THE PLAY DESCRIBED

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12093, 21 March 1925, Page 8

THE PLAY DESCRIBED

A BRIGHT OPENING SOME UNEXPECTED FAILURES. Hiddleston and "Worker were New Zealand’s opening pair, -and. the former took strike to Wallace, and the second ball the batsman square-cut to the boundary. Wallace bowled two noballs during, the over, and Hiddleston late-cut the last hall of the over to the fence, bringing'lo on the board. Liddicutt took up the attack from, the other end, and sent down a maiden to Worker. Wallace’s third ball seemed n swing'in, and it about beat Hiddleston. HIDDLESTON GOING WELL. He late cut the next, and Woodfull made a good save on the boundary, the batsmen running a single. Worker opened his account with a brace to kquare-leg. A pretty hook by Hiddleston off Liddicutt went to the boundary, and the-Wellington man ran into double figures. A single to Worker with a shot to third man saw 20 up. The Victorian fielding was very keen. Their ground work was clean, and their returns to the wicket were accurate. Still runs were coming at a fair pace) In his fourth over Wallace brought another man into tho slips, making the number four, and- the next, ball saw Hiddleston caught behind tho stumps. 22—1—31. He had batted confidently with bright, crisp" shots* DACRE’S SHORT STAY. Dacre was (first wicket down, and the fijat ball he cut for three. Worker drove Liddicutt to the off boundary—his first four—and brought his score, into double figures. , Roth men were .playing confidently. 1 Dacre hooked one 1.0 square-leg for three, but the next over, lie sent, one oack into Liddiqutt.’s hands. 8—2—46. Blunt was the next batsman, and Worker was 13 when the. Canterbury ! men- joined him. ’ Blunt refused ’to tobchVthe off stuff from both bowlers, and '.commenced very cautiously. ! HALF-CENTURY APPEARS, - Worker ended a period of dull with a square cut off Liddicutt to the boundary, and 50 appeared after no minutes’ play. -The bowlers had now sent down six overs apiece. Wallace commericed to bowl round the wicket to Worker, a left-bander, hut the batsman did not seem to be troubled by I the change. A square cut for twoand an. off drive for three —both shots well 'timed and well placed—-came oh '.the over to the Otago man. Blunt f glided Wallace to the fine leg boundary. Wallace bowled two piore moballs in this over, making his sixth to date. Liddicutt also bowied round the wicket to Worker, and . the ; batsman hooked the third ball for a. single. The IdncHeon adjournment came with the score at 67. Worker was 27 and Blunt 4.

AFTERNOON PLAY A GOOD PARTNERSHIP. Victoria took the field at 2.23, and Wallace, with the south wind in his favour, bowled round the wicket to Worker. Worker placed a square cut far a single, and Blunt played a similar shot for three, the batsmen running smartly between the wickets. Seventy was passed. Liddicutt again took up the attack from the other end, j bowling a maiden 10' Worker. ..' Runs were now coming slowljj, with both bowlers keeping a goqa length, and 'Wallace “kicking” a little at .times. ■Worker was not timing lAddioutt. too 'well, and the bowler seemed to bd getting a fair amount of ‘spin,on the ball. The Otago batsman, while endeavouring to force a drive, failed to. get on to the ball properly, and he played 1, l on to bis wickets. 31—3 —79. AVorker had shown good form and his total included two boundaries, j DEMPSTER FAILS. ■ Dempster filled the gap and opened his account with a single to square leg. Dempster played an uppish stroke over the slips’ beads for a single’, and Blunt, followed up with a glance to fine leg for one. The bowlers were still making runs hard to get. Dempster w*as slow in settling down, and while endeavouring to pi ICC AVallace throiigb the slips failed to get over*the hall, and AVillis took a smart catch. 24 — 84. I PATRICK GOES CHEAPLY. I Patrick then took strike, and off the last ball Patrick turned one to square leg. Blunt called a run and had a narrow escape from being run out. Patrick went the next over, skying the second ball of Liddicutt’s next over into Ellis’s hands. 1—5—85. Liddicutt had now taken throe wickets lor 25 rufis. having, bowled 10 overs, which included two maidens. Wallace had 'sent down the same number of overs I for two wickets and 52 runs. McGirr was tile next man, and broke his “duck” with a single. Blunt had ' now 12 to bis credit. McGirr hooked AVallace to mid-on for two and followed the shot up with a cut for a brace. The scoring was now very slow'. McGirr with a beautifully timed shot drove Liddicutt to the long-off boundary, and brought the century up after I.o's minutes batting. McGirr sent one over the olios’ heads for a single Blunt opened his'shoulders to Liddicutt, and drove him in the boundary at long-off. 1 MoGirr’s innings came to a conclusion

in AValiace’s next over. He attempted a drive to a ball on the off and" edged it into Willis's hands in the slips 11—6—103. ALLOO DOMES IN. A.loo joined Blunt, and snicked Wal-' lace to fine-leg for three. Blunt got a single off the following ball, and Alloo hooked the next for four to the legboundary. At 113 Hartkopf took tho ball from Liddicutt, who had bowled thirteen overs for 36,runs and had taken three wickets. Blunt pulled the second hall to the fine-leg boundary. Blunt wits more at home to ilartkopf than Alloo. At 123 Miller took the hall from Wallace, who had bowled sixteen overq, including one maiden,’ for 69 rjins and three wickets. Blunt was missed in the slips by Willis off tho second ball and got a single off the next. Alloo twice cut the new bowler to the boundary with fine shots, but he was still uncomfortable to Hartkopf. Blunt played Miller nicely to mid-ori for a brace* and followed the shot up by a lato tut foi it single. Haflkopf’s next over saw Alloo shaping better, and ho drove the slow man to long-off for two. Blunt drove the same bowler to the boundary. ' , At 142 replaced Miller, who had bowled two overs for thirteen runs. At the tea adjournment tTie score was 149, with Blunt 39 and Alloo 23. Oil the resumption, Hartkopf howled to Blunt, and the second hall saw the batsman snick one into Ellis’s hands oehind the stdmps. 39—7—149. He had been at " the wickets for 116 ihinutes, and had played his best inn, mgs ir* test-cricket to date so far as' soundness of batting is concerned. ■ Obhrlliffe was the newcomer, and he, saw Alloo cut Liddicutt, who howlad from the other end, to the boundary". . HARTKOPF TROUBLESOME. Condliffe after being badly beaten by a couple of balls from Hartkopf drove the third to the fence., Two balls later he scored two with. a similar, shot. At 160 Alloo had scored 31 and' Condliffe 10. Runs were’ now coming at a fair rate, and Condliffe was batting surprisingly well. Alloo was scoring well, placing singles off both bowlers, and Condliffe attempted to pull a hall from Hartkopf, but it beat both batsman and wicketkeeper -and tlirae byes were run. Another" single to.Alloo, end Condliffe failed to get over a. ball from Hartkopf, and was caught at cover by AA’allace. 13—8— 179. A MERRY INNINGS.

Dickinson was the next man, and got into Iris stride immediately. He square cut Liddicutt for two and then a four, and also pulled Hartkopf -to the boundary. Alloo got a three from, an overthrow that beat two fieldsmen and brought his score to 39—the same: as that of Blunt, who was the previous top scorer. At 199 AVallace relieved Liddicutt, and the first hall saw Dickinson clean bowled. He had a short but merry stay at the wickets. 1.4—9—199. . SECOND CENTURY REGISTERED. Moßeath was the last man, anrl he cut AA’allace for two, bringing 200 up after 199 minutes’ play. Alloo lifted one from Hartkopf to the square-leg boundary, just out of Woodful's reach, end two bails later be got throe from a leg. glide. Mcßeath drove the last ball qf the over to the long-off bound- ! ary* ' Alloo cut AA’allace for two in the next"over. .He reached his half-century ih 98" minutes. Mcßeath punched Hartkopf through the covers for four, and got a brace through an overthrow. 1 He was now in double figures. INNINGS CLOSES. He hooked the next for two, hut the following boll saw him brilliantly taken at mid-on by Wallace who fell for a low ciitch. 13—13—226. Alloo was not out with 51. The innings took 214 minutes to complete, and Alloo was at the, wickets for 101 minutes. victorlans take strike. At Zealand took the field and the opening pair for the visitors were Ellis anil E. A listen. Dickinson opened' with the breeze from the south end, and Ellis appealed against the light. The crown were up in arm. l ftraight away and there was a good deal of barracking. Austen lato chi the fast , bowler. for two. Mcßeatl; went-on at the other end, and had all . his men on the off-side except McGirr at nud-on. He bowled a maiden to Ellis, and the umpires decided to draw stumpi The following are the details:— NICW ZEALAND. First Innings. J S. Hiddleston, 44141221112U2, c Ellis,' b AVallace 22 It. de R, Worker, 21111421142113112121, ; b Liddicutt 81 (/.'Dacre, 3131, c and b Liddicutt ... 8 R. C. Blunt, 4211111241411111121412, e Ellis, b Hartkopf 39 C. S. Dempster, 11, c Willis, b Wal W. R. Patrick. 1, c Ellis, b Liddicutt. 1 H M. McGirr, 122141, o AVillis, b Wallace 11 A AV. Alloo, 34144121112214111113131211 not out 51 J W. Condliffe, 1432111, c Wallace, b Hartkopf 13 G. R. Dickinson. 242411, b Wallace ... 14 D. J. Mcßealh. 2.4422, c Wallace, b Hartkopf 15 Byes. 11131 7 Leg-byes. X 1 AVide balls, 1 No balls, : 7 Total 123 How the wickets fell :—One for 31. two for 46. three for *9. four for 84, five for

85, six fdr 105, seven for 349, eight for 179, nine few 199, ten for 226. Bowling Analysis. . Overs. Mdns. Runs. Wkte.

S L. Ellis (in) 0 E. Austen, 12 (in) 3 Byes, 1 1 Eeg-byes, 1 1

Total for no wickets I Bowling: Analysis.

P H. Wallace ... 18 74 56 4 A. E. Lid&icutt... 18 3 A E. V. Hartkopf 12.6 0 64 3 K. Miller 2 0 13 0 C B. Willis i 0 3 0 VICTORIA. First Innings.

Overs. Mdns. Kuns. Wlcts. Cr .E. Dickinson... 1 0 3 0 D J. McBeath ... 1‘ 1 0 0