AT THE WICKETS

NZ Truth, Issue 954, 8 March 1924, Page 9

AT THE WICKETS

The First Test Game I Visitors Victorious. (By XT. Cobcroft.) Although a drizzling rain set m about 10 p.m. the evening before the first test match was to start, it did not last long enough to have any damag- ' ing effect on the wicket which was m ' first-class order. .Punctually to time Collins and Macartney walked out on to the grass to toss for choice of innings. The luck favored the New Zealander, who asked % Hiddlesfpn and \ Worker to don the pads and open up tlje innings for the fearers of the fern leaf. It was. hoped that a, good start I would be made by. the pair, but expectations .and. hopes were ; far 'from being t realised as less thari'^Q^unaULwere on f the board whfen : iWprkei',|6ueH'#d one of - Everett'^ '^Sliveri^.and^Oldfl^ld made k a neat catch: Collins/ went m, but beF fote he had broken his duck suffered the same fftte&s Worker, being caught j by Oldfleld off the fast bowler. Hiddleston was going along quietly, keep-, ing his end up and now and again mak- > ing a scoring shot. Smith, the Aucklander, who followed Collins had only made 5 When he got his Itjg m front to I Everett and paid the penalty for missing the ball.. Blunt and Dacre also failed to get d.; start. and both lost their wickets to Everett; who up to this time had 5 wickets for 23 runs. Truly a fine performance" /when. one considers the calibre of the batsmen disposed of. Wiri Was next and settled down to that dqgged style of his that is always a thornHo the bowlers. Hiddleston was next to go, failing to get on to one of Hendry.'s -which went into Mailey's hands. The Wellington man got his runs '(as h.e generally does) by artistic cricket, and had it not been for his useful score .of 36 the opening would indeed' have been disastrous. On McGirr joining Baker -the cricket shown became a little more lively and the complexion of the. game appeared a bit brighter, but just as a, good solid partnership seemed possible, Mac jumped m to hit Mailey out of the ground, missed, and. Oldfleld stumped him. In making. his twentyr three he ■pleased the onlookers by his forceful and, enterprising cricket. Yet another wicket went to the predit of that great wicket-keeper as he caught Baker behind the wickets off Macartney. Wiri's total of 34 was a good and . invaluable knock. and helped with McGirr and Hiddleston to save a, procession. Alloo, who was not out at the end of the inttirigswith ISsto, his credit, did well. The total bf. 144 was a, very poor showing and is unaccountable. With all due respect to the good bowling on the N.S.W. side it should; never have been the cause of getting our batting side out for such a poor total. Nevertheless the proof of the pudding is m the eating, and one must take his hat Oft* to the good bowltng of New South Wales. Everett's ,0 for 48 and Macartney's 2 for 13 are really g«?od. With about half an hour to bat Punch and Mullarkey commenced ' for NeW South. Wales, but their start; was not much better |hari our own,! as after iPunch had .smackedj, one, bdjll to the boundary off McGirr he was beaten by one m the same over and retired bowled for 4. Charlie Macartney joined Mullarkey, but lost the latter who was bowled by Smith after making 17. Two good wickets were down now, and only 31 runs on the slate. Rj Bardsley

■■/ . . being 48 runs for 2 wickets — Macartney not out 16 and R. Bardsley seven. On resuming: play on Saturday morning Macartney at once got to 'work, but Bardsley junior started streakily and after he had driven Mcßeth for 4 and a single or two he faced McGirr, who clean bowled him. The retiring batsman had made the baker's dozen— three wickets for 65. New Zealand were doing well, but twenty runs later the N.S.WI captain played Mcßeth on* to his. wicket. The public were delighted at the way the wickets were falling. Macartney never looked like getting out and his 36 were made delightfully. Hendry was not long a partner of Kippax and after that player had smacked up five fours and six singles he was skittled by McGirr with a! good one. With five good batsmen out for 109 things looked rosy, but with a; batting side like this a lengthy partnership was sure to come > along. This.it did when Andrews joined Hendry, for when the former left, being caught by Alloo off Smith for 38, the partnership had added 78' runs. Hendry was playing beautiful cricket, and with Warren Bardsley put on 125 runs for 'the seventh wicket. Apjkrt; • frbtft - being ■ ti^irly riiii out iJiiis i innings !was a chanceless' orie'"and r Tfis score of 110 came along at a time when they were worth . double the number. Boon, who- had been keeping wickets, well obtained his first wicket m the match, catching Hendry off. the Dunedin bowler Alloo. Oldfield came and went, being . bowled by- Smith for a duck. Mailey assisted Bardsley to add a few more runs before being run out. Everett, the last man, had made six runs -when he put his leg m front to. Smith 'and the innings closed > for 36i, Warren Bardsley being unbeaten with 78 to his credit. ' ;., . ' ( Of the bowlers, Smith: and- MeGirr^ were easily the best, the • rfdrmer's figures being exceptionally gogd r con-sidering-that he is a slow jbowler, and the classy of batsmeji he was up against. Smith has got a top-piece which he knows how to use and a, bowler who is hot afraid to let the batsmen, have a go at him. McGirr bowled some good balls and some very short ones. Nevertheless h&hit the wicket on three occasions and this is some feat against players like those m this ;New ■ South Wales team. Mcßeth and Alloo were not .verb dangerous, but still' bowlers like batsmen have a day off. The fielding of the home side was good, but Dacre stood out by himself for his very fine work, both m picking up and returning. Young Boon did really well and very little escaped hitn.y- ' .. Being 217 m arrears Col jihs reverted to the old pair of opening batsmen, this time sending m Hiddleston and Baker, but the former after breakirig his duck touched one of Everett's and .\ Oldfield did the needful. MjVorker; -who had failed to get going m the first innings, passed ; Hiddleston on the : return journey to 1 the- pavilion arid joined Baker, who was sealing one end tip. The newcomer^ after making four was let off by, Mailey m the slips off Everett. Baker had -been 35 minutes making 10, but he was still there. When Worker had got into the twenties Mailey, gave him nnother life off Everett. The 'score had reached 67 when Worker failed to stpp one of Macartney's (who had relieved Hendry). Worker's 37 was made quickly, but was anything but a good knock. Something unusual to have to write in ' this strain of this player. The dapper little. Aucklarider Dacre joined Wiri, who had reached 20, but an unfortunate happening occurred, Baker being run out. This was a bad mistake. Canterbury's batsman, Blunt, went m to join Dacre and this pair started a good partnership which

at the close of the day's play had realised 68, and the score reading 143 for 3. wickets, Dacre being 48 not out and Blunt 22 not out. Matters commenced very -well on the third day when Blunt and Dacre made another start. By steady cricket they carried the score\along to 216 when Roger . went out to Macartney and paid the penalty. The partnership had yielded 149 and was invaluable. Smith helped Dacre to carry on the good work and the game became a bit brighter, the score mounting steadily. The total reached 300. and it looked as if the Aussies would be set a pretty fair margin to get. But the unexpected happened. At 307 Dacre was bowled with his total at 127. He got an enthusiastic reception as he made his way back to the pavilion. It was a great knock and arrived at a time when it was most wanted. He showed that t,he bowling was not as deadly as some of the other batsmen believed it to be; :-■ '

■■;• (N.S.W. Cricketer.)

.Collins went m and scored a single. He then played a ball on to his wicket's j and went back. "-. ■:-. Then started a procession. Smith, who had been playing solidly, touched one of Malley's and Hendry took him . m the slips. Alloo came and hit up ; 12 m next to no time and then the Hendry- Mailey combination put him out of court. Boon made a single and then a straight one from Mailey' went past him. Mcßeth was last man ' and he remained not out. McGirr, who had been quiet, scooped a ball up and Hendry was on deck. Mailey by going through the tail came out with the average. He grot four"' wickets for 101; Macartney, >with. irreproachable length, took two for 42; Punch got two for 21; Hendry one for 44 and Everett one for 93. The fast bowling did not terrorise the New Zealanders the second innings, arid they were wise enough to let the off stuff alone. With 113 to get to win the Aussies

started off badly. Two wickets were down for 36, but then the "GovernorGeneral" and R. Bardsley became associated. That .was the finish. The pair hit :" up 'the necessary runs to give their side an eight wicket victory. The fielding of the New Zealand team m the second innings was far from satisfactory.