Yardley Retrieves Yorkshire's Bad Start

Northern Advocate, 29 July 1949, Page 7

Yardley Retrieves Yorkshire's Bad Start

SHEFFIELD. Thu. (10.30 a.m.).—The former England captain, Norman Yardley, with his highest score of the season, 134, not out, rescued Yorkshire from the awkward position against New Zealand. With five wickets, including that of Hutton, gone for 111 after a spell of excellent bowling, he added 131 with Close (51), and Yorkshire, with 321, took a lead of 60 over New Zealand on the first innings. Batting for 50 minutes, New Zealand, in the second innings, are one for 42.

Yorkshire, lacking Trueman, had only 10 batsmen and, without Yardley s grand innings, would have been in trouble. Yardley baited easily and well and, in three hours 35 minutes, hit 14 boundaries. In the morning Cave and Cresswell were deadly, and were aided to a certain extent by a drying wicket, for showers had fallen during the nighl and early morning. During the afternoon they lost some of their sting, and the pitch returned to its easy pace. Mooney got two more wickets to reach his 50 for the tour. It was a day of delightful cricket, and a Bramall Lane crowd of 17,000 U 2.978 paid £1419) thoroughly enjoyed themselves, applauded both teams generously and found humour in inadvertent trifles. A drawn match seems likely. ACCURATE BOWLING Before lunch, with Cave. Cresswell and Sutcliffe all bowling well, everything went in New Zealand’s favour. Althought Hutton showed a gleaming Hash of his brilliance, with some comfortable cover driving, he was well beaten by Cave and played inside a perfectly straight ball. Reflecting the accuracy of the New Zealand bowling, the scoring pace was low. and only 36 were on the board in the first hour. Lowson was quite restrained, and Watson not adventurous. The latter was well bowled by Sutcliffe and then, within 20 minutes, two more wickets fell to Cresswell. Lester was caught near the squareleg boundary by Donnelly when he swept vigorously; and Keighley was stumped by Mooney. At lunch. Yorkshire was 4 for 95, and when Lowson was leg before to Burke 20 minutes after the resumption with only 111 on the telegraph, the outlook was a little dim for the county. CLOSE BEGINS WITH SIX Close, the young left-hander, and Yardley, who had been batting smoothly, however, soon changed the situation. Close began by swinging his first ball from Burke to leg for six, which landed in the stands. This delighted the crowd, and when later 10 runs were taken from Burke in one over, every ball adding to the score there was a roar of approval. With clean strokes, chiefly to the on, Yardley raised his total to 50 in 100 minutes. THE CAPTAIN SPRAWLED Close gave two chances, a difficult one to Rabone at mid-oIT, and a high, easy one to Hadlee at mid-on. The ball sailed high into the air, and Hadlee seemed certain to take it. But some mis-judgment crept in somewhere, he juggled with it, made three attempts to hold it, dropped it, and ended his efforts lying full length, ana face downwards. All Bramail Lane roared with laughter, in which Hadlee joined, rather ruefully. Close reached 50 after 85 minutes, the 100 partnership had taken only 75 minutes.

Close went just before tea, caught by Cave off Rabone, and Cave took another catch —this time off Sutcliffe—to remove Wardle five minutes after the interval. Whitehead gave Yardley useful assistance to take the total past 300. MOONEY RAISED CAP Yardley reached his century after two hours 50 minutes (11 fours). Mooney, keen to take his 50th wicket, showed rather more eagerness in removing Whitehead’s bails than the crowd thought necessary; they laughed with good nature when he politely raised his cap to them. Next over, however, he had Whitehead, who stepped out too far to Burke. Yardley punched some more boundaries before Brennan batted fortuitously, and, with mock seriousness, was caught. BRIGHT OPENING Sutcliffe and Scott opened brightly for New Zealand’s second innings, and scored at a run a minute. One of Sutcliffe’s cover drives was perfection; but about a quarter of an hour before stumps he snicked Whitehead. Close, at first slip, nearly held the ball, which bounced conveniently to Hutton at second slip. Burke was a safe night-watchman. The fall of Yorkshire wickets: 1/39 '2/63, 3/68, 4/74, 5/111, 6/242, 7/257, 8/301. New Zealand, 1/36. Scores. YORKSHIRE First Innings. Hutton, b Cave 28 Lowson. lbw, b Burke 39 Watson, b Sutcliffe 9 Lester, c Donnelly, b Cresswell 0 Keighley, st Mooney, b Cresswell 2 Yardley, not out 134 Close, c Cave, b Rabone 51 Wardle, c Cave, b Sutcliffe 11 Whitehead, st Mooney, b Burke 19 Brennan, -c Cresswell, b Burke 4 Trueman, absent hurt 0 Extras 24 Total 321 Bowling: Cresswell, 43 overs, 8 maidens, 102 runs, 2 wickets; Cave. 32, 8. 06, 1; Rabone, 11, 2, 34, 1; Burke, 16.1, 2, 57, 3; Sutcliffe. 16, 7, 33. 2; Smith, 1,0, 5, 0. NEW ZEALAND First innings 261 Second Innings. Sutcliffe, c Hutton, b Whitehead 15 Scott, not out 25 Burke not out 1 Extras 1 Total (for 1 wkt) 42