FINAL CRICKET TEST

Manawatu Standard, Volume L, Issue 75, 24 February 1930, Page 2

FINAL CRICKET TEST

ENGLAND’S GOOD SCORE. - Per Press Association. AUCKLAND, Feb. 22. Tho final cricket Test was continued at Eden Park to-day in bright weather. The attendance was small, but increased as the day went on. Tho wicket was still in good order and the outfield fast. The flags of the New Zealand Club and tho M.C.C. flew at half-mast as a tribute to the late Mr C. W. Garrard, vice-president of the Auckland Cricket Association and the father of D. H. Garrard, the University captain. The not out men were Legge (104) and Harold Gilligan. Tho first five minutes yielded six runs. Blunt replaced Merritt and he was accorded tho tribute of careful play by Legge, who refused to be tempted by innocent looking deliveries. Legge was lucky to stop a “swerver” which pitched on a blind spot. The ball kept low and it appeared by no means improbable that the wicket would wear under the influence of the hot sun. There was but little breeze and the afternoon conditions bade fair to be torrid. Legge showed neat footwork. Gilligan brought up the fourth century with a single to the off. This occurred after a quarter of an hour’s play. Allcott relieved Blunt, with the score at 415, and a few minutes later, McGirr came on in place of Matheson. Legge was showing delightful form, though Allcott was keeping a characteristically accurate length and neither Gilligan nor Legge was inclined to take risks. A change was made in the attack, Matheson coming on once more in place of McGirr.

Legge brought his score up to 150 with a pretty single on the leg side. Barratt had a very lucky let-off. He made a soaring hit to deep mid-on and the .catch looked a certainty for Lowry, but the cries of “He’s gone!” dwindled away when the New Zealand captain dropped the ball. The next chance Barratt gave proved his downfall, Mills, in front of the boundary rails at long-on, making no mistake with the catch—47—8 —17. Cornford was the newcomer.

After a couple of hours and a quarter’s play the total had been carried from 375 to 480.

Both batsmen began to hit out and the placing of the field was changed when Merritt came on, Page being the only man behind the wicket, a solitary slipe. It was evidently an attempt to counter Gilligan’s straight driving and the ring of fieldsmen between Mills at deep point and Lowry at square leg succeeded in their duty of cheeking the rate of run-getting. So effective was the new plan that Allcott’s next two overs were maidens and Merritt’s one yielded only a single. Three-quarters of an hour had elapsed when the first wicket fell. Gilligan being beaten all the way by a ball from Merritt which turned appreciably from 1eg—432—7—25. Barratt filled the vacancy and was not long in settling down. Dempster was in great form at mid-on and on three successive occasions he checked Barratt’s favourite shot. When the score, was 447, Barratt made a glorious drive off Merritt to the ropes. Dempster appeared to have little chance of stopping the ball, but he sprung into the air in an effort to catch it nigh up.' It was a spectacular bit of fielding and the crowd, now about 2000 strong, was not slow t« show its appreciation.