SHIELD CRICKET

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 1, 2 January 1932, Page 5

SHIELD CRICKET

TEDIOUS BATTING

CANTERBURY V. WELL-

INGTON

VISITORS AT THE WICKETS

Determination on the part of Canterbury to resist the claims this season by other provinces to possession of the Plunket Shield was shown very forcibly in the performance of the holders against Wellington at the Basin Reserve yesterday, and yet it left much to be desired in the way of forceful batting. For a team regarded as being particularly strong in baUing a scoring rate of less than a run per minute was disappointing. The visitors made heavy work of rungetting, and during the afternoon only 133 runs were made for 160 minutes' play. Although there was probably good reason for much of Canterbury's cautious play, the fact remains that many runs were lost through the extent to which the defensive policy was carried. Wellington's bowling generally waa good, but many a ball that should have been. clouted hard was merely stopped by the blade. Ou the other hand, an occasional tempting ball was played by the batsmen at some risk, and in a few cases it turned out to be the wrong ball. Page, for one, fell to one of these deliveries, and others had "lives." It was an unusual experience to see Dempster drop a couple of catches. Although conditions were made miserable by a northerly wind of high velocity and some light rain, the match was commenced yesterday morning, and it attracted some fifteen hundred spectators. The weather became worse with the progress of play, and by noon the players were back' in the paviliou. Improved conditions later in the day enabled play to be resumed shortly after 3 p.m. The new "Oamaru" wicket, in use for the first time, bore some resemblance to the fast Australian wickets, and it played well, except that after the rain it was noticed that an occasional ball rose sharply. The outfield had been looking well on the previous day, but during the closing night of the old year the turf ou the western section of the area was badly disfigured, even to the extent of bare patches being opened up. This was the result of some celebrations, not connected with cricket, which took place at the Basin Reserve. But for the rain which fell yesterday and again last night, it is probable that quite'a big section of the area would have lost its turf. Fortunately the rain has enabled the turf to make some recovery. The following are the teams:— ■ Canterbury.—M. L. Page (captain), I. M. Hamilton, J. L. Kerr, A. W. Roberts, L. B. Cromb, S. G. Lester, F. Bellamy, J. LV Powell, W. E. Merritt, J. Burrows, and R. C. Burns, with C. G. Crawford as twelfth man. Wellington.—T. C. Lowry (captain), C. S. Dempster, W. Dustin, W. Hepburn, H. B. Massey, H. M. McGirr, H. N. Lambert, R. Crook, K. C. James, M. Henderson, and J. Newman, with J. R. Lamason as twelfth man. The umpires are Messrs. Webb and Page, of Wellington: Winning the toss, Canterbury took first strike, and when stumps were drawn for the day the visitors had made 199 for the loss of four wickets. Newman was the bowler mostly responsible for keeping the batsmen quiet, and nearly half his overs were maidens. THE RUN OF PLAY. The match was commenced at 11.5 a.m., Hamilton and Kerr appearing in their usual role of opening batsmen for Canterbury. McGirr, with the assistance of the high wind, and Massey were the opening bowlers. The batsmen began confidently, and Hamilton soon registered the first boundary. Kerr remained quiet while Hamilton missed few chances of scoring, and when the total was 26, the result of 23 minutes' play the individual scores were Hamilton 20, Kerr 5. At this stage, Newman was brought on in place of Massey, from whose four overs 14 runs had been scored. -Newman, as is often the case with him, started off by sending down a maiden over. Eleven runs had been added to the score when Henderson took over from McGirr ("six overs, 15 runs). From the fast left-hander Hamilton (also a lefthander) turned a couple of deliveries to leg, one going through to the boundary. The same batsman flicked a ball from Newman to leg for four. The visitors were doing well with a total of 46, made in 35 minutes, but the scoring was being done mainly by Hamilton. So far Kerr had made only sis scoring strokes for nine runs. The total reached 50 a few minutes later when Hamilton made a leg glance off Henderson, another four resulting. Kerr ran to double figures in off-driving a ball from Newman to the boundary. Misty rain had been falling, and after 45 minutes', play there was a call for sawdust. Hamilton then brought more of his neat leg strokes into action, after which Kerr used the gap at point for a four. These efforts made the total 63, at which Lambert relieved Newman (four overs, 10 runs). Lambert had had only one over when the players adjourned to the pavilion on account of the light rain which was falling. The ends of the wicket were covered. Play had been in progress for 52 minutes, and Hamilton had made 43 and Kerr 17. PARTNERSHIP BROKEN. It was not until 3.5 p.m. that play was resumed, conditions then being a good deal better than at any stage of the previous play. The attack was entrusted to the lefthander, Henderson, and McGirr, and it was not ■ long before Henderson accounted for Hamilton's dismissal, the ' batsman chopping a ball on to his wicket. Hamilton scoring well on the leg side, had made his 47 runs, including six fours, in 61 minutes. The partnership gave Canterbury a good start in putting on 74 runs. The next batsman was Roberts, and he made a cautious . beginning, notching a couple of singles from the first few overs - b or a period the batsmen were kept quiet and when the total was 81 McGirr relieved Henderson, who was changed over to the northern end in place of Newman (eight overs, 18 runs). Singles were now the order oi run-getting, but Kerr broke the string in hitting a ball from Henderson hard to leg for four. Some little time later the stroke was repeated. From the southern end an occasional ball rose sharply, and this made the batsmen more cautious with the result that only a single was' scored from three overs sent down by McGirr. The score had reached 92 when Lambert took over from Henderson (one for 33 off nine overs). Kerr added a single at this change, and afterwards cut a ball from McGirr neatly through slips to the boundary. Roberts had been in for just over half an hour in making three runs when he drove a ball from Lambert to thn off for three, and this brought 100 up for 93 minutes' play. Steady progress was maintained, and before the tea adjournment was taken Henderson had an over in place of McGirr, and Newman one m place of Lambert. At tea the total was 111 (Kerr 41, Roberts 11). TWO MORE WICKETS. After the interval the Kerr-Roberts partnership did not make much headway with Newman and Lambert bowling. An occasional good scoring stroke was played, but when Kerr opened out to Lambert a ball, lifted high to the on, gave Dempster a chance of assisting in the dismissal of the batsman. Dempster, however, failed to hold the leather securely. Soon afterwards Roberts's innings ended when an easy catch was given to McGirr at mid-on 125—2-22. Page was next, and this bright batsman soon opened his account. The bowling, good au it was, was treated more lightly by Page than by Kerr, and a variety of good strokes, well placed, soon placed Page in double figures. Kerr was only one short of Hamilton's score when Newman trapped him on the leg side, Lambert making the catch. Kerr had batted soundly for 134 minutes, and/ in keeping an end up for so long, the while adding steadily to the total, he had given further valuable service to Canterbury. His score o£ 46 included five fours. 138—3—46. ON THE DEFENSIVE. Soon after Cromb's arrival at the crease Crook was brought into the attack, and off his first delivery Page gave a chance which was not accepted. .At this let-off Page made good use of his" range of scoring strokes, while Cromb was. mainly on the defensive. Crook was relieved by

Henderson with the score at 154. Page was not to be tempted by deliveries on the off, and, waiting his chance, he found one ball suitable enough for a four to leg, and four he made it. Newman was keeping the batsmen very quiet at one end, and in five successive overs sent down by this bowler ouly two scoring strokes were made. Cromb made no attempt whatever to score from Newman's next over. The play had quietened down very considerably, but in Henderson's next over Page beat cover-point, and a four went to the account. With the players almost entirely on the defensive, Lowry called upon Lambert again to see if slow bowling would have the desired effect. The first delivery by Lambert was so tempting that Page stepped out and opened his shoulders to it. That was the Canterbury captain's undoing. The ball sailed high to the outfield, where Hepburn made the catch. Page was at the crease for forty-nine minutes, in which time he made 27, including four fours. 168—4—27. SLOW PROGRESS. Cromb, now partnered by Lester, still played the rock, and there was some ironical cheering when he made a single. Lester did not appear to be at all comfortable in facing Lambert, and another maiden over was recorded. Of these there was good supply, particularly from Newman's end, where one run had been scored from eight overs. At length Croinb "had a dip" at Lambert, and the ball sailed high to Dempster, out near the picket fence. This usually fine fieldsman was again unable to hold the ball. Cromb's score at this let-off wan 15. Newman was kept going at the other end, and sent down his sixth successive maiden. In Lambert's next over Cromb made his first boundary stroke—a drive through cover. He followed up with a four "down the gully." Canterbury's score had reached 180 when Crook was tried again, replacing Lambert (one for 33 off 15 overs). Cromb met the change with an off-drive for a brace. Newman was then relieved after having had twenty-six overs, of which twelve were maidens. He had taken two wickets for 37 runs. Henderson and Crook now kept the attack going, with the batsmen still content to wait for the runs rather than go for them. Cromb carried his score over the 30 mark with strokes to leg. He had then been at the wickets for about an hour and a quarter. Lambert, on again in place of Henderson, could not separate the stolid pair, and Crook, with the last pver of the day, also met stout resistance. Stumps were drawn with the score at 199 for four wickets—a poor total for the time occupied in compiling it, but not unsatisfactory from the point of view of each side. Croinb carried his bat for 06 and Lester for 7.

Details:— CANTERBURY. First Innings. Hamilton, b Henderson 47 Kerr, c Lambert, b Newman 46 Roberts, c McGivr, b Newman . 22 Page, e Hepburn, b. Lambert ....... 2/ Cromb, not out .: °6 Lester, not out • ' Extras ■ ■■ _1* Total for four wickets 199 Fall of Wickets.—One for 74, two for 125, three for 138, four for 168. BOWLING ANALYSIS. 0. M. R. W. McGirr 12 4 22 0 Massey 4 1 22 0 Newman 26 12 37 2 Henderson .... 17 2 oS 1 Lambert 16 2 3o 1 Crook S 3 19 0