SUSSEX SCORES SLOWLY ON FIRST DAY OF MATCH WITH NEW ZEALANDERS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27093, 30 May 1949, Page 5

SUSSEX SCORES SLOWLY ON FIRST DAY OF MATCH WITH NEW ZEALANDERS

New Zealand Press Association—Copyright Rec. 8 p.m. BRIXTON, May 28. Sea breezes provided the only life about the ground at Hove when Sussex won the toss and scored 170 for four against the New Zealanders on an easy batsman’s wicket. Rain prevented play until 2 o’clock, but the wicket had been entirely covered and it was thoroughly dry and placid. *

With Hadlee taking his first rest, Wallace captained New Zealand. Cowie bowled eight overs to John Langridge and D. V. Smith, found the leg muscle which he strained at Leicester troubling him again, and retired until Monday. Langridge, who at one time Swas in the running for 1000 runs in May, added 92 not out to his total of 625, but he is not a stroke player and plodded along quietly against steady bowling by Hayes, Cresswell, Burke and Rabone. He brightened up in the last halfhour, probably with the intention of, relishing a century during the weekend, but it was not an impressive knock and he was rather lucky to get as far as he did

When he was 14 Reid might have had him at first slip off Cowie. The ball flashed like a streak and hit the New Zealander on the wrist. Cresswell could have had Langridge caught and bowled when the Sussex batsman drove straight back at him. Cresswell was a little off his balance and the batsmen ran for 4

Rabone got his first wicket with his third ball of the day when he bowled the left-hander, Smith, and after tea Hayes bowled Charles Oakes with one that kept low. H. T. Bartlett, who in' his prime scored the fastest century on record against the Australians i (1938)—55 mihutes—thumped around with some cheerfulness until he swooped a turning long-hop from Burke to Smith at cover.

Mooney caught G. Cox off Burke, and though Langridge finally bestirred himself nobody was sorry to get away for the week-end. The first hour's play brought only 30 runs and the average rate for the whole afternoon did not rise much above 40. The New Zealanders’ fielding was not quite up to the standard they have set hitherto. .

Their batting order on Monday will be: Sutcliffe, Reid, Smith, Wallace, Donnelly, Rabone, Mooney, Burke. Cowie, Hayes. Scott, with a black eye still plastered, occupied some of his rest at the nets with Cave, bowling to Hadlee.