A DRAWN GAME

Northern Advocate, 31 December 1934, Page 6

A DRAWN GAME

COLTS AT MAUNGAKARAMEA V TWO DAYS’ VISIT CONCLUDES. SPLENDID RECEPTION ACCORDED. Two of the most enjoyable days ever spent by Mr E. C. Beale’s touring Auckland colt cricketers were at Maungakaramea, where a real taste of cheery country air and hospitality Was experienced. Their game with Whangarei on Friday and Saturday could not have been played in more congenial surroundings. Everything Wi s arranged to ensure that the players and also spectators encountered nothing to mar a continuous run of pleasure.

On Friday night, the visitors were entertained to a monster dance in the hall, the function proving an unbounded success from all points of view. . On both days of play, beauth fully sunny, weather was the order and ’Karaipea’s alluring outlook was presented at its best, "Perhaps it was fitting that the final outcome should be in the balance, although, as the game went, few would deny that the Aucklanders appeared the better side. . On Friday they compiled 259 in their. initial venture, and at stumps, Whangarei had responded with 63 for 1- wicket. However, hopes of the locals making a determined bid to

overcome the obstacle, which were

Kindled by the excellent start effected, did not materialise. On Saturday morning 8 wickets fell and a few minutes , after lunch, the innings terminated for a moderate 184, a deficiency of 75, This was solely attributable to fine bowling and alert and accurate fielding. Emery trundled exceedingly well, as his figures, 24.1 overs, 6 maidens, 7 for 48, indicate. Bright was distinctly the best batsman.

-When Auckland commenced their second.,innings any chance of a win depended on how quickly they could establish a fair total. As a result, most batsmen practically threw their i wickets away in going for big hits. With 108 on the board for 7 wickets, Byerley declared, leaving Whangarei air hour and a quarter to score 180. Gash was out tq prove that this : was feasible, and immediately laid on u the long handle. He had 40 to his > credit inside half as many minutes, but had bad hick to be run out ’ when right in his stride. He certainly! looked like knocking the bowling about. None of the batsmen was

afraid to “have a dip,” and at the ■ end of the day, 7 wickets had fallen for 104. Messrs H. E. G. Smith and G. Grant adjudicated as umpires during the two days’ play. With 63 runs on the board for one wicket, O’Carroll (25) and Bright (10) resumed Whangarei’s first innings to set the day’s play , afoot. On the previous day, the ’Karamea batsman was several times beaten by both Byerley and Emery by offbreaks, but each time the ball turned enough to miss the leg pin, Emery soon proved that he was right on his mettle, turning either way. O’Carroll had only notched a single when Emery shattered his wickets with a ball that came in from leg: 6—2—26. Godfrey only had 4 to his credit when Byerley bowled him off his pads: -77—3—4, In. the meantime Bright was shaping quite ' confidently and attractively. Expert 'wristy shots through covers earned him couples, while he also showed a partiality for leg glances. A .fieldsman had to visit the sale- . yards on the southern outskirts to retrieve the ball after Bright v had dealt , with a full toss. Tt was a hefty pull that brought the six. When in the ’teens, the batsman survived a confident appeal for leg before from Emery and finally succumbed in this manner. His .42 only included the one boundary, but 13 twos emanated from fairly forceful strokes. Grieve was first to go, however. In scoring 15, he showed promise of attaining big things, but spooned a catch to Graham in slips. Skipper Wilson set to in an endeavour to pull things together for his side. He wielded a safe bat in running up 21, but then fell a victim to a .titbit in brilliant fielding. Emery sent him down a full-toss and Wilson powerfully straight-drove it over the bowler’s head. Not to be beaten, Emery stretched every muscle and held an almost impossible chance; 144—6r-21. Nisbet failed to get going, Byerley accepting a good catch to facilitate his ' return to the pavilion: 1557 —2. Crawford made a good effort to stem the tide and collected 14, including a couple of fours, but fell to a catch: 162—8—14. Flower hit a 4, and then went 1.b.w.: 167—9—4. McKay had collected a couple of singles and Fayne had a 4 to his credit when the luncheon adjournment intervened. The first ball of the third over after lunch culminated the innings. Three singles- and a nice hook for 4 came Fayne’s way and McKay had judiciously reached 8 when Emery compelled Fayne to cock up an easy catch to Burgess at mid-off. Visitors In Again.

Emery and 1 Graham again opened for Auckland imbued with a good deal of confidence with a handy lead of 75 on the initial innings. The Whangarei skipper, Wilson, was the first bowler, and Godfrey trundled from the western end. Emery executed his shots in his usual stylish manner, and after gaining a-neat 9 tried to clout Godfrey out of the ground and was clean bowled: 13—1—9. The century-maker, Curtayne, was next, arid soon settled down into a run-getting orgy. Graham also was shaping nicely and had 20 to his credit when he, t6o, went for a hit and Fayrie, who replaced Godfrey (7 overs. 1 for 23),..claimed his first wicket of the match: 48—2—20.

Burgess was the newcomer, but failed to get going. Leaning forward to Nisbet, he cocked a sitter into the hands of Godfrey, close in at mid-off. Nisbet came on vice Wilson, whose 7 overs, the first 2 maidens, only cost 8 runs. Forty-nine was now on the board with 3 wickets down.

Naismith diet not look really comfortable, but collected 6 attractively and then got his -legs in front to Fayne: 61—4—6. The hard-hitting Houghton collected 4 carefully, but when Fayne sent down a full-toss it went sailing away for 6. He clipped the next through the covers for 3, and at afternoon tea 83 was up. Curtayne, who by now appeared to ’Karamea-ites as invincible, had 31 to his credit and Houghton 13. Achange of bowlers was effected on resumption. Grieve trundled the first over and each batsman collected a single. It was evident that they were going for a hit. Curtayne hopped out to Bright’s first ball and skied it to Gash on the long-off boundary, the fieldsman making no mistake: 85—5— 32.

The ’keeper, B. Smith, was next, and he had a hit at practically every ball, but failed to connect. A couple of neat singles opened his account. Houghton swung a full toss from Grieve for four, but a couple of balls later he snicked one to McKay, who took a smart catch. Houghton’s 24 was nicely obtained: 98 —6—24, Byerley straight-drove his first ball from Grieve to the !on for a single, and then glanced Bright to leg to bring the hundred up. A nice offdrive earned the visiting skipper a brace, but Grieve cajoled him into lofting the next ball to Nisbet at longon for the fieldsman to take a welljudged catch; 102—7 —4. Cantlay collected a couple of singles and Smith had 7 to his credit when the declaration was made, leaving Whangarei an hour and a quarter to knock up 183 for victory. Situation Saved. Byerley’s first over yielded 3 runs, one to Gash and a brace to O’Carroll. However, Gash laid the wood on to Emery, collecting a 4,2, 4,2 and a 3, to take 15 off the over. Byerley’s next 8 balls cost 17, including a 6, coming from Gash’s flying bat. The second ball of Emery’s next over he drove to the on boundary, and then he cracked a solid one to mid-off, and Burgess very nearly held it. Undeterred, he clouted the next for 4 and in 20 minutes 43 were on the board, Gash claiming all but 3. Byerley nearly ended his merry life, but Curtayne at second slip let the batsman off. The lefthander was now bowling over the wicket.

O’Carroll provided a striking contrast to his partner, presenting a correctly straight bat to all good balls. However, he was twice beaten by Byerley on the leg side and finally saw the stump topple over: 451 —5. Misfortune again came Whangarei’s way a little later. Flower, who was relegated in the batting order to try his hitting powers, smacked one to Cantlay at cover and. the batsmen ran, but a brilliant piece of fielding and a lightning return saw Gash out of his crease. Cantlay was continu-

ally conspicuous for very smart work in the field; 47 —2—40.

Godfrey was let off soon after he had started, Naismith refusing a catch at mid-off. Flower was hitting out and soon ran up 9, but his exceptional run of bad luck again appeared when a ball kicked up, hit his shirt and dropped on to the wicket. Emery was the lucky bowler; 58 —3—9. Fayne was out to emulate Gash. He drove Emery for a 6 and a 4 off successive balls, and then was skittled in trying to carry it further: 68—4 —10. Four singles came Godfrey’s way and then Byerley catapulted his middle stump with a fast yorker: 68-5-4.

Bright started off attractively. A smart punch through the covers and an off-drive both found the ropes, but after 3 singles had brought him to 11 he leaned forward to a ball which kicked up sharply and a lollypop catch was given to Buckley: 85—6—11. Grieve placed his first ball nicely to leg for a bi*ace. but tried to clout the next out of the ground and saw the bails fly: 90 —7 —2. Wilson and McKay were going nicely at stumps, the former being worth 15 runs and McKay 7. Details of the match are:— AUCKLAND. First Innings 259 Second Innings. Emery, b Godfrey 9 Graham, b Fayne 20 Curtayne, c Gash, b Bright 32 Burgess, c Godfrey, b Nisbet 1 Naismith. Ibw, b Fayne 6 Byerley, c Nisbet, b Grieve 4 Houghton, c McKay, b Grieve Cantlay, not out 2 B. Smith, not out :... 7 Extras 3 Total (for 7 wkts dec.) 108 Bowling.

(. WHANGAREI, First Innings. O’Carroll, b Emery 2C Gash, c Graham, b Emery 25 Bright, Ibw, b Emery 47 Godfrey, b Byerley 4 Grieve, ,c Graham, b Cantlay .... 15 Wilson, c and b Emery 21 Nisbet, c Byerley, b Emery 2 Crawford, c B. Smith, b Emery .. 14 McKay, not out 8 Flower, Ibw, b Byerley 4 Fayne, c Burgess, b Emery 11 Extras 7 Total 184

Second Innings. O’Carroll, b Byerley 5 Gash, run out 40 Flower, b Emery 9 Godfrey, b Byerley 4 Fayne, b Emery 10 Bright, c Buckley, b Houghton .. 11 Wilson, not out 15 Grieve, b Emery McKay, not out ? Extra 1 Total ("for 7 wkts) 104 Bowling. O. M. R. W. Byerley 7 0 32 2 Emery < 9 0 61 3 Houghton .... 3 0 10 1 PLUNKET SHIELD AUCKLAND V. OTAGO. HOME SIDE BATTING. TWO CHEAP WICKETS. [Special to “Northern Advocate.”'] DUNEDIN, This Day. Ideal weather favoured the opening of the match for the Plunket Shield between Otago and Auckland. Cavanagh and Saxton opened for Otago on a dead wicket, which was iin excellent order, with the exception of two pataches at one end, where overnight rain had found its way through the canvas covering the wicket. Cowie and Mathieson opened the attack. The former’s in-swingers to leg looked dangerous, but the score had reached 19 when Bush and Townsend were tried. Cavanagh, who sweetly square-cut Bush’s first delivery to the boundary, succumbed leg-before to Townsend’s first ball: 28—1—13. Saxton shaped soundly until he snicked an off delivery to third slip. Uttley and Elmes played confidently and Elmes drove Townsend for four. After an hour’s play 44 runs were on. Details: OTAGO. First Innings. Cavanagh, Ibw., ta Townsend ... 13 Saxton, c Whitelaw, b Bush .... 10

0. M. R. W. Wilson .... .,. 7 2 8 — Godfrey ... ... 7 -- 23 1 Nisbet .. . 6 1 15 1 Fayne —; ... 6 — 34 2 Grieve — .. . 4 — 15 2 Bright .. . 4 — 10 1

Bowling. 0. M. R. W. Duncan .... 6 — 24 — Emery .... 25.1 5 48 7 Byerley .... 19 — 62 2 Burgess .. . ... 4 — 19 — Cantlay .... 3 — 19 1 Roughton . .. . 1 — 5 —