FOURTH TEST MATCH

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22825, 9 March 1936, Page 12

FOURTH TEST MATCH

NEW ZEALAND'S GOOD SCORE BRILLIANT CENTURY BY KERR TEDIOUS DISPLAY BY VISITORS (Per United Press Association) CHRISTCHURCH, March 7. The fourth and last cricket match between the touring M.C.C. team and New Zealand was continued tn-day at Lancaster Park in brilliantly fine weather. Resuming its first innings, the New Zealand team passed the M.C.C. first innings total of 195 without "the loss of another wicket, and went on to make 334. At stump.* M.C.C. in its second innings, had made 142 for the loss of two wickets. Kerr played a brilliant and chance less innings for 132, being dismissed off the second-last ball before lunch, just tipping a fast delivery from Read to the wicketkeeper. Hadlee, though overshadowed by Kerr, played well, although he gave two very hard chances, one ou the boundary which Human dropped. Cromb, the captain, played an excellent, forceful knock, just what was wanted, and went out" doing for a big hit. The last four batemen" failed t.-> make much of a stand against the good accurate M.C.C. bowlers, of whom Read. Baxter, and Sims were outstanding. Tim visitors' fielding was very clean, but no whit better than New Zealand's. The visitors' batting was very dull ami stodgy, the kind which gets the game into disfavour with the crowd. Near the emi the crowd was barracking very loudly, and a spectator walked on to the field where he spoke to Cromb. He apparently made a bargain with him, and left the field as a ponstable came to remove him. Roberts and Blundell opened the Ne* Zealand attack, each going very well. Cromb, however, was the only ona to get a wicket. Griffiths was still erratic, but was occasionally very tricky. Barber was very unfortunate, as he slipped when turning back to the crease, and Ehnes, with a good return, found him well out. M.C.C. First innings 190 Second Innings. W. Barber, run out 22 J. H. Parks, Ibw, b Cromb .. .. 38 J. Hardstaff. not out 36 D. Smith, not out 40 Extras J 3 Total for two wickets .. 142 Bowling Analysis.

NEW ZEALAND. First Innings. J. L. Kerr, c Griffiths, b Holmes .. 132 P. E. Whitelaw, c Sims, b Read .. 12 M. W. Wallace, c Sims, b Read .. 38 H G. Vivian, c Parks, b Sims .... 20 W. A. Hadley, b Sims 47 I. B. Cromb, c Parks, b Baxter .. 2o C. S. Elmes, b Read 26 AW. Roberts, c Sims, b Read .... " B. Griffiths, c Holmes, b Read .... *} C. K. Jackman, b Read .. 7 E. D. Blundell, not out 1 Extras 17 Total 334 Bowling Analysis.

HOME TEAM'S STRONG POSITION VISITORS FIGHTING FOR DRAW (Peb United Press Association) CHRISTCHUPvCH, March 8 After establishing a good lead on the first innings, New Zealand has a fighting chance of forcing an issue. It is only a fighting chance, however, as in the closing stages on Saturday the visitors played an" uninteresting, blocking game, evidently trying for a draw. The large crowd showed its displeasure with these tactics in the last hour of play. While New Zealand was at the crease there was, iJwavs something interesting happening. Kerr batted with freedom and made a chanceless century and Cromb and Limes hit hard while they lasted. The outstanding innings of the match was Kerr's century. Although he started rather shakily on Friday, and waited until he was set on Saturday, he hit out at loose balls with freedom once he got going, making superb drives and cute to the boundaries. Kerr treated the last and slow bowlers with equal ease ana acored politically off both. With his own tally at 62, when he opened with Hadlee, he completely overshadowed the younger player. When Baxter replaced Read and bowled with a new ball he packed the leg field, but neither of the batsmen was much troubled, and scored singles and twos through the cordon. The partnership of theee two added 145 runs, and this was contributed to by brilliant running between the wickets by Hadlee. The scoring rate slackened when Kerr was approaching his century. At 08 he played two maidens, and then played a forceful square-cut off Baxter, and the crowd cheered loudly, thinking that it would go to the boundary. Human made a great save, however, and returned the ball quickly to the top of the wickets, and Kerr still wanted one run. Parks, a slow right-hand bowler, took over at the south end, and Kerr played the first five balls defensively. The last he drove past mid-on for 3, and received a great ovation from the spectators and the players alike. His innings had been chanceless, and was his third century against the Englishmen on the present tour. Kerr did not alter his style of play when he passed the century, and in the last over before lunch had brought the total to 261. Holmes took an over himself, bowling medium paced deliveries which kept fairly low. Kerr tried to square cut some on the off side, and in the second last ball before lunch touched one to Griffith behind the stumps. His innings lasted 230 minutes, and he hit 15 Vwuindfiries.

Hadlee meanwhile was playing a confident game. He gave two chances in as many overs, the only mistakes he made, but each was dropped. He was beaten by the last ball of the first over after lunch. Cromb played the proper innings, going for the runs while he lasted. He scored at the rate of a run a minute, and it was in trying to hit a good-length ball on the oif that he tipped a catch through to Parks at first slip. Roberts lasted only one ball.

Elmes followed the example set by Cromb, and, though he was slower to start, he later hit a perfect 6 from Sims. Griffiths and Blundcll could do little with the fast bowling of Read. Jackman seemed more confident until he played over a yorker. The M.C.C. second innings opened very quietly. Parks and Barber playing to Blundell and Roberts. Roberts was ess expensive than the Wellington man, but both bowlers had the batsmen watching every delivery, and each appeared unlucky not to get wickets. The partnership put on more than 60 runs in the face of several bowling changes before Parks, who was turning Cromb's slows to leg for singles and pairs, stepped in front of one which came off fast, and he was given out under the new rule. The next ball. Barber backed up too far and slipped while trying to regain his crease. Elmes gave Cromb. a good return and Barber was well out of his crease when the wicket was broken. The position was now changed for the visitors, and the two newcomers made no attempt to hit. Neither had reached double figures in half an hour, and the bcore mounted very slowly.

There was little to choose between the fielding of the two sides. New Zealand may have had a slight advantage in catching and ground fielding, but the; visitor* were superior in returns to the wickets..' Of \the visiting bowlers,' Read had >the best Werage, and bowled much faster than against Canterbury. The batelmen, however, appeared to'have more difficulty facing Sims and Baxter. ' , To-day there has been heavy- rain. It seems highly probable either that playwill be impossible to-morrow owing to. the weather, or, if the weather clears, the wicket will be affected, and the outfield, which is already slow, will be much slower,

0. M. R. W E. D. Blundcll . . 11 2 21 0 A. W. Roberts . . 13 4 22 0 B. Griffiths .. . . 12 1 41 0 I. B. Cromb . . 15 2 32 1 C. S. Elmes .. . . 3 1 9 0 H. G. Vivian . . 4 0 11 0

0. M. R. W. A. D. Baxter .. 18 2 62 2 J. H. Parks .'.-.. 19 6 40 0 H. D. Read .. .• 21.1 3 72 5 J. M. Sims .. .. 23 4 92 2 J. Langridge .. 8 2 21 0 J. H. Human .. 5 0 28 0 E. R. T. Holmes.. 2 0 2 1 v