N.Z. CRICKET VICTORY

Grey River Argus, 11 May 1931, Page 6

N.Z. CRICKET VICTORY

BY INNINGS AND 48 Merritt’s 8 for 41 (Aus. & N.Z. Cable Assn.) LONDON, AI ay 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. Bain delayed th e start. 1 The sun followed rain, and the wicket was somewhat tricky. Merritt took full advantage of this n nd helped by the batsmen’s Jack of enterprise, the New Zealand bowlers dismissed Essex for one hundred and thirteen.

Talbot and Weir opened the bowling. The attack was soon entrusted to the spin bowlers, and the opening batsjincn 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 on, and broke the partnership. At this stage, Merritt was most dangerous, taking four wickets in rapid succession. He bowled O’Connor 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.

NEW ZEALAND—First Innings 425 ESSEX—First Innings .. . . 264

ESSEX'—Second Innings. iCutmore, c Alleott, b Merritt .. 18 Pope, c James, b Merritt .. .. 7 I O’Connor, b Merritt 23 Eastman, c Page, b Merritt . . 0 Nichols, b Page Sheffield, c and b Merritt .. .. 3 Morris, b Blunt 0 Hipkin, b Merritt 2 Daer, b Merritt 23 Smith, c James, b Merritt .. .. 0 Bray, not out 24 Extras o Total 113 Bowling Analysis:—Talbot 0 for 9. Weir 0 for 3, Merritt S for 41. Alleott 0 for 12, Blunt 1 for 39, Page 1 for 5. In 1927, Essex defeated New Zealand by five wickets. The county is said to have a much stronger team this season.

SPLENDID START By N.Z. Against Leicester 334 FOR FOUR. (Aus. & N.Z. Cable Assn.) LONDON, May 9. The New Zealanders begin their match against Leicestershire to-day, at Leicester. Leicestershire finished twelfth in the county championship last year. (Essex were sixth). Their best players are E. W. Dawson, who visited New Zealand with Gilligan’s team, A. Shipman L. G. Berry, W. E. A still, and G. Geary. Asti 11, who scored 1010 runs and took 106 wickets last season, is one of the best allrounders in England. Geary is a test match bowler, but his form is said to be declining. (Special to Press Assn.) LONDON, May 9.

The New Zealand cricketers again started well in their match against Leicester. They occupied the wicket all day to-day, scoring 334 runs for four wickets.

The weather -was fine and the wicket was good, while the attendance was six thousand. The New Zealand team omitted Matheson, Vivian and Alleott. The Leicestershire team are: Dawson, Chipman, Berry Armstrong, Riley, Bradshaw, Astill. Coleman, Geary, Sidwell, and Snary.

Lowry won the toss and sent in Dempster Mills. This pair gave New Zealand a great start, scoring 172 runs for the first wicket. Mills jilayed a delightful, chanceless innings, scoring 67 runs before he was bowled when attempting to hook Snary. Dempster struck hi s best form. He appeared to be set for another century, but he was trapped l.b.w. by Astill, when only eight short of the century.

Page and Blunt also batted steadily. The latter scored well through cover, but he was also a victim to l.b.w. at 44. Kerr was more restrained than usual, nor did Page adopt forcing tactics. The Leicestershire bowler s appeared ■more intent to check the scoring than to get the New Zealander s out. The ball was. generally pitched just short of a good length.

The batsmen were undaunted by Geary’s test match reputation. Keen fielding assisted to keep the runs down. The scores were:—

NEW ZEALAND—First Innings. Dempster, 1.b.w., b Astill . . . . 92 Mills, b Snary 67 Blunt, b Snary 44 Page, not out 68 Kerr, b Snary 24 Weir, not out .. . 7 Extras 32 Total for four wickets . . t .. 334 Stumpg were then drawn. The missing scores in the match were: Dcmpste r 212, Talbot 21. ENGLISH COUNTY RESULTS (Aus. and N.Z. Cable Assn.) LONDON, May 8. The county cricket results are as follow’s: —* Derbyshire v. Gloucestershire.— Derbyshire first innings 100, Parker six for 41; second innings 120, Parker 8

for 50. Gloucestershire first innings 112, Worthing four for 25; second innings six for 111. Gloucestershire won by four wickets. Hampshire v. Somersetshire.—Hampshire first innings 339, White six for 84; second innings seven for 207, declared. Somersetshire first innings 329 (Case 131)second innings nine for 196. Hampshire won on the first innings. . Friendly matches resulted as follows:— Marylebone v. Surrey.—Marylebone first innings 320 (Dawson 70, Hendren (not out) 107); second innings five for 97 declared. Surrey first innings 201 (Sandham 87), Peebles five for 51; second innings one for 149 (Hobbs not out 78). The match was drawn. Nottingham v. Glamorgan.—Notting- • ham first innings 234 (Larwood 74); second innings three for 375, declared (Lilley 110, Voce 129, Walker not out ' 100). Glamorgan first innings 161; sec- i ond innings 147, Larwood eight for 54, including the hat trick. Nottingham won by 301 runs. Cambridge v. Sussex.— Cambridge | first innings 181 (Kemp-Welch 79) sec- i ond innings 172, Langridge seven for 32. Sussex first innings 297 (Cook not out 95); second innings four for 57. Oxford v. Yorkshire.—Oxford first innings 213 (Pataudi 68), Macauley six for 48; second innings 80, Macauley six I for 26. Yorkshire first innings 385 (Mitchell 62). Yorkhire won by an in- 5 nings and 92 runs. f