A GREASY BALL

Evening Star, Issue 20864, 6 August 1931, Page 8

A GREASY BALL

WARWICK'S GOOD RECOVERY CENTURY TO PARSONS MATHESON DEVELOPS FACE [Special to Press Association.] BIRMINGHAM, August 5. (Received August 6, at 10 a.ra.) Tlio New Zealand team started well against Warwickshire. The wicket was easy and the weather dull. Cromb, Allcott, and Dempster stood down. The Warwickshire team is as follows: —Wyatt, Kemp-Welch, Groom, Bates, Parsons, Kilner, Partridge, Smart, Foster, Mayer, and Paine. Lowry lost the toss, and Warwickshire made a disastrous start. KempWelch was caught in the slips in the third over, Groom played one on, and Wyatt was dismissed by a brilliant catch by James on the leg side. Three wickets were down for 15. The batting of Parsons, Bates, and Kilner then retrieved the position. The New Zealand bowlers were hampered after the first half-hour by a greasy ball. Play was resumed at 2.35, the light causing a delay of fifty minutes. Par-' sons and Bates added 125 runs for the fourth wicket. Both batsmen were lucky occasionally when facing Matheson. Bates was eventually caught at mid-on in attempting to force Vivian. The fifth wicket partnership of Parsons and Kilner also added 125 runs before Kilner snicked Blunt and was caught off a well-pitched leg spinner. % Merritt dismissed Partridge, and the' day closed half an hour early owing to the bad light. Parsons gave an excellent display of clean driving, and used his height to advantage. He was dropped by James off Matheson when 21. Despite the greasy ball Matheson was frequently dangerous. He has developed considerable pace, and occasionally made the ball rise to awkward heights. Details:— WARWICKSHIRE. First Innings. Kemp-Welch c Page b Matheson ... 2 Groom b Talbot ... 2 Bates c Matheson b Vivian 76 Wyatt o James b Talbot 3 Parsons not out ... 126 Kilner c James b Blunt 48 Partridge b Merritt 1 Smart not out ... 2 Extras 16 Total for six wickets ... 276 DEMPSTER FIT AGAIN. Dempster is fit, and he has rejoined the team, but he decided not to risk playing owing to the uncertain weather. ENGLAND'S TEST WIN LONDON, August 5. ‘ Sporting Life ’ expresses the opinion that England’s' victory over New Zealand in the test match seems to have gone to the heads of . certain people. The paper would like to see the victorious team in serious antagonism with Woodf nil’s combination, including Bradman, Ponsford, Kippax, and Grimmett. NOTES AND COMMENTS [By Substitute.] The Warwickshire side, at present tenth in the county championship, has made a good showing against the New Zealanders after a rather disastrous start. Three wickets fell with only .15 runs showing, and then Bates and Parsons were associated in a splendid partnership, and when stumps were drawn for the day six wickets were down for 276. , Warwickshire is led by R. E. 8. Wyatt, who captained England in the fifth test match against Australia- last year. In that game Wyatt made 64 and 7, and took one wicket for 58. Wyatt was a tower of strength to the county side last year, for, in addition to leading the team, he scored 1,604 runs and had an average of 47. Ho made four three-figure scores, including 174 not out against Leicestershire.

Nothing in Warwickshire’s batting last year was more refreshing than that of Parsons, who has 126 to his credit in the present game, and was still going strong when stumps were, drawn for the day after a match which was interfered with by the bad light. Parsons is a fine driver, and he hit with such power and judgment in last season’s games that he increased his aggregate to 1,073 and had an average of 42. Parsons, who is a clergyman, scored 114 not out against AVorcestersliire and 114 against Surrey. Kemp-Welch, the Cambridge University captain, went cheaply in this match, but when the New Zealand eleven met Cambridge this player put together a fine score of 102 not out, and he has been batting remarkably well this season. Groom was one of the opening men for AVarwickshire last season, and played a lot of good cricket, scoring 1,385 runs with an average of 34. Ho made 110 against Derbyshire, and N. Kilner, who got 48 yesterday, was another who batted well. He scored 150 _ against AA roreestershire, and compiled over 1,100 runs for the season with an average of 30. L. A. Bates is thirty-seven years of age, and in the early part of last season he accomplished great things, making 199 against AA rorcestershire and 110 against Essex. SHo was a bit uneven later on, but scored 1,362 runs for an average of 33. Mayor was called upon to hear a great deal of the burden of the attack last season, and among _ hismost notable performances were nine wickets for 91 against Hampshire and ten for 154 against AA r orcestei‘shire in consecutive matches, and for the season he took 108 wickets at a cost of 20 runs apiece. Mayer received most 'assistance from Paine, who _ secured 75 wickets for 26 runs apiece. _ AVyatt and Groom were both expensive, but Foster, though he took only eighteen wickets, obtained these for less than 17 runs apiece, i As a rule last season "Warwickshire was able to make of plenty of runs, but occasionally tbo batting at critical periods lacked steadiness, and there were too many expensive _ blunders in the field. The weakness in the bowling, however, was the real • trouble. Mayer was always awkward to face, particularly when using a new ball, and coming fast off the pitch he usually proved troublesome to the batsman. The support accorded him, however, was not what might have been desired. Paine, who has already been referred to. is a slow left-hander, of whom good things are expected_ in the future. Only five times during tlic season did Calthorpo turn out, and he is not playing in the present match.

Ho formerly led the county and was a member of the M.C.C. team that visited New Zealand nine years ago. Three times in l the course of last season Warwick put together total of over 500 runs, the highest being 541 for seven wickets against Worcestershire, and three times totals of 600 or more were hit from the Warwickshire bowlers. Warwickshire did not win many matches outright, and against Hampshire were disposed of for 92, while Glamorgan dismissed the county for 73. Warwick, however, disposed of Leicestershire for 53 The New Zealand bowlers havo divided the spoils so far as the present game lias gone, but recent matches make one incline to _ the belief that the attack of the visitors has lost some of its earlier sting, a fact which was borne out in the test match when the bowling was subjugated by batsmen who in previous games against the tourists bad not slnjwn the same mastery of the attack. Talbot again collected a couple of wickets, and Matheson, Vivian. Blunt, and Merritt each claimed one, and there is some cause for hope in the fact that Matheson appears to be developing considerable pace, which may be helpful in tho next test. , ■