DOINGS OF THE TEAM.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20924, 14 July 1931, Page 9

DOINGS OF THE TEAM.

UNEVEN BATTING FORM. CENTURIES AT CAMBRIDGE. WEIR'S BOWLING AT BATH. BY 0. 55. HINTZ, Special Correspondent with the Team. GLOUCESTER, June 10. When the New Zealand cricket team left for England it was considered that its strength lay in its batting. Actually, in the last three matches, its batting has almost- looked like being its weakness. Weak batting in the first innings was the principal reason for the defeat by Middlesex. In the two games which followed, against Cambridge and Somerset, New Zealand gained first innings' leads, but the batting was, with few exceptions, disappointing.

However, this loss of form should only prove temporary. The weather has been anything but kind and for men who have not yet become fully accustomed to playing serious cricket six days out of eveiy seven, this is a very important consideration. A few days of fine weather and wickets with a little life in them should see the team as a whole making runs with far greater ease.

In the Cambridge match, although New Zealand scored 375 in the first innings and declared with five down for 226 in the second, only C. S. Dempster, R. C. Blunt and *J. E. Mills were convincing with the bat. It is true that, in the first innings, the later batsmen threw their wickets away in going for the runs, but for all that there was a fair percentage of weak shots. Bright Batting.

Although Mills in the first innings scoied only 59, as against Blunt's 120, he fully shared the batting honours with the Otago man. Mills made his runs with delightful freedom. His off shots, carried out with the grand manner which seems to be the prerogative of lefthanders, and his powerful leg hitting showed that he is in his best form and his methods were equally sure during the making of an attractive 40 in the second innings. Mills made his runs-with the greater freedom, but Blunt's century in the first innings was a particularly fine effort, made with characteristic precision. His off shots and back cutting produced their usual high quota of runs and a push shot which he employed against the fastbowler, Baring, to lift him over the heads of the slips, was singularly productive Coming after his fine fighting innings against Middlesex, Blunt's century was most welcome, indicating, as it did, that he is well on the way to regaining that form which he has found it hard to re produce consistently in New Zealand for the last few seasons.

Dempster's century in the second innings was another fine piece of batting. His on shots were as strong as ever, he hooked with great power and he also played (hat flashing shot through the covers which it is a delight to watch.

The Cambridge bowling deserves more than a passing word of praise. Baring, whom the New Zealanders met previously at Southampton, is not a really fast bowler, but he has determination and a fair degree of accuracy. The best bowler on the side was undoubtedly F. R. Brown. Ifo took only four wickets in the two innings, but he had all the batsmen playing him. Haw Zealand's Bowling. Brown may prove to be one of the slow right-hand spin bowlers for whom the English selectors are looking. He spins the ball both ways, bowls one that comeß straight through and gains a lot of pace from the wicket. He gave me the rrn pression that he might even prove difficult to play on a fast wicket. The Cambridge batting, too, was admirably sound, and G. D. Kemp-Welch, the university captain, who scored 61 and 102, not out, was never troubled by the Now Zealand attack. Coupled with a magnificent defence he has a wide range of neat, scoring shots and may also be a future test player. The New Zealand bowling in this match was steady, but only dangerous at intervals. In the first innings, Cromb and Matheson did not strike form until Cambridge had scored 200. Then, coming on with the new ball, they were really dangerous for a time, but once the ball commenced to wear they could do nothing on a billiard-table wicket. Merritt's absence from the side was certainly apparent. In the second innings, Cromb and Matheson struck form early and three wickets were down for 25. Then both developed muscle strains. Cromb had to leave the field and Matheson was unable to bowl. This was a stroke of very bad luck, for, in" addition, Blunt was not well. Against Somerset at Bath, New Zealand took the field without its three best bowlers, Merritt, Cromb and Matheson. The two last-named received treatment in Bath over the week-end and are now feeling quite fit. Weir and Blunt bowled well to dismiss Somerset in the first innings for 244, more than half the runs being made by Lee and Ingle. Talbot's Good Display. Blunt bowled with a fair degree of accuracy—his 26 overs cost only 60 runs and he took five wickets —and once he had the batsmen playing back made the most of his opportunities. Weir was steadiness personified and deserved more success. Dempster and Mills were dismissed comparatively cheaply before stumps on the first day and Talbot and Blunt gave rather a painful display of stonewalling for the balance of the afternoon. On the Monday morning Talbot- put a different complexion on the game by going for the bowl'ng on a wet wicket and scoring 51 in less time than it had taken him to score nine on the Saturday. He was favoured with a little luck, but for all that it was a magnificent display of clean bitting and his three sixes were the results of beautiful shots. After Talbot's dismissal, the remaining batsmen made a poor showing.-White certainly bowled steadily, but there was nothing in the rest of the bowling to demand such awed respect as that with which the New Zealanders played it.. It was another case of the batsmen getting themselves out and in a last-wicket partnership Weir and James had to fight hard lo put their side ahead. Blunt's 54 had been a solid effort, but it was not Blunt at his best.

Weir's Bowling Average. In Somerset's second innings Weir gave further proof that, for all his lack of batting form, ho is still one of the most useful members of the side. He bowled as well as he need ever hope to bc.vl and in an unbroken spell of 22 overs took three wickets for 32 runs. He swung the ball both ways and both length and direction were flawless. A. Skelding, the old Leicestershire, bowler, who was one of the umpires in this match, was loud in his praises of Weir. "If he had been bowling against an England cloven, he would have had them out for about a hundred," he said to mo that evening. "These batsmen arc not quite good enough to hit the ball pitched on the middle stump and swinging, away late. Test batsmen would hit it and then it would just, be a question of the slips doing their job. I have seldom seen better bowling." However, the next morning, the New Zealand attack was not keen enough to dismiss the Somerset tail, and although five wickets had fallen for 99, the total was taken to 201 for nine at the luncheon interval. Then came the rain, which never seems far away in England,- and tha game ended in a draw.