CRICKET TEST

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22320, 18 January 1936, Page 16

CRICKET TEST

M.C.C. V. NEW ZEALAND HOME TEAM BATTING SEVEN WICKETS FOR 170 RAIN CAUSES POSTPONEMENT [BY TELEGRAPH PRESS ASSOCIATION] W E LLIN OTO N, Fri du y Although they were never really subdued by a steadv attack, backed bv sound fielding, which 011 occasions was brilliant, tho New Zealand batsmen made a "much better showing in the second match against the touring English team in Wellington yesterday th.iiV that in Dunedin. After two wickets hadfallen cheaply and five wore lost tor only a moderate total, the later batsmen attacked the bowling and 170 runs were scored for seven wickets when rain caused a postponement at 3.30 n.lll. New Zealand's scoring was marked bv cautions soliditv rather than effective aggression. The first nO runs took 75 minutes, 100 two hours and 100 three hours The batsmen seldom appeared really troubled, tho fall of wickets being mainly accountable to eagerness, which the visitors capitalised at everj' opportunity. Holmes and Smith wore unable to play owing to injuries. Lyttelton captained the visitors and Mitchell-lnnes was included in tho team. Early morning showfers dampened the wicket, which rather favoured the batsmen. A halfgale all day frequently blew the bails from the stumps. There were about. 2000 spectators in the afternoon. Attack Well Used Lytteltou made good use of the attack and placed his field with judgment. Excellent control was shown by Parks, the right-hand slow to medium professional, who bowled against the wind, mostly with a leg trap. He slowed the scoring, swinging the ball both ■ways with, such a good length that the batsmen were unable to force him for runs.. With the new ball he sent down-eight..overs, seven of which were ; maidens, for one run and two wickets. He finished .with four wickets for 32 runs in 2-1 overs, 11 of which were maidens. Read and Baxter, the fast trundlers. bowled with the gale, but neither had exceptional pjtce. The wicket was not helpful to the fast bowlers, who were tried, both, with and against, the wind. Sims,' a slow right-hand bowler, did rot maintain his length nor flight so ■well hs in the match with Wellington. Langridge was used to break a promising partnership dust before the luncheon adjournment, and again for the same purpose after the interval. Excellent help was given to the bowlers by the fieldsmen. Mitchelllnnes took two good catches in the slips ans a brilliant one-hand catch low down and almost out of reach was made by Parks. Langridge also took a rather quick chance cleanly at shortleg. Griffiths did not allow a b.ve. Batsmen on Defence The New Zealand batsmen had to play defensively for sortie time in an effort to retrieve the ground lost by the early fall of the first two wickets. Aggression was* not introduced until the —advent of Wallace, Lamason. Roberts, Blandford and Vivian. Owing to the position of the side they had to play- a -style-cdLgajuie isjreign. to them. hut it .met. the situation Cromtf en deavon rod" 10 hold his -wicket intact, but was trapped into an error just when he was becoming set. The scoring was brighter after the luncheon adjournment, but was not fast. It is questionable whether more enterprise would not have been more profitable. Nevertheless, full credit must be given to the visitors for the steadiness of their bowling and keen fielding under conditions rather more favourable to the batting than the fielding side. New Zealand started badly, losing two wickets for eight runs, but Moloney and Vivian, in a slow but handy partnership, took the score to 50 before the luncheon adjournment. Kerr began confidently, playing his strokes cleanly, but after'being-in for 10 minutes he touched a swinging delivery from Parks and was. well., caught in the slips by Mitchell-lnnes. Weir fell to the same bowler, glancing one into the leg-trap where the catch was taken inches from the ground by Langridge. Moloney shaped without discomfort,' especially to the fast bowling of Read. He took 35 minutes to reach 10. After

being in, for 75 minutes for 32 he was 1 out leg-before to Langridge. He did not give a chance and was particularly certain in on-side strokes. Vivian began slowly, being in for 20 minutes for two. When he got the pace of the wicket and the strength of the bowling he became freer, scoring with a good range of strokes. He was in for 68 minutes for 29, before being out legbefore to a ball which pitched on his toe. He hit three fours and did not give a chance. Colt's Bright Innings

A bright innings was played by Wallace. He made 19 in 39 minutes, -offdriving strongly and late-cutting prettily. Cromb and Lamason looked likely to save New Zealand. The captain played many balls safely but his scoring strokes were clean and he hold up the attack for 40 minutes at an awkward time. Cromb was in threequarters of an hour for 15. Lamason was aggressive, his first six scoring strokes being-twos. LyHelton shrewdly tried two slow bowlers and. Lamason fell almost immediately. He attacked the bowling more than any batsman with the exception of Wallace. A creditable stand for the eighth wicket was made by Roberts and Blandford, who added 40 in 20 minutes Roberts, although shaky ** early, punched the loose balls with power, hitting five fours, one being almost a six, in making 28 not out. Blandford was also aggressive, hitting two fours and three threes in making 20 not out. The batsmen appeared to be getting on top of the bowling when rain drove the players off the field at 3.30 p.m. Scores: — NEW ZEALAND.—First Innings .T. L. Kerr, c Mitchcll-Innes. b Parks . 2 D. A. R. Moloney, Ibw, b Langridge 32 G. L. Weir, c Langridge, b Parks 1 H. G. Vivian, Ibw, h Sims . . . . 29 W. M. Wallace, c. Barber, b Parks 19 I. B. Cromb, c 'Mitchell-! tines, b Parks 15 J. It. Lamason, c Parks, b Langridge 17 A. W. Roberts, not out 28 ,J. A. R. Blandford, not out . . . . 20 Extras 7 Total for seven wickets ... . . 170 Bowling 0. M. R. W. Read ' .. 11 0 37 0 Parks .. 24 11 32 4 Baxter . . 5.2 0 20 0 Sims . . 15 2 51 1 Langridge . . 8 2 23 2