NEW ZEALAND’S SPLENDID START

Greymouth Evening Star, 9 May 1931, Page 7

NEW ZEALAND’S SPLENDID START

ESSEX WELL BEATEN MERRITT’S GREAT BOWLING [BY CABLE —PRESS ASSN. —COPYRIGHT.] (Received May 9, 10 a.m.) LONDON, May 8. The Essex match ended at four o’clock this afternoon in a meritorious victory for New Zealand by an innings and forty-eight runs. Rain delayed the start. The sun followed rain, and the wicket was somewhat tricky. Merritt took full advantage of this, and helped by the batsmen’s lack of enterprise, the New Zealand bowlers dismissed Essex for a hundred and thirteen. Talbot and Weir opened the bowling. The attack was soon entrusted to the spin bowlers, and the opening batsmen were out before lunch. Eastman was caught in the slips third ball after the resumption. O’Connor and Nichols stemmed the tide, but Page was brought o'n, and broke the partnership.

At this stage, Merritt was most dangerous, taking four wickets in rapid succession. He bowled O’Con-. nor with a googly. Daer improved the position by hard hitting, but it was a forlorn hope. Apart from three overs, Talbot and Merritt bowled throughout the innings. They maintained an excellent length, flighted the ball well, and masked the googly effectively. The decisive victory is regarded as a magnificent advertisement for the side. “The Times” praises the brilliant wicket-keeping of James, and the valuable bowling of Merritt and Blunt. The scores were: —

NEW ZEALAND —IST. INNINGS 425 ESSEX —IST. INNINGS .. .. 264 ESSEX—2ND. INNINGS. Cutmore, c Alcott, b Merritt .. 18 Pope, c James, b Merritt .. .. 7 O’Connor, b Merritt 23 Eastman, c Page, b Merritt • • • • 0 Nichols, b Page '• , • H Sheffield, c and b Merritt .. '.. 3 Morris, b Blunt 9 Hipkin, b Merritt 2 Daer, b Merritt 23 Smith, c James, b Merritt .. .. 9 Bray, not out 24 Extras 2 t . Total Bowling: Talbot Qrior 9, Weir 0 for 5, Merritt 8 for 41, Allcott 0 for 12, Blunt 1 for 39, Page 1 for 5. COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP. GOOD BOWLING PERFORMANCES. (Recd. May 9, 11 a.m.) LONDON, May 8. County cricket results were:— Derby, first 100 (Parker 6 for 41); second 120 (Parker 8 for 50). Gloucester, first 112 (Worthing 4 for 25); second 6 for 111. Gloucester won by four wickets. Hampshire, first, 339 (White 6 for 84); second, 7 for 207 declared. Somerset, first 329 (Case 131); second 9 for 196. Hampshire won on the first innings. Marylebone, first 320 (Dawson 70, Hendren not out 107); second 5 for 97 declared. Surrey first 201 (Sandham 87, Peebles 5 for 51); second 1 for 149 (Hobbs not out 78); drawn. Nottingham, first 134 (Larwood 74); second 3 for 375 declared (Lilley 110, Voce 129, Walker not out 100); Glamorgan, first 161; second 147 (Larwood 8 for 54, including the hat trick). Nottingham won by 301 runs. Cambridge, first ISI (Kemp-Welch 79); second 172 (Langridge 7 for 32). Sussex, first 297 (Cook not out 95); second 4 for 57. Sussex won by six wickets.

Oxford, first 213 (Pataudi 68, MacAulay 4 for 48); second 80 (MacAulay 6 for 26). Yorkshire, first 285 (Mitchell 62). Yorkshire won by an innings and 92 runs.