Hadlee’s First Century— Innings Declared Closed After 30 Minutes’ Play

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27080, 14 May 1949, Page 7

Hadlee’s First Century— Innings Declared Closed After 30 Minutes’ Play

Rec. 1.20 a.m. LONDON, May 13. The New Zealand captain, W. A. Hadlee, continued his excellent batting display of yesterday when play was resumed in the match against Surrey at the Oval this morning. Making the, most of the drying-out wicket, Hadlee added 34 to his overnight score of 85 to register his first century of the tour. His partner, Cave, was content to allow Hadlee to make the runs, and carried his bat for two. After 30 minutes of play the New Zealand captain declared tlje innings closed with the score at 249 for eight, wickets, leaving Surrey to get 300 runs in about even time.

FIGHTING INNINGS BY HADLEE FEATURE OF THE SECOND DAY

A truly great innings by Hadlee on the second day appeared to nfise placed New Zealand in a winning position against Surrey. Batting for iour hours on a wicket becoming dangerous. he made 85 not out, bringing New Zealand’s second innings to Ml, and with a 56 lead on the first innings, leaving Surrey to get at least 263 to win. New Zealand dismissed Surrey in their first innings for 202, and the wicket was giving the bowlers a wide variety of assistance when the Dominion team began batting the second time. It started crumbling early in the afternoon, and Hadlee alone of the New Zealanders had the required capacity to stay, and, what is more important, to score. His innings was worth at least a double total in the present circumstances and conditions. True, he had some luck, but he thoroughly deserved it, and no batsman could have stayed without it. Hadlee was twice struck painfully on the chest by rising balls, and had his fingers rapped smartly on several occasions. The best New Zealand bowling to remove the last five Surrey batsmen in their first innings came from Cave. With an easy swing and making full use of his height, he kept a steady length and frequently made the ball rise sharply. He caught and bowled Cox with his second ball of the day, lunging forward to grasp it an inch or two from the pitch. He was bowling to a tight leg trap, and after three overs changed ends with Burtt, and switched the fieldsmen from leg to slips, and with the very first ball had Constable caught at first slip by Scott, Neither Burtt nor ' Burke were having their day for wickets, and it was Cresswell who clipped off the remainder of the Surrey tail. He had Laker caught by Mooney, the wicket-

keeper’s third catch of the innings, and clean-bowled A. V. Bedser and McMahon with successive balls. His one fault was variation of length. Barton, the Surrey captain, carried his bat for 85. He gave one chance, a difficult return to Cave, who, if he had caught it, should have gone straight into Wis den’s. Barton hit 10 4’s in 175 minutes. Though Sutcliffe, when he began New Zealand’s second innings with Scott, was still suffering from a rather sore left knee, he seemed as he always seems—as though he were going to bat forever. His hooking, pulling and on-driving were vintage. After a glistening start, however, he became pre-occupied with Alec Bedser, whose medium pacers were hitting the right .spot when they bounced. Sutcliffe tried to hook a perfectly straight one and missed. It is a curiosity of Sutcliffe’s batting, this mixture of strength and weakness on the leg side. Scott plodded along calm and equable until he chopped Laker into the slips, where he was well caught by Alec Bedser. Wallace square-drove his first ball for 3, and it appeared as if he had come to stay. Before he was really set, however, he attempted a late cut off McMahon, but only succeeded in edging him to the wicketkeeper. The wicket was doing some peculiar things by the time Donnelly arrived, the ball rising shoulder high. It was with one of these that Laker had the left-hander collected in the slips, the ball just tipping his bat. He never seemed entirely at ease. Hadlee, as befitted the captain of a side fairly fighting for runs, discarded the tentativeness with which he sometimes begins, and, though once or ‘twice he seemed to be using a mashie, judging by the amount of lift he was getting, he enjoyed’ an occasional care-free clout. With Smith he saw 100 up in two hours 10 minutes. They added 32 before Smith was caught at slip off another that jumped. With the wicket denuded of some solid pieces of turf, Hadlee was concentration personified. He batted with great care, yet was always ready to unleash himself. Once he on-drove McMahon for a 4, and then immediately pulled him for a 6. The bail bounced clear of the ground, and complications were indicated when shrill boys’ voices were heard declaring: “’E'es put it in ’is pocket.” Balls from the pavilion began to sprinkle the field, to be collected by the umpire when the extraterritorial pocket in due course yielded its treasure trove. Hadlee reached his 50 with a drive past cover in 150 minutes, and New Zealand's total was 151 in 190 minutes. He gave Alec Bedser one difficult chance, and was grateful to see the ball bounce clear of the leaping bowler’s left hand. Mooney, who seems to have the right temperament for important occasions, .combined with Hadlee in the best partnership so far in this innings. He kept his end up splendidly, made five in 40 minutes, and then took five in one over from Laker. He stayed an hour for 16 before Bedser with a new ball caught and bowled him. taking a magnificent catch at arm’s length. Hadlee raised 200 on the board in 270 minutes, and can rarely have played a> finer fighting innings. The New Zealanders to-day will begin a three-day match against Leicestershire, at Leicester.