NEW DO BETTER

New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11436, 5 February 1923, Page 7

NEW DO BETTER

A VALUABLE PARTNERSHIP BIG TASK AHEAD. Requiring 235 runs to save an innings defeat, New Zealand commenced their second innings a few minutes before 3 o’clock, the opening batsmen being Collins and Bernau. Collins faced Caltjiorpe, who howled from the city end, the' first over being a maiden. Freeman went on at the southern end, this over also proving a maiden. The first score was a single by Collins off Calthorpe, but the batsmen were quiet. Bernau opened his scoring account with a single off the same bowler, and then Ctdlins got a nice four to fine leg. Four oTOrs had produced six runs. Ten appeared for twelve minutes’, play, and at fourteen Gibson went on in place of Calthorpe.' After a brief interval caused by Collins receiving an injury, Bernau sent one to Chapman off Freeman, and the Englishman, made no| mistake. 14—1—3. SHEPHERD GOEIS FOR NONE. Shepherd followed, but he sent the first hall back to Freeman, who accepted the chance. 14—2—0. Freeman’s average was now two wickets for two runs. Any chance New Zealand had: of making up the deficiency seemed to be fast diminishing. Dacre joined Collins. A leg glance by Collins for three brought up twenty. The batsmen were extremely cautious. After a period of quiet play Dacre went out to one of Freeman’s, and a boundary was the result. This brought up thirty, and five minutes later forty appeared, cho batsmen now appearing to have more confidence. It was only “appearance,” however, for Dacre was caught behind the wickets off Freeman when the score ■was 45. 45 —3—17, Freeman’s average was na-.v three for 18. THE SITUATION SAVED. TOiii-r. was tho next man. and Col-

lins almost immediately brought up the half-century. Blunt was treating the bowling with great respect. A few minutes before the tea interval sixty appeared on the board, Collins hard driving Freeman to the fence. Tho score at the tea adjournment was 61 for 3 wickets. After tea a decided change came over the score, Collins and Blunt making a stand that very effectively prevented an ignominious defeat. For a start these two batsmen were cautious itself, and both declined to be tempted by some of the tricky bowling tho Englishmen were sending down. As they “got their eye on it,” however, they showed no mercy to the loose deliveries, and the score mounted up slowly but surely. Collins reached the half-century shortly before 5 o’clock, ■while Blunt was now getting his runs more quickly. Shortly after five the fine partnership was broken, Collins being caught behind the wickets off Gibson. 145 —4—69. The partnership had reached 100 runs, which had taken eighty-eight minutes to compile. Collins had been at the wickets two hours twelve minutes. The crowd which had been silently anxious was now in a better frame of mind, and well it might be. The correct tactics had been adopted at a critical stage, and the batsmen deserved the applause that awaited them. LAMBERT’S SHORT REIGN. Lambert wag next, and his reign was short but lively. He pleased the crowd greatly when he dispatched the ball for two fours and a three, and there was a wail of disappointment when a moment later he was caught by Wilkinson off Brand. PLAYING OUT TIME. Garrard joined Blunt, and the pair played out time, the score being 178 for five wickets (Blunt 65, Garrard 5). New Zealand still requires 57 runs to avert an innings defeat. The match will be resumed at 11 o’clock this morning. M.C.C. FIRST INNINGS. Wilson, 111115112311, b Bernau - 19 Titchmarsh, 11141112111111111111414112 121 c Brice, b Bernau 40 Wilkinson, 1112114132113131, b Bernau 21 Chapman, 1211141111441114144131134111 32144112, b McGirr 71 Lowry, 11112242121141114111211221114112 114112112131142141411611141111212121121 13341, c Dacre, b Mcßeath 130 Calthorpe, b Brice 0 McLean, 112144121211211111412111411112 . 14, c Garrard, b Collins 53 Hartley, 11123112211, c Blunt, b slcBeath 16 Brand, 21141, b Brice 9 Gibson; 14, c Lambert, b Mcßeath ... 5 Freeman, not out - 0 Extras 31 Total 401 How the wickets fell. —One for 62, two for 67, three for 170, four for 188, five for 189, six for 295, 6even for 353, eight for 388, nine for 401, ten for 401. BOWLING ANALYSIS.

NEW ZEALAND FIRST INNINGS. Total 166 SECOND INNINGS. Collins, 142313213111414124232121314122, c McLean, b Gibson 69 Bernau, 12, c Chapman, b Freeman 3 Shepherd, c and b Freeman 0 Dacre, 11211143111, c McLean, b Freeman 17 Blunt, 111112211412344444412243414, not ■out 65 Lambert, 434, c Wilkinson, b Brand 11 Garrard, 122, not out 5 Extras ...1 8 Total for five wickets 173 How the wickets fell.—One for 14, two for 14, three for 45, four for 153, five for 178. BOWLING ANALYSIS.

SCORE IN QUICK TIME RECORDED B.Y I.HE CLOCK M.C.C. BATTING. 11.5 a.m.—Score 180 for three; batsmen in, Chapman 69, Lowry 8; howlers, McGirr none for 39, Brice none for 23. ■11.30 a.m. —Score 205 for five; batsmen in, Lowry 24, McLean 13; batsmen out, Chapman 71, Calthorpe 0; bowlers, Brice one for 32, McGirr one for 49. 12.0 noon.—Score 254 for five; batsmen in, Lowry 43, McLean 38; bowlers, Brice one for 39, Shepherd none for 3. 12.30 p.m.—Score 310 for six; batsmen in, Lowry 73, Hartley 6; batsmen out, McLean 53; howlers, McGirr one for 66, Brice one for 50. 1.0 p.m.—Score 352 for six; batsmen in, Lowry 100, Hartley 16; howlers, Mcßeath none for 53, Garrard none for 32. Luncheon Adjournment. 2.15 p.m. —Score - 352 (resumption). 2.40 p.m.—M.C.C. innings concludes With score 401; Lowry out 130, Freenjan, not out, 0; batsmen out. Hartley 16, Gibson 0, Brand 9; bowlers, 'MeBeath three for 81, Brice two for 75. NEW ZEALAND’S INNINGS. 3.0 p.m.—Score 0; batsmen in, Collins, Bernau; bowlers, Calthorpe. 3.30 p.m. —Score 37 for two; batsmen in, Collins 16, Dacre 14; batsmen out, Bernau 8, Shepherd 0; bowlers, Freeman two for 14, Gibson none for 13. 4.0 p.m. —Score 51 for three; batsmen in, Collins 32, Blunt 0; batsman out, Dacre 17; bowlers, Freeman three for 24, Gibson none for 15. Afternoon Tea Adjournment. 4.15 p.m.—Score 51 (resumption). 4.30 p.m.—Score 71 for three; batsmen in, Collins 45, Blunt 3; bowlers, Freeman three for 29, Gibson none for 30. 5.0 p.m.—Score 100 for three; batsmen in, Collins 64, Blunt 18; bowlers, Freeman three for 44, Calthorpe none for 13. ' 5.30 p.m.—Soore 153 for four; batsmen in. Blunt 56, Lambert 4 ; batsman out, Collins 69; bowlers, Gibson one for 53,' Brand none for 18. 6.0 p.m. —Score 178 for five; batsmen in, Blunt 65, Garrard's; batsman out, Lambert 11; bowlers, Brand one for 31, Gibson on® for 62.

BATSMEN WITH DOUBLE FIGURES TIME TAKEN IN GETTING RUNS Chapman 71 93 min Lowry 130 10’ min McLean 53 o 9 min Hartley 16 41 min Collins' 69 132 min Dane 17 34 min Blunt 65 120 min

NOTES AND COMMENTS

THE PLAY AND THE PLAYERS. The Englishmen certainly took full advantage of the wicket, and the New Zealand bowling averages suffered accordingly. After their slow display on the first day, Saturday was a striking contrast, and run® came at a rate of about li per minute. The Partnership between Maclean and Lowry was full of vigorous cricket, and during the time they were associated they scored 106 runs in 59 minutes. McLean, who registered 53, scored more rapidly than his partner,, andi his innings included five 4’s. He has improved a great deal since his first appearance in Wellington; his wicketkeeping is first class. Lowry, who is a New Zealander studying at Cambridge, will be a great asset to cricket in this country when he ire turns, and his innings of 130 or. Saturday was a brilliant effort. Hartley who took 41 minutes to score 16, was very slow and was a repetition of the opening pair, Wilson and Titchinarsli. Brand began well, and seemed 1 to get into his stride quickly, hut fell 'o Brice when lie had" scored nine. Brice md Mcßeath both justified their inclusion, and with Bemau and McGirr bore the brunt of the attack. The last-named was not very successful, but the others, especially Brioe and Moßeath, bowled splendidly. They gat no help from the wicket, but made the batsmen fight for the runs. New Zealand were very slack in the field, and were not up to the standard they set on the first day. There was not the same alertness displayed, and there are too many in the team content to stop the ball with the foot. This habit should be cut out altogether, aa it looks slovenly and is not what ono would expect from a test team. Calthorpe has been dismissed three times in succession on the Basin Reserve without scoring a run, and each time he has been clean bowled by Brioe. New Zealand again opened badly, and has two wickets down for 14, with Bernau and Shepherd, the top scorers in the first innings, out for three and none respectively. However, in this innings Collins oame to light with a fine score of 69, and with Blunt put on over 100 runs. The New Zealand captain was in great form, and although suffering from an injured knee played a fighting innings, and the ovation he received on his dismissal was the greatest accorded to any player during the match. He captained the team well, and has certainly improved in this department of the game. Blunt was a long time playing himself in, but when he got into his stride scored his runs very quickly. Hie footwork was good, and he got well over the slow bowling of Freeman. Freeman is a great cricketer. He is, perhaps, 'second to Chapman in the field, and is a regular bowling machine. He stands about sft 2in in height but is full of energy and is, as one wag aptly put it, “a mighty atom.’-’

• 0. M. E. W. Brice i> 75 2 McBeath 6 81 3 McG-irr 1 70 1 Garrard 2 32 0 Bernau 20 1 68 3 Lambert 0 9 0 Blunt 1 0 4 0 Shepherd 4 0 25 0 Collins 0 6 1

Overs. Mdns. Runs. Wkta. Calthorpe ... ... 8 4 13 0 Freeman ... 28 10 64 3 Gibson ........ ... 21 2 62 1 Brand 3 31 1