Wallace 197, Reid 188 N.O., Record N.Z. Stand: Tourists Declare At 441 For Five

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 22951, 20 May 1949, Page 5

Wallace 197, Reid 188 N. 0., Record N.Z. Stand: Tourists Declare At 441 For Five

(N.ZP.A. —Reuter—Copyright.) (10.45 a.m.) CAMBRIDGE, May 19. A fourth wicket partnership of 324 by Wallace and Reid —a record for New Zealand cricket, eclipsing that established by Wallace and Donnelly at Leicester last Saturday—allowed Hadlee to declare the New Zealand first innings against Cambridge University closed at 441 for five wickets.

Tiiis gave the Dominion team a lead over Cambridge on the first innings of 334.

vented singles being taken from these strokes.

Harder Fight for Runs

Wallace, indeed, had to work harder for his runs than he did at Leicester for one boundary was much deeper and this resulted in his running 17 threes in addition to 16 fours. This tended to tire him and he scored more slowly and sedately in his last hour. ». The Cambridge bowlers were also often sending the ball down well off the stumps, obliging him to use his feet more frequently than earlier in his innings. “

In nearly two hours of play remaining on the second day, Cambridge University scored 78 for one wicket, leaving it to get another 257 to avoid an innings defeat.

Wallace made 197 and Reid 188 not out

May Join Illustrious

Indeed, it was in playing forward to a ball from Warr, about a yard wide of his'Off stump that Wallace snicked and was, caught behind the wickets by Popplewell. It was bad luck for him that he missed his double century so narrowly for he had worked hard for it and his strokes —he has them alht-were a sheer delight to watch. They drew a continuous “ah” of appreciation from the spectators, a sound as tuneable to the cricketer’s ear as the “clock” of the ball striking the middle of the bat.

Wallace has now scored 727 in eight innings—an average of nearly 91—and has placed himself in an excellent position to join the ranks of the illustrious by scoring 1000 runs in May. Only three batsmen—W. G. Grace, W. R. Hammond, and C. Hallows—have scored 1000 runs in May, but three others, T. Hayward, D. G. Bradman, and W. J. Edrich have reached four figures bofer the end of. May. Bradman accomplished this feat twice. Bofer the end of May the New Zealanders play first-class matches against Cambridge University, the M.C.C., Oxford University. and Sussex. Wallace batted for four hours 50 minutes, which was the period of his partnership with Reid. The New Zealand innings lasted six hours 25 minutes; at the crease for six hours 10 minutes. It was a batsman’s wicket, hard and true, allowing slow spin. The weather was warm, inclined to be muggy, and the forecast is for rain tomorrow. '

It was a fine innings worthy of comparison with any contemporary giants of the game and to particularise further about the key aspect of it or to dig for superlatives or adjectives would be monotonous —and his innings was anything but monotonous. Reid played an entirely different type of knock. The Wellington boy was first of all batting to establish confidence in himself. He has found conditions in England different from those to which he is accustomed and has been inclined to criticise himself for not “seeing” the ball sufficiently well. ' ■ “A Fine Innings” His purpose, therefore, was to stay at the wicket and gain experience. He was careful, cautious and waited for a loose ball; and when that arrived he punched it—hard. He was quite content to stay there for four hours 25 minutes to reach three figures—suerly the slowest century he ever scored. His next 50 came in one hour and his final 38 came in 35 minutes. In that last half hour, all care cast aside, he 'went for the bowling and completed his innings, scoring of! every stroke. It was a fine effort and it was a joy to see him using his powerful shoulders and following through his strokes, with his bat outlining a semicircle. . ~ z , Reid hit 12 fours in his century and finished with 23—one of them nearly a six just wide of sightscreen—and five threes. Donnelly batted brightly for three-, quarters of an hour and, knowing that a declaration was not far distant, looked for runs. He was caught behind the wicket.

The wicket suited both Wallace and Reid, who brought the number of centuries scored by the team in its five matches to eight, of which the Aucklander has contributed four.

Went for Bowling

Wallace went for the bowling with a will when play was resumed this morning and, in the first hour, 73 runs were added to the score, of which he contributed 47; Reid was content with 21. Wallace was 100 in two hours 10 minutes and 150 in four hours.

Wallace gave only one chance and that was a hard return off a full toss from Morris when he was 181. He hit the ball with the middle of his bat straight back at the Cambridge bowler who made a vain second attempt as it bounced off the palm of his hand. Apart from that one incident, Wallace played every shot with firmness and precision. His cover driving was particularly good and Cambridge could counter it only by setting a deep defensive field.

The New Zealander frequently hit the ball hard and fast straight to coverpoint standing 30 to 40 yards out from the wicket; the Cambridge fielding was good and quick, clean returns pre-

Cambridge Starts Better

Cambridga made a much better start in their second innings and Dewes and Morris put on, 71 in one hour 35 minutes. They were much more purposeful than yesterday and with the wicket giving the New Zealand bowlers no more assistance than it allowed the university, they dug themselves in. Hayes put aji end to their association when he knocked over Dewes’ offstump, clean bowling the left-hander-for - the second time. NEW ZEALAND First Innings Sutcliffe, c Morris, b Warr .* 2 Hadlee, c Popplewell, b Warr >. 4 Smith, c Insole, b Warr 9 Reid, not out 188 Wallace, c Popplewell, b Warr .. 197 Donnelly, c Popplewell, b Doggart 27 Rabone, not out 1 Extras .. .. .. .. .. ... 13 Total for 5 wickets (dec.) v .. 441 Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-9, 3-19, 4-343, 5-412. . ev BOWLING

CAMBRIDGE, Fipst Innings 107 Second Innings . u Dewes, b Hayes .. .. .. .. .. 32 Morris, not out .. V 32 Doggart, not out .. .... .. 5 Extras .. , v ;.5 Total, one wicket for .. .. .. $8 Fall of wickets: 1-71. KING AND QUEEN TO SEE N.Z-M.C.C. MATCH (11 a.m.) LONDON, May 19. The King and Queen will visit Lord’s next Monday to see the cricket match between M.C.C. and New Zealand. This visit is in place of the one which was announced earlier that the King would make to Lords during the second test on June 27.

O. M. R. W. Warr .. .. 35 7 81 4 Hawkey 18 4 44 0 Insole .. .. «• • 2 0 16 0 Pryer .. .. 17 2 69 0 Stevenson .. 22 3 S5 0 Doggart 15 3 62 1 Rimsil .. .. 17 4 37 0 » Morris 8 1 24 0