled well, although not meeting with a great deal o£ success. He maintained a splendid length, and it was not until tlie innings was well advanced that the batsmen showed any signs of mastering his bowling. Crook, who took the next biggest share in the attack, generally managed to keep the runs down, but did not appear to present' serious difficulties to the batsmen. Dempster used Warnes and Hamilton as change bowlers, and ended up- by putting himself on. The Town team's fielding was consistently good,, and no chances went begging, while the ground work .was clean and smart. Tindill made "a very good showing, as wicket-keeper. With Dempster, reaching double figures in the first five minutes of Town's innings, it appeared that little difficulty was going to, be experienced in reaching the total set by the visitors, but his dismissal was jthe signal for a collapse, and when stumps were drawn four of the best batsmen were out with only 23 runs on the board. The ' indications were that the local batsmen would have an uphill fight to-day. GOOD PARTNERSHIP. After the fall of the sixth wicket Lowry was partnered by Gallichan, and the score was given a good lift by this pair, 67 runs being added in forty-five minutes. Gallichan opened his account with a straight drive for three, and-later placed a. ball to leg for two. Lowry made good progress with well-placed strokes, a square cut realising four runs and two drives to the -outfield- each .yielding -a -brace.- Hamilton did not present any ' danger as a bowler, and Warnes was given another chance, this change being made when the score was 125. Both batsmen used their feet in playing the Hutt colt's slow deliveries, and the score was steadily improved. Lowry reached 30 in sending a. ball from Blundell to the boundary. Another ball went right through to the sight screen and gave "Mr. Extras" a four. Crook relieved Blundell when the score was 15, the Wellington bowler having taken two wickets for 65 runs in 2G overs, of which six were maidens. The confidence of the batsmen, was not disturbed, and they Boon made a half-century partnership. Lowry in particular was shaping well, some of his scoring efforts being very solid. The captain lifted one ball from Crook over the ropes for 6, but immediately afterwards he was clean bowled. In an hour and a quarter Lowry had made 55, giving a good display in which one six and seven fours were registered. ... After the captain's departure Massey and Galliehan were associated, the bowlers at that stage being Crook and Newman. Runs came steadily, although matters were not so brisk as when Lowry was associated with Galliehan. Warnes relieved Newman for the last over before the tea adjournment, at which point the score was 182 for seven wickets—Galliehan '25 not out, Massey 3 not out. . THE SECOND CENTURY. Dempster took a turn with the ball from the southern- end after tea, and quickly met with success, Massey snicking his second delivery to Newman in the slips. 132^-B^-3; O'Brien followed and a wellplaced shot through the slips by the newcomer in Dempster's" third over brought 190 up; Crook was the other bowler, and' was sending them down at a good pace, but the batsmen were shaping well, a succession of scoring shots, mainly to the. off,'advancing the score steadily. The second century , was reached at 4.25 p.m. after the innings had been iv progress three hours and three-quarters. Dempster, who had bowled four overs, three' of which were scoreless, for one wicket costing 3 runs, was then relieved by Blundell: Both batsmen continued to meet the bowling with confidence, . and- with a typical straight drive. .to the boundary, Galliehan reached the 40's. Newman was brought on in place of Crook in an attempt to break up the partnership, arid the move succeeded. O'Brien got one to the fence past Blundell, fielding at leg, and added a single off the next delivery, but Galliehan was then beaten all the way. The outgoing batsman had played a splendid innings, particularly in view of the fact that, along with other Manawatu players, he has had little, opportunity of getting match practice. He scored all round the wicket, but most of his runs came from straight drives. He hit six 4's. 22G—9—48. A. Newman was the last man in, and he played,out a maiden over from his brother. The tail-enders presented a, stubborn front to the bowling, and a succession of singles kept the score moving. O'Brien was inclined to punish anything that was at all loose, and, with hits for .4 and 2 in one of Newman's overs, he tan into the 30's. Warnes was brought on again at the southern end, but the batsmen appeared to favour his slows, and the rate of scoring continued unchecked. At 5 o'clock the total passed the 250 mark, the innings having been in progress four hours twenty minutes. Newman reached 20 when he lifted Warnes high to the deep field, where Blundell was unable to get under the ball, a boundary being registered. The end came in the same over, however, when J.. Newman took a smart catch in the slips oft' his brother's bat. A. Newman had helped O'Brien to give the total a useful lift, and his score included three 4's. O'Brien, who carried his bat for 35, gavo the impression that he could have been sent in higher up on the batting list, with advantage to his side. He treated the bowling on its merits, and used some nicely-executed strokes in compiling his score. He hit four' 4's. The innings occupied four hours and a half. Details:— COUNTRY. First Innings. Pacey, b Newman '"> Naismith, b Crook' 11 Stephenson, c Airey, b Newman .... 5 Cameron, b Newman' 2.'i Norris, c Dempster, b Blundcll 4"> Lowry, b Crook 55 ißeaney, lbw,-b Blundcll >; .... 0 Galliehan, b Newman ........jiiu-v. IS

Massey, c Newman, b Dempster ..... 3 O'Brien, not oqt 35 Ai Newman, c J.-Newman, b Warnes 121 Extras —Byes 6, leg byes 5, ■no ball 1 12 Total 263 Fall of wickets: One for 14, two for 21, three for 25, four for 83, five for 100, six f-r 109, seven for 176, eight for IS2, nine for 220, ten for 203. Bowling. Bowler. ' O. M. R. W. Blundell 20 6 Si 2 Crook 20. "2 01 2 Newman '32 11 57 4 Warnes 8.4 1 20 1 Hamilton 5 .1 11 — Dempster 6 3 G 1 Blundell bowled one no .ball. TOWN AT THE WICKETS. Dempster opened the Town team's inniugs with Hamilton at 5.18 p.m., Massey taking up tho attack from the southern end and Newman bowling with the ■wind. Dempster had most of the bowling, and wasted no time in gathering in the runs, the first 10, which were put on in five minutes, all coming oft' his bat. After Massey had bowled two overs for 9 runs, however, he was replaced by Reaucy, and Dempster placed the new bowler's..fifth ball into Newman's hands at.second slip. 14-I—ll. • . . . ... Airey joined Hamilton, and Massey came on again at the northern ■ end. Dempster's absence made an appreciable difference to the rate of scoring, and the innings had been in progress half an hour before 20 appeared on the board, Almost immediately Hamilton's innings came to. aii end. He' attempted to pull Newman to leg, failed to connect, and was'given out leg-before-wicket; 21—2—2. Airey did not last much longer, being caught in the next over sent 'down by 'Reaney, who had changed rpujid to the northern end. 21-3-6. '■■'•■ ' ' Lamason filled the vacancy, but lost his partner after he had scored a brace, Hepburn giving a catch to Naismith in the slips, and; the day's play ended with tho Town team-having lost four wickets for 23 rims. ' . ... '. '." . :;.' ■-'- TOWN. ■ First Innings. .. Dempster, c Newman, b Reaney• 11 Hamilton, Ibw, b .New.man ...i .. 2 Airey, c Newman, bßeaney : . —..... .. 6 Hepbwn, c.Naisraith.b.Newman. ... . 0 Lamason, not.out ~................. . 2 ■'.'•"Extras'. '.;.'.'^. ■::■ ... ;v."v..~. ■•'■• -■•••.. -•■ 2 / Total for four wickets- '•!...•.„ — 23 Fall of wickets': One for 11, two for'2l, three for 21, four for 23; . . ■ Bowling. : . .0. -M; -R.- W,. Massey .......; 6!,3 ■11 — Newman 5.1 3. ..:.2 2 Reaney ..• ...3 ■.—,.8.2