DEFINITE IMPROVEMENT

Evening Star, Issue 25750, 25 March 1946, Page 8

DEFINITE IMPROVEMENT

SHORE COLOUR AND ACTION DOWNES PUZZLES THE AUSSiES [By Arthur Mailey, for the ' Star.'] (Copyright—Yaffa Newspaper Service.) . WELLINGTON, March 24. The general standard of Saturday's cricket was an improvement on that of Friday. I don't know whether more or less runs were scored, and I'm not very concerned. To me an orgy of cheap runs is just as repulsive as a handful of runs scratched out of the dust or off the wrong edge of a dead bat. There was a certain quality about Saturday's cricket which might interest the connoisseur and entertain the man in the street. It is quite possible that runs were rationed, that they were not quite as plentiful as on other occasions, but runs, like butter, are sweeter when rationed or difficult to get. BETTER BOWLING Wellington's bowling was definitely better than on the previous day. It may have looked efficient on Friday, but the bowling was treated with more suspicion than it should have been, and the result was a more or less drab display. » When the 200 was up and a new ball was- requisitioned. Hatch and Buchan came into the firing line, and for the first time in this match I saw two men who could swing or swerve the ball, and do it at will, and, unlike Mr Toshack later in the day, made the batsmen play at it. Runs were very difficult to get then. The fielding was alert, and the cricket reached a standard which had not been surpassed during the match. It is so easy to get runs off " tripe " and when the fieldsmen are lax, but not so easy when the- opposition is alert and efficient. " .

Later on, chances were dropped in the field. Otherwise the game might have been farther advanced at the end of the day. Hatch and Buchan were supported by a somewhat unorthodox bowler named Downes, who could not quite decide whether to bowl right hand or left hand. He had the early batsmen in two minds. He picked up two wickets, but later, when the batsmen were certain that Mr Downes had decided to bowl left hand continuously, he ceased to trouble them to any extent.

Anyhow, that's how it appeared to me from a position I had taken up behind the wickets where, by the way, I was offered'a lump of home-made meat pie.

The modest Lamasoii' appeared to.be a bowler possessing a certain skill. He usually tried when others had failed, and succeeded in obtaining two valuable wickets—those of Barnes and Johnson—but I wondered why he didn't make more use of Crawford, who spins the ball well, and was such a grand contrast to all the other bowlers. This bowler, in my opinion, should have been used more than some of the medium-fast men. Like Barnes, of Australia, Crawford appears to be under-fated, but my opinion is based on one performance only, and from the point of view of a very casual observer. Wellington's fielding was decidedly an improvement on the first day, and Tindall's wicketkeeping seemed to improve as it went along.

STEPPING IT UP The Australians' rate of scoring was again slow, but as 1 said before, interesting, and had some movement and action about it. The desire to get runs at a reasonable pace was evident. This was most apparent when Hassett, Miller, and McCool were at the wickets. Statisticians tell me that McCool spent nearly two hours over 40 odd runs, but he was making shots most of the time, and lost the benefit of many good shots because of good fielding and field-placing. Hassett, the only centurian, is always interesting, and, being built nearer the ground than most batsmen, he was more able to play the ball which kept low. This great batsman's total up to date is not as large as expected. Hassett is at his best when the attack is hostile and efficient, a contention which is proved by his treatment of Bill O'Reilly when those mortal enemies, Victoria and New South Wales, are at each other's throats.

OPENERS SHAPE WELL

Wellington's second appearance at the batting crease was rather pleasing, although it contradicts my first innings impression of. Tindill and Rice. Both shaped like able batsmen, although Toshadk treated them generously by bowling several overs off the wicket and allowing them to get a better view of the ball and improve their own knowledge without risk. Nevertheless, they gave Wellington a fairly good start and, further, probably convinced ■ their team mates that their own batsmen are worth more than 90 odd runs against the Australian bowlers.