Three Centuries: Sparkling Display By M.C.C. Batsmen

Greymouth Evening Star, 18 March 1947, Page 8

Three Centuries: Sparkling Display By M.C.C. Batsmen

After losing the first three wickets for only 26 runs, England made light of the Otago bowling in the second day of the match at Carisbrook yesterday. Three batsmen, Yardley, Ikin, and Evans, made centuries, and at the close of play the M.C.C. had scored 385 for six in reply to the Otago total of 340. After .lunch the Englishmen scored at a tremendous rate, 3:50 runs being made in 231 minutes. It was glorious cricket and another large crowd thoroughly enjoyed the play. With three down for 26, Otago was well on top, but Hammond and Yardley were together at lunch when the total was 35. Hammond began the afternoon by hitting a full toss from Robinson almost over the fence, and Yardley, whose chief scoring medium was an excellently controlled and timed pull to mid-wicket, was untroubled. However, soon after the partnership bad realised 50, Hammond was out. In Overton’s first over the batsman drove one hard to Mills at extra cover, and the fieldsman fumbled, but recovered and held the catch. Four wickets were down for 91, and Otago’s prospects were still excellent. . , Yardley’s 50 and the 100 arrived together, after 107 ■ minutes, and thereafter Yardley was in command of the situation. An Uncertain Start

Ikin, however, made a most un-

certain start. He was ill at ease to all the bowlers, and was dropped at fine leg when he had scored six. Yardley maintained a brisk scoring rate, hitting 14 fours in his first 90 runs, and the third 50 was made in 39 minutes. Yardley reached his century after batting 148 minutes. At tea Yardley was 108, and Ikin, who had taken 54 minutes to make 10, was 21, the total being 176. After the interval Yardley hooked one perfectly to the boundary off McDougall, but was bowled next ball trying to on-drive. With Ikin, he had added 116 in 85 minutes, and had scored most of them. He played a fine innings, full of good cricket and enterprising shot-making. It was his first century of the team’s tour.

Ikin since tea had been batting with much more freedom and confidence, and, like Yardley, he brought into play a wide range of excellent strokes. Evans was full of confidence, and although he had some lucky escapes, he gave an exhibition of forceful batting which will be remembered. Although he had begun batting 90 minutes after Ikin, Evans caught his partner before they were in the seventies, and together they took the total from 250 to 300 in 21 minutes. As they continued their audacious display’ the mathematics of their partnership made extraordinary reading. They made 100 in only 53 minutes, practically all the runs coming from perfect strokes. Evans gave a hard chance to St John at extra cover off McDougall, but the fieldsman did well to get his hands to the ball. The Otago bowlers, after being on top, were successively checked, mastered, and thrashed. A maiden from McDougall was warmly applauded—a sign of the •times —and when in the nineties Evans slowed ■ down to normally quick scoring. The partnership produced 150 in 76 minutes, and Evans, with a typical square cut off Smith, reached his century, his first in firstclass cricket, in 82 minutes. Shortly after, Ikin also achieved three figures, but the partnership, which added 170 in 91 minutes, was broken when Evans was caught. He hit 15 fours and a six, but the figures are merely reminders of the many glorious shots he played. Before stumps Bedser scored six runs, all from one mighty hit on to the embankment off Robinson. F. B. SMITH REPLACES DEMPSTER IN NEW ZEALAND TEAM Because of an eye injury, C. S. Dempster (Wellington) will not be available for the test match against the M.C.C., at Christchurch, which will begin on March 21. The three selectors (Messrs J. L. Kerr, W. A. Hadlee, and W. M. Wallace) have chosen the young Canterbury representative, F. B. Smith, to replace Dempster in the list ot 1players from which the final team will be chosen. _ INDIAN TEAM CHOSEN FOR TOUR OF AUSTRALIA (Recd. 1.15 p.m.) NEW DELHI, March 1/. The Indian Board of Control ha.-> announced the names of 17 playeiS for the Indian cricket team to tour Australia. They are:— . V. M. Merchant (captain), L. Amarnath (vice-captain), Mushtaq Ah, V. Mankad, V. S. Hazare, R. S. Mode, C -'S Nayudu, Gul Mahomed, S. W. Schoni (all the foregoing were members of the Indian team which toured England in 1946), Amir Elshi, P. Sen, M. Ranghakar, G. Kishenchand, D. G. Fhadker, Fazal Mahmud, H. R. Adhikari, and J. K. Irani. Elshi is a right-arm slow googly bowler. Phawkar is a fast bowler with fire in the early overs, and a useful bat. Ranghaker is an .enterprising left-hand batsman. Adhikari and Kishenchand are batsmen and Fazal Mahmud is a medium-paced bowler. The average age of the team is 27. The oldest players are Elshi 40, Merchant and Amarnath each 36. _ The youngest, Sen, is 18, Mahmud is 21 and Phadkar 22. WOMEN’S TEAM FOR EASTER TOURNEY ■ The West Coast women’s representative cricket team to compete in the Easter tournament has been chosen by the sole selector, Mr C. Dittman, as follows: D. Burns, M. Cornish, D. Dewar, E. Dewar, J. Hopkins, M. Instone, H. Jackson, I. Leach, B. Liggins, B. Roach, N. Rodden, G. Shand, B. Walker. A. Worgan.