CRICKET

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 5 March 1927, Page 6

CRICKET

MELBOURNE v. CANTERBURY. HOME TEAM’S IMPRESSIVE BATTING. CREDITABLE SCORE OF 346. (by telegraph peess association.) CHRISTCHURCH, March 4. The Canterbury representative team and! the Melbourne cricket team commenced ai match at Lancaster Park today. C. Oliver and Talbot were unable to play, and were replaced by Gregory and l Patrick. Warwick Armstrong was still absent from the visiting side. The weather was perfect. The wicket looked a first-class one, and it played true and fast. _ Canterbury’s total of 346 was a very creditable performance, for there wa-s little or no luck in it, practically every chance that wa-s given being taken. The visitors themselves were impressed by the Canterbury batting, and it certainly was a good knock to put o,n 346 against a really strong bowling iside. Ebeling was the outstanding figure among the Melbourne bowlers. The others were all of good average merit, but of a class that never, or hardly ever, had the batsmen -stuck up, but relied largely on batsmen -getting themselves out. But Ebeling always looked dangerous. Considering his pace-, _he kept an excellent length and direction, and he occasionally got a. little off turn that left the batsmen standing. Patrick, Boon and Merritt were unlucky enough to encounter them, and in each case the ball looked as though it might bowl any batsman.

Ransford captained the visitors, whilst Page- led the Canterbury men. Page -won the toss and elected to hat. Gregory and Hamilton opened, Gregoi-y striking to Ebeling, who opened from the south end, and after a leg bye Hamilton got one past point to the fence-. Hendry took up the attack at tlie other end, and Gregory late cut him prettily for four, and -got him to leg prettily for a! pair. Gregory got Ebeling to leg for a pair in the next over, but was then out 1-b.h.iv-. 14—1—9. Patrick, who- followed, bad his leg pin: knocked out of the ground first ball. 14—2 —0. Pag© followed, and neither batsman looked liappy with Ebeling, whose fast deliveries were not relished. After a succession of three maidens, Rogerson replaced Hendry, and Page survived an appeal! .for l.b.w. He showed 1 his -gratitude by cutting him prettily for four. Hendry went on at Ebeling’s end, the latter bowling from the- pavilion end. Page reached double figures with a single, and then drove the- fast bowler past cover to the -pickets, sending 30 up.- Hamilton reached double figures with a pair to leg, and then cut a- long hop for four, sending 40 up on the board.

This was the signal for a change in the bowling, and T. Armstrong replaced Ebeling. Hamilton got him to square leg for a- nice- four. Johnstone- howled in place of Hendry, and- a single gave Hamilton 20, Page getting to the same figure a. moment later. 'Then Canterbury’s skipper off drove Armstrong finely for four, and .sent 60 up by banging a full toss to the- pickets. Singles took the total along to 70, and Hamilton off drove Johnston§ for four. He repeated the shot and sent 80 up. With the total at 91, Ebeling replaced Armstrong, and ini his first over Hamilton was caught by the wicketkeeper, standing back. Nixon joined bis skipper, and! Sandford replacedl Johnstone at the south end. In E-beling’s next over Nixon got a- nice four to fine leg, sending 100 up for an hours and 50 minutes’ play. Page- off drove the- fast howler nicely for four, and the luncheon adjournment was taken with .the total at 107.

On resuming Hen dry bowled from the south end, and! Nixon got him to the leg boundary, and off drove him for another quartette. Ebeling was bowling from the- other end, and seven came off the over, including a nice three to leg by Nixon. Page reached 50 with a- lovely straight drive for four. The applause was renewed -when Nixon off drove the fast bowler for another four. Page got a lucky four for a leg snick, and; with some sharply run singles play was very interesting. A single gave Page 60 and- sent 140 up, and lie then off drove Hendry for four.

Nixon reached! 30 with a nice .square cut to the fence, and 150 went up. Runs were coming freely. Nixon cut the fast bowler beautifully for four, and Page drove him past point for another boundary. Nixon gob Ebeling past cover with an off drive for four, and- a' fine leg boundary to Page .sent l-fO up. Still another four came to Nixon for a lovely off drive. At 178 Armstrong replaced' Ebeling, and iiv his first over Page edged out to one, and was smartly stumped. 178 —4—77. Roberts joined Nixon, and opened with a dangerously run single. Johnstone replaced Hendry, and this change also came off, Nixon giving 'an easy catch in .slips. 181—5—-45. SCORING SLOWS DOAVN. Boon went in, and the scoring became slow. After uneventful play Boon opened liis account with an off drive for four, and two similar strokes to Roberts pub tho latter into double figures. Then Boon lifted Johnstone over the fence for .six. This brought 200 up for three hours and five minutes’ play. Roberts got a tricky four through slips, but after some slow play he lifted one to mid-off, when Ebeling made no mistake about the catch. 214—G—19. Evans filled the gap, and Sandford replaced Johnstone. Evans got the new; bowler to the on for three, and Roon rattled the pickets twice in Armstrong’s next over. The Linwoodl man lifted Sandford for six, and at 241 Ebeling replaced Armstrong. Evans late cut him for four. At 246 Jewell bowled in place of Sandford, and Boon got three for a nice cut. He sent 260 up with a lovely stroke behind point. The players then adjourned for afternoon tea.

On resuming, Jewell bowled from the south end, and Boon reached 50 with an off drive for two. He got a four through the slips next hall, and a single sent 270 up. Boon got Ebeling to the off fence, but then the express bowler clean, howled him. 27G — -7 —59. Read was the next batsman, and he scampered for a single off the fast bowler. Armstrong replaced Jewell, and Read off drove him for four and lifted him to the on for another four.

Sharply run. singles kept the. score moving, and Read sent the third hundred up with a four to the on. It. had taken four hours 20 minutes. Evans off drove Ebeling for three, and Read lifted Armstrong to the off boundary. He then put one into Johnstone’s 'hands at cover. 311—8—32.

Merritt opened with a 1 .single., and Evans twice drove Armstrong to the off fence. In Ebeling’s next over he beat Alerritt with a good one. 327 —9—2. 'Cunningham was the last man., and he broke the iee with a single. Evans straight drove the fast bowler for a well run three., and this took him past

the 50 mark. Cunningham got a nasty crack on the hand: from the fast •bowler, and then got him past point for four. The innings dosed .by Evans being run out. The total of 346 had been' reached in five hours. MELBOURNE MEN BATTING. Jewell and Campbell opened Melbourne’s innings at 5.45. Read bowled a maiden to Jewell from the south end, but Cunningham was not so lucky. Cainphell hit him for three fours and a. three, and Jewell got a single, making 16 off the over. The last hall of Read’s next over clean howled Jewell. 18—1 —3- Eagerson followed 1 , but Read ml his tin id over eelan bowled Campbell, and stumps were then drawn for the da.y. The scores are: CANTERBURY. First Innings. G R. Gregory, 1.b.w., b Ebeling 9 I. M. Hamilton, e Campbell, b Ebeling T? W. R. Patrick, b Ebeling 0 M. L. Page, st. Campbell, b Armstrong ............... 77: D. C. Nixon, e Hendry, b Joan- , Roberts, c Ebeling, 'b Armstrong 19 C. E. Evans, run out M. K. Boon, b Ebeling oJ J. R. Read, c Johnstone, b ArmW. E. Merritt, b Ebeling ••• g W. Cunningham, not out •■ • ■ 8 Extras (leg bves 11, no halls 6) 17 Total - f 46 Bowling analysis.—H. J. Ebeling took five wickets for 102 runs; T. R. S. Rogerson, none for 5; i • Aimstrong. three for 93; R. C. Johnstone one for 44; H. C. A. Sandford, none for 22; R. Jewell, .none for IS. MELBOURNE. Firsit Innings. R. Jewell, b Read Iv. Campbell, b Read T. R. S. Rogerson, not out 3 20 2 Total for two wickets' •••• Bowling anialysis.—Read took t.uo wickets for 4 rims; Cunningham, none for 21.