TOUR OF NELSON

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXI, Issue 33, 8 January 1941, Page 2

TOUR OF NELSON

IMANAWATU CRICKET TEAM. Tlie Manawatu cricket team which has been in Neison returned on bunday after a very successful tour. Three games-were played and all three were won. The matches were against the Motueka representatives, at Motueka; against Nelson, at Nelson; and against E. R. Neale’s Eleven, at Nelson. The local side was captained and managed by J. Galliclian. Against Motueka, on a tricky wicket, Manawatu scored 196 and YU and dismissed Motueka tor 134 and . 64, winning by 125 runs. G. G. McVicar batted admirably tor 53 and 33, and he was assisted in the first innings by L. Hart (39) ■ and G. Halt (2<). Motueka made 134 and 64 and their batsmen found T. A. Downes too much for them. Downes took t for 43 and 7 for 29. E. Hart also bowled well in Motueka’s first innings land took 2 for.B. The hospitality or the Motueka people was remarkab.e and, during their stay there the Manawatu team were taken down Golden Bay in launches to iorrens Bay, leaving from Kaiteretere Beach on the Sunday. That was a trip that will always be remembered and some of the players brought back some or tlie goluen sand as souvenirs ot the , The next match was against a full Nelson representative side at Nelson. It was said that the team could not have been altered if Manawatu had sent a Hawke Cup aide. Prior to the match starting Mr Griffen, the Nelson president, we.comed the Manawatu team, stating that Manawatu cncke was rated very highly in Nelson. Mr Galliclian, in replying, mentioned the spirit of frieiidenip that existed between the two associations and. he hoped that future-tours could be arranged. Manawatu made 89 in their first innings on a pitch that was aK fected l>v too much watering, the bail often kicking sharply off the pitch, iMe Vicar made 55 of them. Nelson ! made 190, Downes bowling beautifully to take 6 for 69. H. C. Kendall, a local senior B player, took 2 tor 03, j but had absolutely no luck at all. H.s i bowling was worth at least five wickets. He bowled taster than Downes ■iu his first three overs. Jn one day, therefore, Manawatu had to convert a| first innings deficit of 101 into an j outright win. On the second day | I Manawatu made 318, due to a wondertill innings ot 120 by C. McVicar, • | whose barring impressed everybody,! land some sound baiting from Downes j (53) who was promoted in the batting | order so as he could have a spell before being asked to bowl, and Gollis (51), Nelson required 217 to win in 100 minutes, but Downes and Kendall j bowled so well that, at 6 o’clock, 7 | were down for 92. Nine wickets were down when Kendall commenced the “last over and there was meat excitement when his third ball bowled O’Keefe, who had made 44. It was a great will for Manawatu and the Nelson people were not slow in offering their congratulations to the Mana-, watu team which had performed an I almost impossible task in one day. It was stated that the match was one of the finest ever played at Nelson. In Nelson's second innings Downes took ; 6 for 55 and lie has never bowled better. Kendall took 3 for 32 and impressed everybody with his bowling. | The third match was against E. R. | Neale’s Eleven, who made 148 in their first innings, Downes bowling finely to take 9 for 72. Manawatu made 235 1 for 6 and then declared, Collis batting brilliantly for 96, while McVicar continned his run of good scores with 45. IF. Hart made 31. At stumps Neale’s i Eleven had 4 down for 53, Downes taking all the wickets for 23, this giving him 13 of the 14 wickets taken during the match. Manawatu won by 87 runs on the first innings. All through the tour Downes bowled as well as he lias ever bowled before and the majority of the batsmen were hopelessly at sea against him. The wickets suited him. and, contrary to expectations, he was able to make the ball kick from the pitch whenever he wanted to. In three matches he took 39 wickets and his full average for the tour was 78.4 overs, 10 maidens, 291 runs, 39 wickets, average 7.46. He made a great impression in Nelson. Another, fast bowler in H. C. Kendall, who plays Senior B in Palmerston North, also troubled the Nelson batsmen. In the-Nelsop match he was particularly unlucky. His first four balls saw three chances missed while he took one wicket. He should have taken at least five wickets. He developed much pace and bowled accurately. More will be heard of him in local cricket. , The tour was also a triumph for G. C. McVicar, whose scores were 53, 38, 55, 120, and 45, giving him an aggregate of 311 runs for an average of 62.20. His 120 in the Nelson match was a very fine effort. As an opening batsman he is worth a place in any company in New Zealand and the people in Nelson could not understand why he has never been selected to play for Wellington. The three Hart brothers, who play Senior B in Palmerston North, also batted well throughout the tour. L. Hart played a good innings against Motueka, and the other two brothers, still colts, should develop into sound batsmen. D. 8., Billing, B. D. Miller, J. Gallichan, and T. A. Downes batted well on occasions, the last-named in particular playing a brilliant and surprising innings of 53 against Nelson. Everyone in the touring party, which numbered 18, enjoyed the tour immensely and without exception would like to go to Nelson again next season. None of them, during their cricket careers, have ever had a more marvellous or more enjoyable experience.