MANAWATU'S POOR STAND

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7079, 17 March 1910, Page 1

MANAWATU'S POOR STAND

■ • ■ i i THIRTEEN MEN MAKE 87 WHITTX UNPLAYABLE. '*' AUSTRALIANS LOSE THREE WICKETS FOR 48. FBOM OUK SPECIAL COKB.E3PONDENT. PALMEBSTON, March IC. The Australia v. Manawatu cricket match opened to-day on the sports grounds in threatening weather. The oval, which Mr Mackenzie, manager of the visiting team, described as one of the best grounds he had seen iu the Dominion, was in beautiful condition, but recent rains made the wicket very dead, and, combined with a il-retched light, made conditions all in favour of the bowlers. Bairdsley, who captadued the visitors, won ike toss, and sent the home team (x> the wickets. Whitty and Emery opened the bowling, and the former's, unplayable deliveries t.pelit disaster- to the local men. from the start. He got Mitchell in his first over before the scoriag account was opened, and followed his success up by sending Trevena and Ongley back to the pavilion when only seven runs were on the board. His average then read three wickets, three maidens, no runs. The fourth wicket fell to Emery at 14, the fifth to Whitty a.t 16, and tho sixth also to Whitty at 20. The lefthander's' average was now five for five. Coblje, the next man, stopped the rot, and put a different complexion on affairs. He opened with plenty of confidenoe. The seventh wicket fell- at 33, wlien Whiitty's average stood at six for 11. Then Holland and Cobbe got together and brought up 65 before they separated, Emery getting amongst- Holland's timbers with a one. Cobb© and Bartletfc brought 80 up, and the Eeilding colt then met his fate at Emery's hands by getting his leg , in front. His 32' included five fours. The end followed soon, the eleventh and twelfth, man falling to Emery when the total had reached-. 87. Scores : MANAWATU—First Innings. Mitchell, b Whitty 0 Ongley, c Emery, b Whitty ....; 6 .Trevena, b Whitty 1 Goldspring, b Emery 2 McLean, b Whitty 8 Mason, c Emery, b Whity 3 O'Connor, o Bardsley, b Whitty ...... 2 Cobbe, lbw, b Emery ;. 32 Holland,- b/i.jßmery ..' 13 Wells,, c;Bardsley,-V> Emery ............... 0 Bartlett, not out' 'l2 Eyre, b Emery 2 Ctreer,, c- Bardsley, b Emery 0 Extras ._. G Total 87 ThaAustraliansopened with Dodds and F-acey, and the latter, by pasting Ongley's slow stuff, soon had some runs on the board, getting two sixes and a thTee off one of his overs. At 3(1 he was badly beaten, by Greer. Whitty followed, made a single, and then skied Bartlott. Wells held it. Kelleway joined Dodds, only to see Greer scatter the . Tasmanian's stumps. Emery was the nest mam, but the light was so bad that stumps were drawn for the day. Scores: — . AUSTRALIA—First Innings. Dodds, b Greer 15 Pacey, b Greer * 24 Whitty, o Wells, b Bartlett 1 Kelleway, not out 8 Emery, "not out 0 Total 48 Greer got two wickets for 8 and Bartlett one for 19. ARMSTRONG TAKES A SPELL. SLIGHT ACCIDENT. PBEBS ASSOCIATION. CHBISTCHimCH. March 16. Armstrong, captain of the Australian team, did not go north with the other members of the team last night. Wlien in Dunedin he met with an accident. When out walking on the hills he slipped, and, in trying to right, himself, he threw himself back,- with the; result that he snapped one of the muscles in. the region of the heart. He stayed behind to receive medical treatment. Armstrong, purposes leaving this even* ing for Wellington, en route for War nganui. He will not play at Palmerston North or at New Plymouth, ana unless he feels improved in health he will not play at Wanganui. BAD WICKETS IN THE DOMINION. SPECIAL TO THE "TIMES." CHRISTCHURCH, March 15. Warne and Goray (of the Australian team) agree that, the wickets in New Zealand are extremely bad, except the one at Carisbrook. "The ball," said Warne to a "Times" reporter, "never keeps a decent height, and you have to be perpetually on- the look-out for shooters. This naturally tends to cramp the batsman's style, and you cannot expect to teach young cricketers_ the strokes unless you' have reliable 'wickets. You can't have a good wicket without a good sole of grass. Take the one we're playing on now; it is simply.a. hard ground wicket without a vestige of grass on it." He went on to state that he thought it a pity the local cricketers should experiment'with Bulli soil. The soil in Christchurch was* quite good enough itself, as was quite evident from the wickets at Hagley Park. The wickets seemed to lack foundation, but that was easily remedied by proper preparation. He thought, too. that New Zealand wanted more grounds. It did not conduce to good nlay to have several teams playing simultaneously upon the one ground. It was no use importing coaches, as it was not fair to- them if they were not &ri ve n proper wickets to coach on. This should be the first consideration of all the clubs —wickets first, and coaches afterwards. There was nlenty of Rood material to make cricketers of. but thev must have the necessary appliance?. Gorry concurred, and added, pathetically, that the wickets in New Zealand made the position of wicket-keeper anything but a happy one. Some of their critics were saying that they had not yet got" the pace of the wickets as evidenced by the large number of extras scored against them, but it was not the nace but the erratic direction of the ball on untrue wickets that bothered them.