FAILURE OF BATSMEN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20438, 14 December 1929, Page 14

FAILURE OF BATSMEN.

SURPRISES FOR SPECTATORS.

SOME BRIGHT INCIDENTS.

WELLINGTON'S KEEN FIELDING

[BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT. ] WELLINGTON, Friday. Two of the finest batsmen in cricket today, and probably tbo two greatest stroke players in the world, Woolley and Duleepsinbji, had a crowd of about 3000 spectators at the Basin Reserve to-day dumbfounded —not by a show of that brilliance which has mado them famous, but by their failure to do anything of account on their first New Zealand appearance in the match against Wellington. It was whqn two wickets had fallen for 48 runs that Duleepsinhji and Woolley became associated and everybody was prepared for a display of batting the like of which this country rarely has an opportunity of seeing. Duleepsinhji was no more than feeling his way when Woolley joined him. A few minutes later there were mixed feelings of enthusiasm and disappointment as the great left-hander wended his way back to the pavilion without having scored, in this, his first innings after scoring a double century against Now South Wales. Woolley faced only three deliveries, all from Badcock. The third, a deceptive swinger, caught the edge of the bat and gave Massey a catch in the slips. Duleepsinhji managed to collect a dozen runs, some of Ahem by good wrist shots, before he was run out. While ho had not, shaped as well as expected he might have gono much farther but for sacrificing his wicket. Lcgge, his partner, was well under way for a second run after Duleepsinhji had signalled him to stop and, realising that he had & better chance than Legge of getting to the unoccupied crease, Duleepsinhji took the risk. The throw-in to James was high but the wicket-keeper jumped for the ball, took it well and whipped off a. bail—a brilliant piece of work by James, and decidedly bad luck for Duleepsinhji. Those two great batsmen disposed of so cheaply the hope of brighter doings turned to those members of the team known to be hard hitters. In this the spectators were not disappointed. It was on the fall of the sixth wicket that Nichols and Earle became associated and the latter lost no time in opening his shoulders to Badcock, who had had all the other batsmen well tied up, but who was kept on a little too long without a spell. Badcock's excellent bowling figures were soon altered by Earle, who lifted (lie ball out into Cambridge Terrace and in a subsequent over made two more great hits from which the ball fell little short of the pavilion. All told Earle made 18 runs from that particular over and during Jiis stay of 28 minutes at the crease ho compiled 45 runs. llis great hitting jiowers are going to make him one of the bright lights of the ' tour. Nichols plaved a valuable innings for his side, but the others in the main were on the defensive and frequently courting danger in "nibbling" at the off deliveries, especially those of Henderson. Except that an overcast sky made the light dull the conditions were quite good, the rain not having affected the. wicket or ground to any great extent. The wicket was easy. ; 'though the deliveries at times rose slw-ily. The pace of the wicket appeared to have tire batsmen puzzled, as it was decidedly different from that of the wickets on- which they had played in Australia. • : At tbo same time .the. visitors were agreeably surprised at the quality of the Wellington bowling, which was supported by a keen field. Henderson, the fast lefthander, bowled as well as ever he. has done, and Badcock was wily throughout his long term. McLeod proved himself to be the slow bowler for whom Wellington has been searching. James gave an excellent display behind the wickets. No mistakes of any account in, the field were made except for the dropping of a catch by Hollirigs offered by Gilligan when ho had made three, and the misjudging by Worker of a ball lifted high to the outfield by Earle. The Wellington team was keyed right up for the •occasion and it had one of those days when everything seems to go the right way for a side.