BIG CRICKET MATCH

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 70, 24 March 1937, Page 11

BIG CRICKET MATCH

N.Z. BOWLERS 6N TRIAL

.'■;;; The| One' trial for the New Zealand cricketers as a combination before setting off for England was commenced today at the Basin • Reserve,'.'when eleven of the Dominion's elect for the big tour took the field against G. 0, Allen's M.C.C. team, which arrived recently from its Test campaign iri; ;Australia._ Allen had better'luck than in the last three Tests with.Australia so far as the toss was concerned; ' He;Wbn it today, and, having previously inspected the wicket, he decided that his team should have first strike. New Zealand's bowling, concerning which there- has been a good deal of cbmment, was, / therefore, put-to its.first test, tho'ugh,'.of,course, the latest move to ■ ;•■ strengthen the attack for the : tour could; not -tak£ effect in this match. /■'.At.the commencement of play today there was quite a large/crowd. • but the progress of the match is likely to have. s6;.strorig an appeal as-to-draw great attendances,'it being expected that 'with.,-; fine;; weather 'a heiv* recbrd in attendances for a/match 'in Wellington : will be set by Saturday, the last day of the match..v- ;, ;: ■;, ■ England's opening 'pair, Wyatt and Worthington, made steady >v .progress, but.eventually Wortliirigton was unable to dodge his.run 'of -; -bad. luck; oh the^tour and lost his wicket to a ball which popped up. ■ Tt was the"'New Zealand vice-captain, Vivian,: who gained -the wicket; ryatt, howeyer v kept going confidently and; Hardstaff supported- . .ell, capping his: scoring efforts before lunch with a "straight six.;. At ■. • ;tiie luncheon Dadjournmerit England had made 80; for: one ;wicket>"

In common with most experiences this season, the big cricket attraction had to face a doubtful weather outlook. Heavy rain overnight was most unwelcome from a cricketing point of view, but prospects brightened considerably during the morning, and the match was able to be started on time, though many passing clouds looked threatening at times. As much care had beep, taken,of the wicket as was possible, and it was looking really good yesterday, though at this time of the ' year there- is always -the chance of a pitch being sporting. The Basin Heserve custodian, Mr. A. Brewer, mus£ have been very disappointed with the rain last night, as this was the one occasion when the wicket had not been covered, it being the wish of the English captain that the covers should'not be used. The wicket and ground received a drenching,-but the sun and wind today had a good drying influence. Standing down from the teams are K. Fames, W. Copson, and G. Duckworth (England), and M. P. Donnelly, •J. R. Lamason, W. Carson, and N. Gallichan (New Zealand). Donnelly is twelfth; man for; New, Zealand and Copson for England. , / THE PARTICIPANTS. The teams are:— ENGLAND. G. O. Allen '(captain). , R. E. S. Wydltt. T. S: Worthington. W. R. Hammond. M. Leyland. ( L. B. Fishlock. J. Hardstaff. J L. E. G. Ames. < J. M. Sims. - H. Verity. W. Voce. NEW ZEALAND M. L. Page i(captain). J. L. Kerr. W. A. Hadlec. G. L. Weir. M. W. Wallace. *H. G. Vivian. D. A. R. Moloney. E. W. Tindill. A. W. Roberts. J. A.' Dunning. J. Cowie. The umpires are Messrs C Webb (Wellington) and O. R. Montgomery (Auckland). The match is to be resumed tomorrow at 1130 a.m. and concluded on Saturday, there being no play on Good. Friday. TEE PLAY. Bowling with tho northerly wind, Cowie, of Auckland, opened New Zealand's bowling to Wyatt with a maiden The second ball was of good length and Wyatt played sharply at it. Several balls, however, were short-pitched. Roberts, bowhng into the breeze, was troubled by over-pitching, and he was appreciably slower through the air than Cowie. Two came from the over. Dunning missed *a hard chance, in Roberts's first over, given by Wyatt when one. THe ball was low and 'travelling quickly, but it should have been. held. Ten came up on the board after just on twenty minutes' play. Both Englishmen were quiet but confident, Worthmgton distinguished by a wide stance and a shifting of the bat before delivery and Wyatt by quick back play to rising balls. Off Roberts, both men drove through the covers, while Wyatt beautifully timed a couple of square cuts off Cowie. To Worthing ton came the first 4 of the match, when he glided to leg a ball from Cowie The 4 gave him 10 after twenty-five minutes' play. After five overs costing II runs, Cowie was succeeded by Vivian, whose first over to Worthmgton was a maiden. Vivian's second over, marked by splendid flight and spin, was also a maiden. Roberts in tne meantime had been bowling steadily, seven overs costing 14 runs. The seventh over, the last of the spell, was expensive, five coming from it, including an uppish pull, close to Weir at short forward leg, by Wyatt for 2 Dunning replaced Roberts and bowled a maiden to Wyatt. Vivian in his fourth over almost repaid Worthmgton for the 4 the latter had taken in the third over. Off the second ball, Worthington played briskly to the ofT, and Vivian took the ball on the halfvolley just in front of his wicket. A .little more briskness and he might have had the slender chance. WORTHINGTON CAUGHT. Worthington, however, paid the penalty for his disposition to attack Vivian when, off the third bail of Vivian's fifth over, he was caught by Roberts in the slips. The ball popped suddenly, and ■ after, snicking the bat, passed off Tindill's glove; to Roberts, who had the easiest chance. Worthington batted 47'miriutes for 15 runs: The. score was 33,; Wyatt being 18. ;\ '..Hardstaff, the new man, showed at once' the sweet follow-through characteristic of his batting. But he also showed patience in settling down, until ,' a powerful off-drive whizzed past Dun- • nirig to the boundary.'., Wyatt was scoring . steadily, ] the-loose -ball hard. He contributed half of the ' first 50, -raised. in an hour's batting, and seemed untroubled by either Dunning or Vivian, _.■'■'■'■ SOME CAUTIOUS PLAY. After nine overs, costing 16 runs, and with the score at 63—31 to Wyatt and 10 to: Hardstaff—Moloney replaced Vivian, at the northern end, and struck a length sufficiently well to trouble Hardstaff, one going- to ■ Wyatt off the first ball. Eight came from Moloney's next two overs, and he was replaced, just before lunch'/ by Cowie. The pace of the wicket early on was uncertain, and occasional balls kept disconcertingly low. Others just as disconcertingly popped.. Consequently, both .Wyatt and Hardstaff were inclined to be careful. When Page put himself on in place^of Dunning for the last over before lunch, ..Hardstaff welcomed/the change by clouting a beautiful 6 to the college side of the sightscreen*..at*.th.e- south enuend,_. At.lunch,

the score was 80, Wyatt having scored 42.arid Hardstaff 18. , ~■•■. //^-i. ':

■;:■ Both Hardstaff and.Wyatt took things quietly after lunch'/ and,'/with Roberts arid. Cowie bowling well, only one run came from/the first six-overs.: Cowie's length was: more 'controlled than'during the morning and though he appeared to, do little in the air some of his• shorter ones; came -up quickly." Roberts,- as usual, w.as; carefully, watched. •His length was good, and' he kept' the ball ■ well up ,to the batsmen. His task against the northerly was not easy. Cowie's fourth.-.river-' produced a lovely 4;\past: third slip'■ by. .Hardstaff' and a single to Wyatt off' Roberts 'in the next over brought ;86 up,-6 runs being scored, in twenty-:miriut'es:; Vivian replaced Gowie"at:thernprtherfi'* end.■■■' /./-■' ■■,:■■ ■- j/^VdHARDiSTAFF^PAtrGHT..:;::1: ;• ;■'/ 'Viyiari's ?seconii>..over7bf. the afternoon brought "disast'^vto /Hardstaff,',,as .he .hit/the; 'ball .to? point'; and. was caught tlp'se ..t6;.ithe'vground. by :> HadleeiVThe ball 'was. curling and .was. only, an inch ..b.r'itwip, off/ the Aground when taken. Hafctstaff appeared,to, address a remark 'to Hadlee, who- nodded,: and :Hardstaff .left;/ '89-^2-—22. ~The/innings had been in;progress 121 minutes, Hardstaff having batted, 10r.68 minutes.■>;', Vivian had taken//t\yo/ wickets .■£ or -19/ V:' '~.,■' r • ■\% '■?;,'WYATX; SO-^Q TIP. /.///./': .'A splen did': hit.;to'leg :by Wyatt gave that batsman, his half-century, made, in .a•'little:. 'overitw6;.h'ours'-at;'the' wickets. .Wyatt 'followed .".up-, .'.that : boundary stroke:..with: sbme\f orceful playj \ anjd, a little later in. one .of /'Vivian's; pvers he punched two deliveries1 hard through the .covers .-/to ith'e^'fo'pes^bothv.exce'l:lerit'■strokes./The, first.brought-100, up for..ISO/minutes'; batting./ ///;/' ;,.■.,;;..;'.' Meanwhile..:;Fishlock..: .had,.done Mothing■'. in-.; the /way, of: 'scoring, ■'arid/wheni Vivian bowled/to-Wyatt/agairi the, bats-, ■man/was/made to • treat; this deliveries ;with'.'mbre'-'r espect f thah/;iri/the:.. le'fth'arider'SivprevipusVbverl ..';■ Again,; FishJock ; played .out a; maiden over from .Dunning,'-after.which /.Wyatt.narrowly '.missed:, falling in. .'theiisame V - way, '.as Hardstaffi/ Hadlee this time: just failed itp,.;make a-:'dfficst'".cStch,.,-'.pff. Vivian's -bowling:; -k> ;./'■//;-. '•'.■?;.■:■ /';"///-V/'

-: Eventually-.Fishlock .opened his .'account with •;■. a:. beautiful., drive to . the Jboundary, and x it/was not. long rbefore. iWyatt sent- aijbther';.ball .hard:to ; the' rropes, .making his t0ta1.67;..-.-Vivian, the only. ■ bowler ■.> to., get; w.ickets:-■ so ■) ': far, .-was■.■relieved/by;Cowie-.at 114/ ;•..■;i;/.

t'/Dunning,-bowling.into.;the northerly :wind,; had ". :only /one/ slip/and \ -a/- gully' man' '.wtih'/af short' forward : 'fine.; leg./, He; .kept;the/batsmerilit..quiet,Only 7,, five! scoring', strokes. ■ being made .'from'";iiim '. in .six .-overs.;!■>,/•Cowie;. had ,three .slips.a'rid:a. deep-.thfrd riian,.with Wallace, a keen-eyed; shbrtifprw^rd .leg. Proceedings were/quiet with" this order pt<":< things, -■/arid .a-yslp^r,/advance^, was made to 428, at which another bowling ichange/tobic place: At 3/p/m./the score was; 132,for:two' wicketsr;,-.,;V-, ( .>.:-.'•;.-..; .'-;. '■Shprtly-;- : ai'terwar<is-.. Fishlock, /.'who had made';ahoth'er;attractiyevbouridary, stroke,'•was'■; ciug^t■ by- Weir;'at'mid-off, the" wicket .going, to ;Page/'whb;had J.elieyed'' Cowie. ■; 137—3---14..;;;,;:/ //-%'/ ' ; '■"-Details:—"- ;1;:---v I-),- : ..-: .;>;/; ;;;/.'• /ENGLAND.-^ •■ /■:";/ -VJ-':' ;.'/'/. ;"-■ First. Innings. ://;-; \-::''! •Wyatt,. not.out - ./.;..'........./'.;..', : /'79 Worthington, c Roberts-b'Vivian . ' 15 'Hardstaffi/c.'Hadlee,'..b/ ; yiyian;/.... ',22 Fishlock, c Weir,;b Page/;.........i. ,14 .■.// Extras!/ ,:-;: v .;;/:.:>''^..Y.'....'/': 7 ■■■. .//Totaljfbrthreer wickets/-.'.'l'iv.' 137