DOMINION CRICKETERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20962, 27 August 1931, Page 11

DOMINION CRICKETERS.

MATCH 'AGAINST KENT. VISITORS START WELL. 72 RUNS WITHOUT LOSS. FREEMAN INJURES SHOULDER. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Special to (Received August 27, 12.315 a.m.) CANTERBURY,, August 26. The New Zealand cricketers to-day began a match against Kent in fine weather. The teams are as follows: — New Zealand. Kent. Lowrv. Chapman. Allcott. Legge. Blunt. Hardinge. Dempster, Woolley. James. Ames. Mills. Todd. Merritt. Ashdown. Mathesoiu Levett. Page. Valentine. Weir. Freeman. Vivian. Marriott. Lowry won the toss and the visitors batted. They started well, and made 72 for no wickets. Freeman retired early.' He injured a shoulder in a tempting to stop a powerful pull by Mills. Details of the scors are as follows: NEW ZEALAND.—First Innings. . Dempster, not out . . * * • * * * 1 Mills, not out . . .. i« s« » 42 Total for no wicket * * a. . ■ 72 ESSEX MATCH DRAWN. COUNTY'S GOCID RECOVERY. BRAY SCORES' A CENTURY. SOUTHEND-ON-SEA. August 25. The cricket match New Zealand y. Essex ended to-day :.n a draw. After luncheon this New Zealand bowlera lost their grip on the game. Bray and Nichols added 83 runs for the fourth wicket by steady batting. Nichols -was caught behind the wickets by Dempster, Franklin was brilliantly caught by Talbot down the gully, and Matheson had Daer smartly stumped, making seven wickets down for 243. Bray continued to bat steadily, and partnered by Sheffield, wiped out the deficit. They added 107 runs for the eighth wicket. Bray was caught in the slips from a snick off Merritt. He had batted 215 minutes, and hit 13 fours. Sheffield attacked the bowlin? and hit seven fours and a fine six off C:"omb. The New Zealand bowlers were occasionally unlucky, a:» Merritt and Matheson frequently beafi the batsmen. Weil had bowled steadily into a strong wind for a considerable period before luncheon. New Zealand was left 65 minutes m which to score 111 to win. Five wickets tell for 59 in attempts to force the pace against accurate bowling by Daer. MUls batted brightly during his short stay. Details o£ the scores are:— ESSEX. | First innings « * • Second Innings. I Wykes, b Merritt * * I Pope. Ibw, b Matheson . . . .. .. 3c ; Crabtree, b Weir • • i O'Connor, c and b Matheson *. . 4i Bray, c Mills, b Merritt 12C Nichols, c Dempster, b Matheson . . 42 j Franklin, c Talbot, b Matheson .. <: ! Daer, st Dempster, b Merritt «• * • t j Sheffield, run out . * .« . u « - - • 56 Smith, not out .. .» «, • * «« 1C ' Eastman, absent w. •> • * v • • • C i Extras . « u - • » * » »- •• 24 I Total . . . - » - . . « . . 575 j Bowling. —Matheson took four ivickets j for 72 runs; Cromb, none for 72; Talbot, | none for 28 ; Merritt, three for-81: Vivian, j none for 64; Page, none for 1; Weir, one t for 30. NEW ZEALAND. First innings » « * • • 412 Second Innings. Mills, b Daer - . » . . 2S Cromb. o and b Daer C Kerr. Ibw, b O'Connor . um j Vivian, b Daer , . »~ * * s«• * • £ \ Merritt, b Daer .. . . * * •« • • C j Talbot, not out . m k* »« w* • • 4 j Dempster, not out v . * * *•> Extras »« . * « s< * - «• Total for five wickets . . .. . . 5S ! Bowling.—Nichols took no wickets foi | 32 runs; Daer, four for 19; O'Connor, one for 4. | MILLS' THOUSAND RUNS. I HUNDRED WICKETS TO MERRITT. The match with Essex saw J. E. Mills | bring his total runs for the tour to 1038. W. E. Merritt also gained the distinction in this match of securing his 100 th wicket, his total now standing at 101. Dempster, Lowry and Blunt had already passed the four-figure mark, while ! Vivian and Weir are approaching it, both | having scored more than 900 runs. j ~ "