CRICKET TRIAL

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 16, 16 December 1937, Page 16

CRICKET TRIAL

TOWN VERSUS COUNTRY. HONOURS TO VISITORS. MURCHISON’S FINE BOAVLING. WELLINGTON, Dec. 16. All the honours in the opening day’s play in the annual trial of cricketing strength between Town and Country elevens in the AVcllington Plunket Shield area Sit the Basin Reserve yesterday lay with the Country team. Country • compiled 263 runs in their first innings, and dismissed the Town eleven for 128. thus securing a lead of 125 runs on the first innings. The outstanding performance of the day was the bowling of J. Murchison (the Manawatu fast-medium right-hander) who captured seven Town wickets for 52 runs.

The weather was fine, but a blustering north-westerly wind enabled bowlers to get some flight on the ball. Robertson and Rees opened the country' innings at 11.2 a .in., to the bowling of AVilson and O’Neill. 1 Both bowlers kept a good length, and kept the batsmen quiet. Twenty came up in half an hour, and the first change in the bowling was made with the total at 28, Ashenden relieving O’Neill, whose four overs had cost 13 runs. The change was immediately successful, Ashenden clean bowling Rees with the fourth ball of his opening over. The Hawke’s Bay representative had shown sound defence for his modest 16.

Murchison j pined Robertson, and Crawford relieved AVilson, whose five overs had cost 15 runs. The 50 appeared in 42 minutes, both Manawatu batsmen shaping confidently, and using their feet well to get out and punch Crawford’s slows. Runs came steadily, and, at the end of an hour’s play, 72 were on the board. Robertson being 40 and Murchison 12. AVith his score at 43, Robertson, who had been at the wickets for an hour, tried to force one from* Asnenden to leg, and fell l.b.w. Two wickets were now down for 73, and Ashenden had taken both at a cost of 25 runs. ADVENT OF DONNELLY.

Donnelly then joined Murchison,- and AVilson took the ball from Crawford, who had bowled four overs for 20 runs. Murchison reached 20 with a fullblooded drive through the covers for four off AVilson, bringing 80 up for 75 minutes’ play. AVith the total at 86, Donnelly, who *tad scored five singles, stepped in front of his wicket in an attempt to swing one from AVilson to leg, but missed, and paid the penalty. Hook, the ex-Aucklander, now of AVanganui, arrived to see Murchison, who had been at the wickets for 45 minutes for 21, clean bowled by Ashenden, and four wickets were down for 88. • J. A. Ongley (Manawatu) joined Hook, but before scoring played one from AVilson, who was keeeping a good length, on to his wicket. ' AVith. the board showin five down for 89, AAC E. Norris, the Country captain, came in to stop the rot. Ashenden and AVilson were bowling wed, and J. It. Lamason, the captain of the Town side, had his field well placed, making run-getting difficult. 1

HOOK HITS OUT. A period of slow play was brightened by Hook lifting one from Ashenden over the fence at long-on for six, which brought the 100 up in 95 minutes.

AVith the total at 111, Griffiths relieved Ashenden, who had bowled remarkably well in taking three wickets for 40 in ten overs. Hook relished Griffiths’s slows, going boldly up the pitch and hitting him to the fence ae long-on, 10 coming off the over. This brought 120 in sight. O’Neill here took the ball from AVilson, who had sent down 11 overs for .37 runs and two wickets. Twelve came from Griffiths’s second- over, Hook banging one to the ropes at midon and Norris making a crisp squarecut for four. AVith the total at 136, Ell was tried in place of Griffiths, and Norris got him away to long-leg for four, bringing 140 up. At the luncheon adjournment the score stood at 143, Hook being 31 and Norris 26, the pair having put on 54 for the sixth wicket.

Upon resuming at 2 o’clock AATlson took up the bowling with the wind, and off his third delivery Hook was taken at short-stop by R. H. Lamason. Hook had shaped brightly for his 31, hitting one six and two fours. Peterson, the AVairarapa representative, joined his captain, and the pair brought 150 -up. PATERSON OPENS CONFIDENTLY

Peterson opened confidently, forcing one from Ashenden to the ropes at mid-on and hooking Wilson to the fence at square-leg. He reached the twenties by driving Ashenden past cover to the fence. This brought 170 up. Peterson was shaping brightly, and by cutting one from Crawford square to the ropes made his score equal to Norris’s, 31. Runs were now coming fast. Peterson twice banged Ashenden to the ropes at mid-on, bringing 200 np for 158 minutes’ play. Peterson reached his half-century in 42 minutes. . With the total at 208, Norris, who had played an invaluable innings for 38, touched one of Wilson’s fast deliveries into the safe hands of R. Lamason at short-stop. The Country captain had helped Peterson to add 64 tor the seventh wicket. Pritchard joined Peterson, who was 51' and arrived to see the latter caught bv J. Lamason in the slips off Wilson. Peterson had shaped brightly for his 52, which included five boundary strokes. His runs principally canio from clever placing through the covers and forceful hook shots. Nc.al the Marlborough representative, followed and arrived to see Pritchard lift one from Wilson to the ropes at long-off, bringing 220 on the board. CLOSE OF INNINGS. After scoring half-a-dozen, Neal was caught by O’Neill off Wilson Hatch, the last man, helped Pritchard to add 19 for the last -wicket. After scoring ID in lvrieht style, Pritchard was caught in the slips bv Wilson off O’Neill. The innings, which had lasted for 191 minutes, closed at 3.23 p.m, for 203 Wilson howled particularly uellfor the Town eleven. In all, he scnttlmn 19 overs for 70 runs, and took six uic kets. He kept a good length throng iout, and his ability to make the hall lift from the pitch had most of tlie batsmen uncomfortable when facing him. J. Ashenden bowled well m capturing three wickets for 73 oft Ho overs. The Town fielding was good, and R. Lamason did effective work with the gloves. Hepburn and Coltman opened the Town innings to the bowling of Pritchard. fast-medium right-hand, and the Manawatu lmwler caused a sensation by clean bowling Coltman with the sixth ball of liis opening over./The hoard then showed one down for three runs. , , , „ r . . Crawford came next, a.nd Murchison a fast-medium right-hander, took up the attack against the wind Hepburn powerfully hooked one from 1 Murchison to the ropes at Si,a re-leg, bringing 10 up. Crawford, in Pritchard’s next over, was bowled hy a no-ball.

MURCHISON IN FORM. After securing 10, Hepburn was clean bowled by a trimmer from Murchison, and two . were down for 12. Ell ca.me next/ but was clean bowled first ball by Murchison, and three were down for 1 12. This was the position when the tea adjournment was taken.

AVith the total at 35, Crawford, who had reached 11, put a pad in front of a straight one from Murchison, who had now. taken three wickets' for 17 runs.

J. R. Lamason, the Town captain, came next, and late-cut Murchison for three. He did not last long, however, as, after scoring half-a-dozen runs, lie stopped a straight one from Murchison with a pad, and five wickets were down for 43. Murchison had taken four wickets for 20.

O’Neill was the next batsman, but was clean bowled first ball bv Murchison, and six were down for 43. AVilson joined Bain, and steady play by both saw the 50 come up in 62 minutes. PLAY SLOAVS UP. AVith the tqtal at 61, Hatch relieved Pritchard, and a period of slow play followed. AVith the total at 72, AVilson, who had reached 8, was caught in the slips by Neal off Hatch, and seven wickets were down. R. H. Lamason joined Bain, who was 29, and Neal, the Marlborough medium-paced left-hander, relieved Murchison, who had performed an outstanding bowling feat in sending down nine overs, off which he captured five wickets for 30 runs. After Neal had bowled a couple of overs, Murchison came back. He trapped R. Lamason 1.b.w., right away! and eight were down for 86. Griffiths joined Bain, who was 41, and Pritchard relieved Hatch. Chiefly through Bain’s enterprise, the 100 came up in 116 minutes, Bain being 48. Bain was applauded on reaching his half-century. AVith the total at 107, Griffiths lifted one from Neal to Robertson at short mid-on, and nine wickets were down. . . . J. Ashenden. the last man. joined Bain, and helped to improve the meagre total. Both batsmen found the boundary, and the score was taken at a fast pace to 128, where Ashenden. who had reached a round dozen, fell l.b.w. to Murchison. Murchison put up an outstanding bowling performance for the Country in capturing seven wickets for 52 runs off 13.4 overs. He bowled into the wind untiringly, and not ouly swung the ball in the air, but made it come from leg at times. Following are the scores : COUNTRY. First Innings. G. A. Robertson, 1.b.w., b Astienden D. A.. Rees, b Ashenden Jb J. Murchison, b Ashenden ... ••• 81 AI. P. Donnellv, 1.b.w.. b AVilson o G. Hook, c R. Lamason, b AVilson 31 J. A. Ongley, b AVilson 0 AV. E. Norris, c R. Lamason, b AVilson ;• 88 AV. Peterson, c J. Lamason, b AVilson T L Pritchard, c AVilson, b O’Neil • ™ A. Neal, c O’Neill, b AVilson ... o K. Hatch, not out JO Extras " Total 253 BOAVLING ANALYSIS.

TOAVN. First Innings. AV. Hepburn, b Murchison 10 AV S. Coltman, b Pritchard ... J R Crawford, 1.b.w., b Murchison 11 J. Ell, b Murchison 0 W. Bain, not out ... ■■■ JR. Lamason, 1.b.w., b Murchison o R O’Neill, b Murchison ... ... 6 d! S. AVilson, c Neal, b Hatch ... » R. H. Lamason, 1.b.w., b Murchison Q B. Griffiths, c Robertson, b Neal a J. Ashenden, 1.b.w., b Murchison 12 Extras- • Total 128

Wilson 0. 19 M. 0 R. 70 W. 6 O’Neill 11.1 0 39 1 Ashenden 16 1 72 3 0 Crawford 8 1 0 31 22 Griffiths 2 0 Ell 1 0 7 0

BOWLING ANALYSIS. W. 0.,, M. It. Pritchard .. 10 0 39 1 Murchison .. . 13.4 0 52 7 1 Hatch ... • Neal ;• • ..4 0 ..4 0 8 17 1 1