11.C.C. Defeats Otago

Evening Star, Issue 20373, 3 January 1930, Page 13

11.C.C. Defeats Otago

Tinder better conditions than those which prevailed during the first two days, the M.C.C.-Otago match concluded at Carisbrook yesterday afternoon in a ten wickets’ victory for the Englishmen. The wicket was much faster _ during the afternoon, the outfield also improving. Otago made a much better _ start than in the first innings, two wickets falling for 71 runs. Blunt and Knight were then associated in a useful partnership, which added 40 runs before Blunt hit his wicket, and from that stage onwards Otago slumped badly. Elmos and Dickinson were the only others to make a stand with Knight, the innings closing for 160. Left with only 6 runs' to get, England accomplished this without loss, and then very sportingly went on to give an exhibition, which was greatly appreciated by the crowd, especially the exhibition of powerful hitting by the burly deputycaptain, G. F. Earle, who hit punning clean out of the ground, and into the road beyond. With a faster wicket it was only to be expected that there would be more sting in the English bowling, but that scarcely accounted for the poor showing of several proven batsmen, some of whom got themselves out by poor strokes or bad timing. Without doubt, the lack of practice owing to the bad summer has had its effect upon Otago’s best cricketers, some of whom have shown, themselves to be absolutely out of form. Galland is a case in point. In the mood, he is a delightful forcing batsman, but he has not produced his true form so far. Two blobs in the Auckland match were followed by 4 in each innings of the present match, and each time the same way,_ Ibw. He seemed to crumple right in front of one from Worthington yesterday. He had previously survived several appeals for low from Worthington. It remained to Knight to carry off the honours of both innings for Otago. The Grange man top-scored on each visit to the crease with 44 and 51 respectively. He was at the the wickets for nearly three and a-half hours, and those who know of his hitting .ability might have expected him to open out more, but, nevertheless, the value of his innings to the side cannot be over-estimated. _ He went right through without giving a chance, though his timing was a bit late on occasions. He played very restrainedly for intervals, and then would open out to execute some delightfully, free strokes. He exploited a pretty shot in the direction of third man, and occasionally found the gaps in the field by forceful driving. He is the one Otago batsman who has shaped confidently in both representative matches this season, for no matter how important the occasion, he does not appear to lack confidence oven when opposed to bowlers of the best class.

Blunt was shaping with confidence and looked like making runs when he had the misfortune to hit his wicket with his tally at 25. This was a disappointment to the spectators, for after playing himself in, Blunt started to execute some very nice strokes, especially to square leg, while he was the spaces through the slips by crisp cutting. Cavanagh was another who collected a useful double, 32 and 23. He batted brightly for his runs, displaying some very nice shots. He was stumped by Cornford off Woolley when he was getting into his stride. Elmes and Dickinson reached double figures in each innings, both delighting the crowd during their short stay at the wickets. Monk failed to get going, and was out without scoring after making only 2 in the first innings. M'Mullan threw his wicket away, and both Dunning and Alloo went cheaply. Once again Woolley proved to he England’s most difficult bowler, taking four wickets for 38 runs. He is a very heady trundler, aud again made the hall spin to good purpose,_ few_ ol the batsmen taking liberties with him. Worthington was bowling more than a medium pace ball, keeping a steady length all afternoon. He was swinging away to leg at times in disconcerting fashion, and finished with

thi - e e for 28. Legge, gonei’ally used very little as a bowler, proved a most effective change with his slow breaks, taking three wickets for 24. Neither Nich 011 s nor Allom collected a wic ke t, and though the former was nipping up a bit, his direction was not always what it

might have been. England’s fielding was better than in the first innings, the players being alert and keen throughout. Cornfordf, behind the stumps was more impressive than on Wednesday, giving a finished dis-

play; but it was Duleepsinhji, in the field, that caught the eye most for his exhibition in the slips. Smart on his feet, ho seemed to have an uncanny intuition of the direction of the strokes, and ho picked the ball up smartly to

, return it to tJie wicket i n fi n e style. Turnbull was another whose work in the field was very favourably commented upon. A most unusual feature of the match was that England had no fewer than 29 no-balls recorded against it during the match. The takings for the last day were £154, making a total for the match of £490. Even with money for tickets yet to come in, there will probably be a loss of £7O on the match. Messrs E. A. Hamel and W. Butler were the umpires, and the scorers were Messrs W. Rowland and W. Ferguson, to whom the thanks of the Press are due for assistance given. Mr Ferguson is the well-known Australian Eleven scorer, and he accompanied the last M.C.C. 'team through New Zealand.

YESTERDAY AFTERNOON’S PLAY Cavanagh was batting freely, and placed Worthington nicely to coyer for 1. A late shot through the slips off A Horn brought a single, and Knight cut tho same bowler sweetly for 4. Woolley replaced Worthington, and off his second delivery Cornford smartly stumped Cavanagh. 71—2—23.

Ten Wickets’ Victory

Solid Innings By Knight

Blunt, the incomer, square cut Woolley for a single, and he edged Worthington, who came on in place of Allom. through the slips for 1. He despatched Woolley to the square leg pickets, and Worthington, who was swinging away to leg, trundled a maiden to Knight. Blunt glanced Woolley to square leg for a single, which was, the only tun of the over. Worthington was keeping the batsmen quiet, his fifteen overs producing only 11 runs for one wicket. Knight survived a confident appeal for a catch in tho slips off Woolley, who bowled another maiden.

Blunt hoisted 80 by late cutting Worthington for a pair, and _he followed with a neat snot to third man for a single. Blunt got Woolley away to square leg, the ball rattling the grand stand pickets Worthington was bowling an over that was hard to score off, when Knight snicked a fast one to the fine leg boundary, the ball shooting through a gap at high speed. Blunt hit an easy single in Woolley’s next essay, and Dawson stopped a very hot off drive from the bat of Knight, another 1 being the only result. Trundling with regard to consistent good length, Worthington sent down a good over to Knight.' It was a maiden. Blunt, who was not yet sufficiently confident to loosen up to the bowling, scored only a single off Woolley, following it up with another one between mid-off and cover when again facing Worthington. Woolley certainly had the straight bat defensive method working overtime, and Blunt once more would have little to do with him. Allom delivered a cheap half-dozen, and then Woolley, never varying his off theory, had Knight watching the ball very cautiously. A 2 to square leg was cheered—a trifle ironically, it seemed. Blunt relieved a period of sleepy cricket with a neat turn to leg for a single, followed in Woolley’s over by a rather uppish pull for 2. This latter Stroke brought the century up, the time taken in its scoring being 130 minutes. Shortly afterwards liegge, unrecognised as a standard bowler of ’ie team, took a turn at the South Dunedin end, and in the course of his first over was well smitten by Blunt to the leg boundary. Woolley’s personality and reputation appeared to have completely overcome tho batsmen, for when the Kent man was on there was little doing. Knight, who had scored only 7 from lorty balls, livened up and square cut Lcgge nearly to tho pickets, Earle saving a boundary. Then, to the disappointment jf the spectators. Blunt Jut his wicket when facing the, same trundlcr. 311— 3—25.

M’Mullan showed an early inclination to have a go at Legge, hub somehow or other the he-man" »olicy did not worfe,' gmi 'in Bpgge’s next over the Otago left-hander was clean bowled when frying to sweep a ball round to leg. Ill—l—o. Alloo took strike and played out the over. Worthington gave Woolley a rest at the pavilion end, but it was again left to Legge to carry on with the destruction, Alloo losing his wicket Ibw in tho slow bowler’s next session. 115—5—2.

Elmes, the new man at the crease, broke his duck with a well-placed stroke to the on, Worthington being the bowler. Then the young left-hander Ton for himself loud cheers by punching Legge three times to the boundary in one over. One stroke was a lovely straight drive, and two were pulled round to square leg with such force that there was no mistake about the ball s destination. With Worthington on Duleepsinhji just failed to reach a high cut by Knight, and 2 were run. Just before the tea adjournment Knight scored a single to leg off Worthington. The individual scores then were Knight 44, Elmes 15. Continuing after tea, Nichols took over the bowling at the Cargill road end and Knight glanced him to square leg for a pair. The fast bowler was no-bailed in this over, and Woolley came on at the other end, bringing about Elmes’s dismissal Ibw. 137—6 15.

Dickinson came to the wickets and scored a pair to line leg. Knight made a lovely drive through the covers for 3 off Nichols, Worthington running fast to save what appeared a certain boundary. Dickinson short drove Nichols for 1 and banged Woolley round to the square leg pickets. Ho got Woolley away in the same over for a slashing 4 to fine log, 150 appearing on the board after 179 minutes’ play. Knight reached 50 by driving Nichols to cover for a single. He had been 180 minutes at the wickets.

Dickinson drove Nichols to mid-on for a single, and in Woolley’s, next over he lifted Woolley hard back along the wickets, the bowler holding a hot catch. 153—7—12. Galland partnered Knight and swung Woolley to square leg for 3. Worthington replaced Nichols, and the crowd waxed ironical when two appeals for Ibw against Galland were upheld. Woolley bowled a maiden to Knight, and Galland square cut Worthington for a single. Knight made a late shot through slips for 1, but against Woolley _ he was cautious, and another maiden over was bowled. The field was exceptionally well placed, and gaps were not easy to find. Galland put his logs in front to Worthington, the score reading 158—8—4. Monk did not last long, and after Woolley bowled a maiden, to Knight Monk’s stumps were shattered by the first ball of Worthington’s next over, 158—9—0. Clark opened with a single, and drove Woolley to the off for a single, which hoisted 160. The last ball of Woolley’s over came in from the off, Knight dragging it on to the stumps. 160—10—51. ENGLAND WINS With 5 runs to get for_ a win England opened its second innings with Duleepsinhji and Turnbull. Dickinson sent down a maiden to the Indian, who, nevertheless, gave a sample of his quick footwork. Turnbull faced Dunning and made a tie of it by snicking the bowler past fine slip to the boundary. A singletothe off from the next ball was the winning hit. Details:— ENGLAND. First innings 322 Second Innings. K. S. Duleepsinhji, not out ... i.. 0 M. J. Turnbull, not out 5 Total for no wickets ... 5 —Bowling.—

OTAGO, First innings ... ... 166 Second Innings. A. Knight b Woolley ... ... ... 51 J. A. Dunning c Earle b Worthi ington 8 V. G. Cavanagh st Cornford b Woolley ... 23 R. C. Blunt hit wicket, b Legge ... 25 J. M'Mullan b Legge 0 A. W. Alloo Ibw b Legge 2 C. Elmes Ibw b Woolley 15 G. R. Dickinson c and b Woolley ... 12 A. Galland Ibw b Worthington ... 4’ P. Monk b Worthington ... ;... 0 A. B. Clark not out ... ... ... s.. 2 Byes ... 7 Leg byes ... ... ... ... 4 No-bails ... ... > ... :••• 7 Total 160 —Bowling.—

BREEZY EXHIBITION After the winning hit had been scored the batsmen set out to give a breezy exhibition, the crowd greatly appreciating the voluntary effort. Duleepsinhji did not last long in the unofficial knock, for Dickinson, fielding close in on the leg side, snapped him up smartly off the bowling of Dunnmg. The crowd was highly pleased to see Earle, famous for his titanic hitting, walk to the crease.' And it was not disappointed, for the burly vice-captain soon laid on the wood, _ and, although there was a few deliveries that he did not get on to properly, the majority of the balls were sent careering to the boundary at high speed. Several beautiful off drives and one particularly vigorous straight drive had the spectators roaring, but the outburst that arose when Earle lifted Dunning clean out of the ground from the South Dunedin end on to the road beyond the Burns street entrance was nothing short of ecstatic. A couple of balls later, however, Earle snicked one on to his wicket. The diminutive Cornford, who followed, had a short visit to the crease, Dunning rattling the stumps before he had got into his stride. Legge followed, and by comparison with Earle played an orthodox game. The last incident of the day came when Dickinson bowled Turnbull.

TEST MATCH AT CHRISTCHURCH An invitation to officiate as umpire in the cricke* match at Christchurch on „January 10 between New Zealand and the M. 0.0. team has been extended to Mr \V. Butler, who was on© of the umpires in the M.C C.-Otago match. Mr Butler stated yesterday that though he had not decided definitely, he would probably accept the invitation.

V ■+J Q) 9 A £ o 6 ' G. R. Dickinson . j I 0 0 J. A. Dunning . 4 0 5 u

Crt sd m V "es O* <U tO rt s rQ o £ s « i w M. is. Nichols ... 6 2 3 9 0 G. B. Legge (3 0 0 24 3 S. Worthington... 27 12 0 28 3 M. J. Allom ... 15 ' 4 4 43 0 F. E. Woolley ... 22 7 3 38 '4