CRICKET

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23516, 2 June 1938, Page 4

CRICKET

DEMPSTER’S DISTINCTION CENTURY AGAINST AUSTRALIANS FIRST OF THE TOUR (From Oub Own Correspondent) (By Air Mail) LONDON, May 11. The former New Zealand test cricketer C. S. Dempster, now captain of Leicestershire, won the distinction this week of scoring the first century against the Australians during their present English tour. He did it in two strikes. At the end of the first day of his second innings he was 50 not out. The following morning he batted stolidly and carefully for half an hour without adding to his total. O’Reilly hit him several times on the pads, and was unlucky not to get his wicket. Dempster persevered, and at 93 the last man came in. He got the remaining seven safely, and his hundredth run came from a sharp single off Ward. Then he hit out rashly and skied the ball to extra-cover, Badcock. His 105 was scored in three hours, during which he gave no actual chance. He hit 16 4’s, chiefly by drives and cuts. The last five wickets went down in 95 minutes, and the Australians gained their third successive victory by an innings, the extra margin this time being 163 runs. SOUTH AFRICAN QUERY NEW ZEALAND VISIT? “MORE OUR OWN LEVEL” (From Oun Own Correspondent) (By Air Mail) LONDON,, May 11. "Why is it that South Africa has never had a visit from a New Zealand cricket team?” This question was asked in the Natal Tribune by Mr J. Gage. His comments have been reproduced by World Sports. ‘From all accounts, the New Zealanders play their cricket in much the same way as we do, not taking it too seriously and contenting themselves with Saturday and Sunday club matches,” said Mr Gage. “ The New Zealand team which toured England recently and played a series of matches in Australia produced carefree and exhilarating cricket and gained golden opinions from cricket enthusiasts wherever they went. “ It has been quite evident for some time that our South African cricket is nothing like up to the standard of the Australians, and it is no good trying to bluff ourselves that we are as good as they are The New Zealanders, on the’ other hand, are more likely to be on our own level and provide us with plenty of good sporting cricket in which there would be a keen competitive spirit.”