Last Pair Saves Yorkshire Defeat

Northern Advocate, 30 July 1949, Page 8

Last Pair Saves Yorkshire Defeat

MOST FXCITING GAME OF TOUR...

SHEFFIELD, Fri. (11.30 a.m.).—After the best, most exciting and enjoyable game of the tour, New Zealand drew with Yorkshire and delighted the sporting Bramall Lane crowd. At one time, when New Zealand was _8 for 141 and only 81 runs ahead, it seemed certain that Yorkshire would win. But a magnificent fighting stand of • 87 in 85 minutes by Donnelly and Cave gave Yorkshire a target of 169 in 95 minutes.

Yorkshire had to hit four runs oft about 44 overs; Cresswell, in a brilliant spell, took five quick wickets for 30, and three fell in one over.

Then Yorkshire, with six down for 53, had to turn round and' save the match.

Lacking Trueman, they were eight for 95, but finished without further loss at 108.

It was great cricket, and Yorkshire should really have won. Donnelly, who played a great innings and hit 95, together with Cave, who batted like a hero, saved New Zealand.

Donnelly was stumped by Brennan after he had played a ball and strayed from the crease. The New Zealand fielding again was excellent.

The day was thoroughly enjoyed by 10,000 people, of whom 6927 paid £703.

The total attendance was 47,000 and total receipts £3792. ON SLIPPERY SLOPE

New Zealand was quickly on the slippery slope, whan Scott, after five minutes, snicked a ball from Whitehead as it turned away and Brennan took the catch behind the wicket. 1 Then Burke . was beaten by a ball from Wardle which turned, struck his bat and also went oci to Brennan. This made 3 for 61. Reid was batting well—he is a greatly improved player—and Smith joined him to make two of his typical cuts through slips which were worth a couple each. He rapidly was leg before to Close, however, when he tried to hook a ball +hat shot low. DONNELLY AGAIN - ON, FORM

At 186 Whitehead took the new ball. This quietened the pace of scoring, but even so Donnelly off-drove him perfectly for four. The 200 was passed and 73 added in an hour after lunch. Cave was playing the good bowling so well that Yardley picked on Hutton in the hope that indifferent stuff might trap him into error; Cave was .Sheffield steel and solid for two maidens. Wardle came back with the new bad only a quarter of an hour old, and then Close, and 'Donnelly pulled a full toss to reach 91. The scoring tempo quietened, for now time was becoming more important than runs. Then when it seemed certain that Donnelly would reach his century, Wardle returned and Donnelly moved across the wicket to push the ball with his pads. He had finished his stroke and appeared to be intent on keeping away from Brennan to allow him to return the ball to the bowler. BOTH FEET OUT

For a moment he had both feet out! of the crease, and Brennan whipped off the bails and the umpire’s raised finger was like the knell of doom! Cresswell was out leg-before *n the same over, and Cave carried his bat for 18.

Donnelly began quietly and confidently, and we were not unduly worried about the situation, for Reid looked good and both his defensive and offensive strokes were nicely calculated. Wardle and Close, however, were i.n the, middle of a fine spell of bowling. getting a little bit of turn, or. as Close called it at lunch-time “Ben” and demanded concentration.

Yorkshire’s innings began sensationally with Cresswell • having Hutton caught off the first ball of fhis second over by Rabone at first slip, with only four runs scored. With Lowson, he was pressing for runs in the limited time, and this type of play apparently does not suit him. With every ball being cheered, Watson hit 19 in 10 minutes, when he was caught by Mooney off Cresswell. This left Yorkshire to make 139 in 85 minutes, and it had every intention of trying. CHANGED TACTICS

For variation. Wardle seat Reid a yorker; Reid tried a full-blooded ondrive. missed and was bowled.

But. in the same over, Cresswell caught and bowled Lowson beautifully, taking a hard return six inches from the ground, and Lester was out first, ball.

Now Hadlee arrived, playing lower in order to avoid the strain of helpins to open the innings.

With 5 for 98. however, he still had some responsibility of pulling the innings together with Donnelly. He batted nicely for 40 minutes, pullgd and off-drove with great competence and then went leg before to Wardle. HOWLS OF JOY Rabone’s intention appeared to be raising the shutters until lunch-timg. and Donnelly, appeared to agree with the theory, for only four runs were scored in the next 25 minutes. At this, the younger section of the crowd grew restive and fairly howled with pleasure when Rabone was caught for a duck by Yardley at short slip, prodding forward to Wardle. Another yell of joy went up when Mooney played forward to Close and turned the ball to Hutton at short square leg. There were further howls for Cave's blood in this last over before lunch, but. though he was rapped about the pads bv Close, he was undefeated. So, with 8 down for 14!. New Zealand only 81 ahead, and two wickets to fall wjth 3 hours 20 minutes of play left, everybody was taking a Yorkshire win for certain. But Donnelly and Cave had other ideas. Donnelly, who had batted 1 hour 50 minutes for 26, now decided that runs were equally inmportant as time. . „ In one over he took 10 off Wardle with pulls and on-drives, and Wardle, who had. bowled 32/18/35/4 before lunch, appeared pained. Close, too, seemed slightly astonished when Donnelly took nine from him in an over, with a square-cut. leg glance and on-drive. In a quarter of an hour Donnqjly leapt from 26 to 50. Brennan had missed a stumping chance when he was 38. Cave, who was batting with copybook strokes/ his left elbow nicely bent forward, joined in and swept Wardle to leg boundary. In 25 minutes 42 runs were added; and the game was swinging.

He pulled to mid-wicket, called for a second, and Sutcliffe gave Mooney a perfect return. Then Cresswell bowled Yardley, who had injured an ankle-bone, played forward to a short-length ball and missed. With six down for 53 and 68 minutes left. Yorkshire now had to fight to avoid losing! BATTED OUT DRAW Keighley and Wardle dug in, and Burke and Rabone came on; then Sutcliffe was tried and he bowled Wardle, Burke changed to the other end and had Whitehead caught. Brennan joined Keighley with 13 minutes to go. Every ball was cheered, every hit or tap drew roars, and Keighley batted out a draw against Sutcliffe, with the New Zealanders hemming him in like a hedge. Fall of wickets: New Zealand, 1/36, 2/45, 3/61, 4/78, 5/98, 6/132, 7/136, 8/141, 9/228. Yorkshire: 1/4, 2/30, 3/43, 4/44, 5/46, 6/53, 7/75, 8/95. Scores were: NEW ZEALAND First Innings 261 Second Innings Sutcliffe, c Hutton, b Whitehead .... 15 Scott, c Brennan, b Whitehead za Burke, c Brennan, b Wardle 5 Reid, b Wardle 3 | Smith, lbw, b Close 5 Donnelly, st Brennan, b Wardle .... 95 Hadlee, lbw. b Wardle 19 Rabone, c Yardley, b Wardle 0 Mooney, c Hutton, b Close " Cave, not out Cresswell, lbw, b Wardle 0 Extras '• a Total • 22® Bowling: Whitehead, 24 overs. 4 maidens, 63 runs, 2 wickets; Close, 42. 19, 66, 2; Wardle. 46, 22, 84, 6: Hutton, 4,2, 3, 0. YORKSHIRE First Innings 321 Second Innings Hutton, c Rabone. b Cresswell 2 Lowson. c and b Cresswell 12 Watson, c Mooney, b Cresswell Close, c Reid, b Cresswell « Wardle, b Sutcliffe -1 ? Lester, run out * Yardley, b Cresswell 2 Whitehead?^c*Mooney, b Burke 2 Brennan, not out 2 Extras _ Total (for 8 wkts) • • ■ , 108 Bowling: Cresswell, 10 overs. 1 maiden, 30 runs. 5 wickets; Cave, 7. 1, 26. 0; Burke, 95, 10, 1; Rabone, 6,2, 9,0; Sutcliffe, 7,1, 25, 1.