THIRD CRICKET TEST

Evening Star, Issue 22276, 29 February 1936, Page 8

THIRD CRICKET TEST

HEW ZEALAND'S GOOD RECOVERY ATTRACTIVE INNINGS BY ELMES OTAGO PLAYER MISSES CENTURY BY ONE [Pik United Press Association.] AUCKLAND, February 28. The third cricket test match between the M.C.C. and New Zealand was commenced at Eden Park to-day under ideal conditions, the home side batting first and compiling 362 for nine wickets. After a disastrous start, three wickets being lost for 34 runs, the home team made a splendid recovery. A feature of the morning’s play was the remarkable accuracy of the visiting bowlers. They tied the Now Zealand batsmen to a purely defensive game. Kerr and Vivian appeared likely to save the situation until the latter, when showing freedom, was nicely caught behind the wicket. Kerr and Wallace held up the attack until the luncheon adjournment, when, after 90 minutes’ play, the total was 62 for three wickets. Soon after the resumption Wallace fell leg before, and Kerr was dismissed shortly afterwards. Then Cromb and Elmes were associated in a very useful sixth wicket partnership which yielded 82 runs. The most prolific partnership of the innings followed, when Elmes and Blandford added 103 for the seventh wicket. These batsmen adopted aggressive tactics to advantage. Griffiths hit the first 6 of the match with a fine straight drive off Langridge. Cowie, the last man in, _ greatly pleased the spectators by hitting Baxter for three 4’s and a brace in one over just before stumps. An impressive bowling performance was put up by Baxter, who at one stage had taken two wickets for 5 runs, and he finished with three for 83. Sims took four wickets for 92 runs. In the morning he was very dangerous. One of the finest exhibitions of bowling seen on Eden Park for several years was given by Baxter in the_ early part of New Zealand’s innings. Swinging the ball appreciably, he completely beat both Moloney and Whitelaw. An outstanding feature of his bowling was bis late swing, with which he left both Moloney and Whitelaw standing. With the shine off the ball Baxter was not attempting his swing, but made far more pace, and several batsmen nibbled dangerously at his deliveries just outside the off stump. It is a tribute to the M.C.C. bowlers that both Kerr and Wallace, usually batsmen of an aggressive style, were kept most subdued. Wallace, the Auckland colt, who has been a prolific scorer this season, was unable to open his account until after 22 minutes’ batting. This was due to the steady attack and Ihe excellently-placed field. A soil'd and most valuable innings was played by Kerr for 39. He took 147 minutes ito compile his total, and hit three 4’s. Kerr showed unusual restraint, evidently being influenced by the state of the game. Kerr placed his on shots to advantage, while scoring well on the off side. At one stage it appeared that Vivian and Kerr would retrieve the bad start made by the side. Vivian swung dangerously to the off deliveries of both jfaxter and Parks, but on sighting the hall he played some fine cover drives. A fine innings was played by Cromb. the New Zealand captain. The position of'the game made him subdued at the start, but later he dealt severely at times with the attack and executed some splendid scoring shots. His innings proved most valuable at a critical stage of the game. Cromb was at the wickets for 90 minutes. Ho hit eight 4’s.

After an uncertain start, Elmos, the Otago left-hander, settled down to play aggressive and. attractive cricket. Although lifting the ball on occasions, he placed it safely and put plenty of power into his shots. A feature of his innings was his strong driving on either side of the wicket. With his score at 99 the batsman became very subdued, and this undoubtedly cost him. the coveted honour of reaching his century. Elmes batted for 123 minutes and hit 13 4’s. Blandford showed surprising skill in compiling 36. .He was particularly strong with his leg shots, gaining several boundaries with well-timed strokes off the slow bowlers. Matheson early in his innings edged several deliveries. Both Griffiths and Cowie brightened the play in the later stages. . Sims was the most impressive ot the visiting bowlers. A particularly deceptive delivery was one with a top spin that came straight through. This caused the downfall of Wallace. Suns, who was suffering from an injured knee, was limping badly during the afternoon. In 25 overs (five maidens) he took four wickets for 92 runs. A fine performance was put up by Parks, who in an hour’s bowling during the morning had only 7 runs scored off him. He maintained a consistent length and flighted the ball well. Langridgo also bowled very steadily. Roth his average and that of Parks suffered through the aggressiveness of Ernies and CTonib.

Details: — ! NEW ZEALAND. First Innings. D. A. 11. Moloney b Baxter 0 .). L. Kerr b Langriclgo 39 P. E. Whitelaw b Baxter 2 H. (J. Vivian c Griffiths b Sims ... IV W. M. Wallace Ibw b Sims 27 I. B. Cromb c Griffiths b Baxter ... 74 C. .). Elraes c Barber b Sims ... 99 •I. A. R. Blandford c Human b Sims 36 A. M. Mathcson not out 18 B. Griffiths c Mitchell-Innes h Human 1" ,1. Cowie not out 20 Extras 13 Total for nine wickets ... 362 NOTES OH THE PLAY [Special to the ‘ Star.’] AUCKLAND, February 28. After a tragically bad start New Zealand played with their backs to the wall for a long time, but at the close of a long day’s play had 362 runs on for the loss of nine wickets. Baxter, with a baffling late swing and nip from the pitch, was most disconcerting. Both Moloney and Whitelaw failed to sight an extra fast delivery, and two wickets had gone for 8 runs. Through it all Kerr, opening batsman, was holding on with a broad blade for every good ball that came along. The advent of Vivian slightly brightened New Zealand’s chance, but the Aucklander, with the full realisation of the serious situation, was very restrained, and

ho was snapped at the wicket while playing a defensive stroke. Wallace, from whom much was expected, was also in a defensive role, and eventually fell a leg before victim to Sims at 89. Then Kerr and Cromb carried the total to 108, when Kerr, after a gallant defensive innings, hit his wicket in attempting a late cut. Up to this stage M.C.C. had been decidedly on top. Their bowling was keen, their fielding was ultra-keen, and _ things had gone so much their way that they had reason for satisfaction.

The general feeling at this stage was that New Zealand would be fortunate to get 200 runs. Then Cromb and Elmes came together. Elmes was very unhappy at the start. He spooned a couple of balls in the air which fell just short of the close-in field, but Cromb began to play a gallant innings in an endeavour to extricate his side from a very difficult situation. Two hundred runs were on the board before Cromb snicked a fast ball from Baxter, to be held by Griffith at short-stop. He had given an admirable display in which punishing power and watchful defence were well blended. He had played through a crisis and had shown that although the bowling was difficult it could be played. Elmes gradually came on his game. He picked his way carefully through the twenties, the thirties, and the forties: and as the fifties started to go by Auckland spectators saw a new Elmes, fearless and dashing, who did not hesitate to move out to the pitch of the ball and drive it with telling power on both sides of the wicket with brilliant ground shots, which fairly flashed through to the line. A daring straight drive which hit the rails near the sight screen carried Elmes into the nineties, and the spectators sat back in anticipation of the young southerner getting the century, but at 99 he went the wrong way about it. He played gently forward and spooned a ball which fell just clear of Holmes at silly mid-off. He spooned the next ball just as gently—and this time it fell into the safe hands of Barber at mid-on. Thus a sparkling innings came to its close, and the crowd rose to give Elmes an ovation in recognition of a great display of forcing batting, and the excellent service he had rendered. It was the solidity of Cromb and the aggressiveness of Elmes which had taken the razor edge off the English attack, although Sims, with his rare spin, and Parks and Langridge, with a splendid length, were often hard to score off. Blandford was not a stylist, but ho made many good strokes and got runs; and all the others got double figures. Griffiths landed a spectacular 6 on to the terraces, and the last pair, Matheson and Cowie, were playing in a carefree way when the time came for play to stop. For New Zealand it was a wonderful recovery. Baxter’s devastating bowling sadly shook the side in the early stages. There was a long period of consolidating play when Cromb played a typical captain’s innings, but it was Elmes who made the Dominion picture bright.