BRILLIANT BATTING

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 2, 4 January 1937, Page 5

BRILLIANT BATTING

HADLEE AND PAGE HIT OUT CANTERBURY'S BIG LEAD (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, January 3. Brilliant batting by W. A. Hadlee and M. L. Page after Wellington had collapsed for only 183 in the morning gave Canterbury a commanding lead in the Plunket Shield match at Christchurch. Hadlee made 192 not out, and Page 83, Canterbury scoring 308 for two wickets. Hadlee and Page put on 235 for the first wicket. The first Wicket record for Plunket | Shield matches is held by C. S. Dempster and W. Dustin, who made 239 for Wellington against Canterbury at Wellington in 1931-32. Hadlee scored 120 before he gave his first chance and at stumps was going well, being unbeaten at 192. Page and Hadlee gave an excellent exhibition of running between wickets, and their first mistake cost Pa§e his wicket when he had scored 83. Both started cautiously and then both became vigorously aggressive. The whole battery of Wellington's attack was tried without much abatement at any time in the scoring rate.

Hadlee was in the best form he has ever shown in a representative game. Most of his runs were from drives along the carpet, especially on the offsid;. He also exploited the hook successfully, even against the faster bowlers. Hadlee's brilliance made the Wellington bowling look harmless. Page played a characteristic innings, punching every loose ball hard but meeting any that looked dangerous wilh the full face of the bat. His placing was very skilful. He never locked like being out and the misunderstanding between the two batsmen who had shown such perfect combination in running between the wickets was unfortunate.

C. J. Oliver did not last long, and F. W. Bellamy, who played out time with Hadlee, looked comfortably and safely set. The opening bowlers were C. Parsloe and E. D. Blundell. They kept the batsmen quiet for a short period. W. Tricklebank, the first change, kept a fairly good length, but B. Griffiths, the: slow spin bowler, was played with ease. N. Gallichan, the left-hander, was the most impressive of the slow bowlers, but the batsmen seemed able without risk to use their feet to get out to the pitch of the ball or to get back to watch the. break. J. R. Lamason needed watching occasionally. J. A. R. Blandford was in excellent form behind the wickets, his display being quite as good as C. K. Jackman's. The wicket was easy. The Wellington men made little use of it for the las t part of .their innings in the morninji. The Canterbury bowling and fielding were much better than on the previous day. E. T. Mulcock, the legtrap bowler, trapped first E. G. McLead and then Gallichan. Cromb came on when Parsloe joined Lamason and clean bowled Lamason in his second ov;r. Tricklebank scored a run off CrDmb and then was caught in the slips off M. Graham. Parsloe hit out after Tricklebank went. He made several uppish strokes, and then misshit Graham to Cromb, who made no mistake. Griffiths straight-drove Cromb for 6 Then, in an effort to repeat the stroke, he just failed to connect, and" Bellamy tock a great running catch in the outfield. "he Wellington batting generally had no; been enterprising, flattering the Canterbury bowling unduly. The total of 183 was not a good score for the conditions. The weather today has been beautifully fine, but the sky still looks unsettled, and showers in the night would not be surprising. Scores: — ■ WELLINGTON. First Innings. E. W. Tindill, c Jackman, b Roberts 27 D. A. R. Moloney, c O'Brien, b Mulcock .' 27 E. G. McLeod, c Bellamy, b Mulcock 28 J. Ell, c Roberts, b Mulcock .... 20 J. A. R. Blandford,' c Jackman, b Cromb 4 J. R. Lamason, b Cromb 2D N. Gallichan, st Jackman, b Mulcock 21 C. Parsloe, c Cromb, b Graham .. 24 W. Tricklebank, c Roberts, b Graham 1 B. Griffiths, c Bellamy, b'Cromb .. 9 E. D. Blundell, not out 2 Extras 16 Total 183 Bowling Analysis. O. M. R. W. A. W. Roberts 27 9 31 1 E. T. Mulcock 34 14 45 4 M. Graham 16 5 28 2 F. W, Bellamy .... 4 0 13 0 I. B. Cromb 17.5 4 49 3 Fall of Wickets.—One for 13, two for 45, three for 80, four for 89, five for 98. six for 131, seven for 156, eight for 157, nine for 174, ten for 183. CANTERBURY. First Innings. M. L. Page, run out 83 W. A. Hadlee, not out 192 C. J. Oliver, b Parsloe 2 F. W. Bellamy, not out 22 Extras g Total for two wickets 303 Bowling Analysis. „ D , O. M. R. W. C. Parsloe 23 4 63 1 E. D. Blundell .... 25 5 60 0 W. Tricklebank 11 0 33 0 B. Griffiths 11 l 53 0 N. Gallichan 11 1 49 0 J. R. Lamason 8 1 40 0 D. A. R. Moloney ... 1 0 1 0 Fall of Wickets.—One for 235, two for 246.