AUSTRALIANS DELIGHT N.Z.'S BIGGEST CRICKET CROWD

Northern Advocate, 4 March 1946, Page 6

AUSTRALIANS DELIGHT N.Z.'S BIGGEST CRICKET CROWD

(From Our Spec: Al

After watching the _ first two days' play in the Australia-Auckland cricket match at Eden Park, I left the ground on Saturday fully conscious or the wide gulf that separates the standards of the game in the two countries.

The machine that turned out 579 runs was ultra-modern in every respect. It had appearance and polish. It had solidity and strength. In comparison the piece of Auckland mechanism seen in action for a couple of hours was obsolete and vulnerable in its very foundation.

The Auckland attack resembled a spider spinning its web. The Australian was as a tiger bounding in for the kill. It is a bowler's duty to “hate” every batsman. The Aucklanders displayed practically no “ill-deling” during most of the two days. For the •two hours they were loose, however, the Australian out-cricketers appeared to “detest” every wielder of a bat. In spite of the tiger-spider complex, the record crowd of 20,000 enjoyed a wonderful day’s cricket. WONDERFUL DAY’S MENU

In the pre-luncheon session, it revelled in the class batting of Miller, Hassett, Tallon and Johnson. In the early afternoon, it expressed its congratulations to the home bowlers and fieldsmen as they reaped the fruits of their, long, bitter struggle. And then it saw the power of the Australian attack unleashed, such power as has rarely before been seen in Auckland. And. with it, came another struggle, in which the first three batsmen failed to hold their own. MILLER PUMMELS BOWLING

The tall, well-built Melbournian. Keith Miller acquired the single for his century from a “French” cut off Cowie. He deflected the ball between the leg stump and his pads. His hundred had occupied 165 minutes and included 10 fours. Miller hoisted the 400 with a magnificent on-drive off Burke for six, the first maximum hit of the match. The slow rate of scoring the previous evening may be gauged from the fact that the last 50 runs had been 70 minutes in the making. Miller continued to flog the bowling, and pummelled many balls on the drive. He lifted one hard over midoff’s head and Merv. Wallace burnt his fingers on his second vain attempt io make a catch. However, the Australian giant succumbed to his Auckland vis-a-vis, Cowie. The ball which shattered his wicket was an absolute gem. Faster than the preceding few and of perfect length, it came in sharply from the off and completely beat Miller's driving bat. The Victorian was in action 215 minutes and had claimed the one six and 14 fours. TYPICAL HASSETT INNINGS

Hassett shed the risk-proof cloak that he had worn the previous evening. and throughout the morning treated the spectators to much more typical batting. In some respects the diminutive Hassett resembles Brown, particularly in the case with which iie places scoring shots. He literally steers the ball away from fieldsmen with rythmic blending of feet, boclv and wrist movements, and he lacks riot one shot in the complete batsman’s repertoire.

In all his big innings Hassett shows the accuracy of his hitting by lifting the ball over fieldsmen's heads for fours. Pie did this several times on Saturday, and not once did the ball career near a fieldsman. Except for one over from Burke, which he found awkward to deal with, Hassett was always thoroughly enjoying himself, and was obviously in a century-mak-ing mood. Ho went to lunch iG short of thred figures and carried on just as comfortably afterwards to achieve what Barnes and Miller had done before him. His 100 took 205 minutes and included 10 fours. He clouted another five boundaries and a single before Emery ended his reign with a catch at longon. TALLGN’S BATTING PLEASES Don Tallon was at the wicket long enough to prove to Aucklanders that his bat is attractive, versatile and abounding in runs. Unlike his predecessor, he was feeling his way for a while, but once his eye was in he drove to the left and right, turned them at various angles around the corner, and kept cover point and third man on the alert for neatly-piloted balls. His cover-drives were true in every detail and were brought into play at every opportunity. He was run cut in attempting an impossibility, NEVER IN DIFFICULTIES

Although Johnson did nbl score quickly, he was never anchored to the crease. He showed no hesitation in moving out to tackle the slows of Burke, and drove and pulled several balls on the full. He gave the impression ox being perfectly safe, without a worry about the contents of any bowler’s bag. He displayed scoring equipment befitting a big match batsman, and a calm that -would overthrow a crisis.

Lindwall failed to stop a length ball from Cleverley. Dooland was brilliantly run out by Pearson’s throw from the boundary, O’Reilly, who received the best hand of any batsmen, gave an easy catch to cover and Toshack completed a quartette who could not get home in time.

AUCKLAND BOWLERS TENACIOUS The tenacity of the Auckland bowlers was 100 per cent, but their ammunition lacked the power to pierco the armaments of the merchant rungetters from across the Tasman. Brown, Miller. Lindwall and O’Reily were actually the only batsmen who owed their dismissal to inability to cope with the ball sent down. And Miller had made 139. George Wallace undoubtedly took the honours in the field. He plucked dozens of balls off the ground around the covers and his returns to the wicket were always accurate. Merv. Wallace’s ground work was flawless, but he mulled two very difficult chances at mid-off from the driving Miller. Peai*son also acquitted himself well. LINDWALL’S SHOCKS Co'wie and Cleverly may have represented Auckland’s shock attack but it was Lindwall’s speed which gave the crowd, and the local openers, a shock. He was yards faster, than his contemporaries and in the poor light that succeeded a rain shower, it was impossible to follow the ball as it flew from his hand towards the wicket. He wound up with a run of 22 yards, but his semi-round-arm action suggested that he would not gain much lift from most wickets. Tallon stood 20 yards behind the stumps and the slip cordon of three was also deeply set. Pearson clipped one down the gully to the fence and despatched another wide of fine-leg for four. His stay was short-lived however. He attempt-

ial Correspondent) ICKLAND, This Day

ed a repeat glide shot, a slight swerve beat the bat and the ball cannoned off his pad to nick the leg stump and remove the bail.

The slow-medium left-hander. Toshack. opened from the other end. He attacked the leg stump and rapped Whitelaw’s pads on several occasions. Toshack bowled to two leg slips and one off and appealed twice for l.b.w. Kerr, who replaced Pearson, appear-ed-reasonably safe but the batting of both him and Whitelaw provided a marked contrast to that of the Australian champions. There was none of that delightful footwork, far more balls went through to the keeper, and they lacked confidence and enterprise. * O’REILLY’S SECOND BALL ,

The crowd was obviously anxious to see O'Reilly in action and when he relieved Lindwall, he was greeted with a burst of applause. Barnes took up his usual position for O’Reilly, three yards in front of the batsman at silly mid-on. Kerr square-cut the big fellow’s first ball for a single. Whitelaw was out off the next. He tried to sweep a leg-break gently away. The spin sent the ball in the air and Lind wall rather close in square, accepted a simple catch. Kerr picked up a plodder’s 16 before Toshack beat him with a faster ball for an l.b.w. decision. A LUCKY LET-OFF With disaster threatening,'’ Scott joined his captain, M. Wallace, and these two dourly defended until rain drove the players from the field for 40 minutes before time. Wallace should have been O’Reilly’s second victim. He hit an easy catch to Brown at mid-on and his l'ellow-skipper put it on the ground. Scott appeared safe, without being inspiring. Dooland took over from Toshack but his right-handed slow-medium spinners did not trouble the batsmen, who must have been tired after their gruelling day and a half in the field under oppressive conditions. SOFT WICKET TODAY' Following heavy rain over the weekend—the first Auckland had had for two months—the wicket at Eden Park this morning was very different from that on which the Australians amassed 579 runs in their first innings on Friday and Saturday.

It was soft and the outfield was appreciably slower. Otherwise conditions .vere ideal, with bright sunshine.

After losing three wickets for 51 in the closing stages of play on Saturday, Auckland’s main hopes of making a respectable score centred on Wallace (6) and Scott (10) when they went out lo resume the innings.

The attack was opened by the fast bowler Lindwall, Wallace turning his first ball to leg for a single. Scott played out the ever and the next from Dooland after Wallace had taken another single.

O'Reilly relieved Lindwall and Wallace on-drove him for three. On the fast outfield of the first two days it would have been a boundary.

Scott opened his account with a single off O'Reilly and another off the last ball of Dooland's next over. SHAPING CONFIDENTLY

Both batsmen were shaping confidently, Wallace using his feet nicely to Dooland. He went down the pitch to straight-drive him for the first boundary of the morning.

It appeared that the wicket, though slow, was easy. In O'Reilly's fourth over Wallace drew applause with late cuts for two and one.

Disaster overtook Wallace a few minutes later, however. A ball from Dooland caught him a shade late with his stroke and he chopped it on to his wicket. Wallace had made 22, and Auckland's total was 72 for four wickets. Play had been in progress 30 minutes.

Gcorge Wallace, brother of the Auckland captain, saw out the over, then leg glanced C’Reilly for one. Dooland was replaced by Toshack, and Wallace opened up and off-drove him to the boundary. Following two appeals for leg-before by O’Reilly, which drew Ironic shouts from the crowd, Wallace pulled him to the leg boundary, delighting the barrackers. SCOTT'S SOLID BATTING Scott was still batting defensively, but G. Wallace, though not appearing any too safe. was aggressive and quick to take advantage of anything on the loose side. In O’Reilly’s eighth over he pulled the first ball to the leg boundary, steered the second through the slips for two and then was clean bowled by the third. He had scored 17 in 20 minutes, a bright, if but brief, knock.

Auckland was five down for 95 and Scott was joined by Emery. Appeals for leg before continued, and were taken up by the crowd in a maiden over from Toshack to Scott. Emery, after looking uncomfortable facing O’Reilly, opened his shoulders and pulled him for four and took a single off the last ball to bring 100 up. A second appeal for leg before in Toshaek’s next over was upheld and Scott lost his third partner. Toshack’s three wickets cost 27 runs, compared to the 48 scored off O’Reilly, who had taken two. FREQUENT APPPEALS Scott passed Merv Wallace’s score o! 22 with a succession of singles off Toshack and Dooland, who spelled O’Reilly. He reached 30 with a two through slips off the latter. He was giving a sound, if unspectacular display, and. at this stage, appeared well set.

Toshack's l.b.w. appeals continued at regular intervals, arid eventually a decision was given against Burke, who had scored three. The total was 116. Kent, the Auckland wicket-keeper, scored the first boundary for some time by pulling Dooland and, off the next ball the batsmen ran three byes, taking the total to 126. Kent went l.b.w. to O’Reilly in the last over before lunch when Auckland had lost eight wickets for 131. AUCKLAND 138; TOSHACK 5 FOR 27 Auckland’s innings was all over a few minutes after lunch. Toshack; and O’Reilly each claiming a wicket to finish up with five and four apiece.' Verdon Scott was the only Auckland batsman to handle the Australian attack with confidence. He never lost control of the situation and finished up with a chanceless 41 not out.

Toshack extracted life from the pitch today. He turned the ball both ways, kept a perfect length and attacked the leg stump unmercifully. The fact that that he claimed three victims leg before wicket and O’Reilly two in the same manner proved the need for better footwork on the part of the

Aucklanders. Toshack finished up with the remarkable figures of 5 for 27. O’Reilly had the ball kicking up awkwardly at times but Scott used his height as it should be used and got over the top of anything that reared. AUCKLAND FCLLOW-ON Auckland were 441 behind when they followed on this afternoon. Whitelaw and Pearson opened to the bowling of Lindwall and Toshack. and the latter soon sowed the seed of destruction. In his second over he placed two consecutive balls outside Pearson’s leg stump. The batsman failed to connect with sweeping shots. The next bail was straight and a trifle faster and Pearson again missed, to be cleanbowled for eight. Kerr joined Whitelaw and these two carried on carefully against the bowling of O'Reilly and Johnson, both of whom were tossing up leg-spinners. Auckland lest Whitelaw. the batsman cocked up an easy catch off Johnson, after making IG. It was a weak stroke. Scores:— - AUSTRALIA First Innings 579 AUCKLAND First Innings Wlr'tclaw, c Lindwall, b O’Reilly .... !! Pearson, b Lindwall 7 Kerr, ibw., b Toshack 1G M. W. Wallace, b Toshack 22 Scott, not out 41 G. Wallace, b O’Reilly 17 Emory, lbw., b Toshack 5 Burke, lbw.. b Toshack 3 Kent, lbw., b O’Reilly 6 Cowic, b Toshack ... • 0 Cieverley, lbw., b O’Reilly Q Extras 13 Total 133 Bowling: Lindwall. 1 for 14; Toshack, 5 for 27; O’Reilly, 4 for 51: Dooland. 0 for 33. Second Innings Whitelaw. c Barnes, b Johnson 1G Pearson, b Toshack 8 Kerr, not out 20 M. Wallace, not out 8 Extras 5 Total for 2 wickets 57