SUCCESSFUL TOUR

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27112, 21 June 1949, Page 5

SUCCESSFUL TOUR

NEW ZEALAND CRICKETERS BATTING AND BOWLING AVERAGES With 12 matches behind them, the New Zealand cricketers continue to impress all the English writers with their endeavours to play bright and entertaining cricket. Great praise has been given to them for their latest effort against the Hampshire eleven and one critic with a long record of cricket writing has gone so far as to say that it was one of the most thrilling finishes he has seen. It has become an accepted fact that the captain. W. A. Hadlee, has done his utmost to brighten play in New Zealand and everyone will recall that many of the most exciting finishes in Dunedin have been in games played by teams under Hadlee’s captaincy. It is now apparent that the importance of the tour to- New Zealand cricket has not deterred Hadlee from the same endeavours in England, and they have so far paid dividends. The averages below give details of the team’s ability to score runs and its total for the tour has now gone on to 5388 for ,12 matches at an average of 36.41 runs per wicket. The last two games have brought W. M. Wallace’s average down, but he still heads the list from M. P. Donnelly who is two runs behind. F. B. Smith and B. Sutcliffe have also improved their positions, and with Sutcliffe’s latest score against Surrey (npt included in this list), he will continue to rise further.

In the bowling figures, T. B. Burtt is well clear of the others and continues to get his share of wickets in every match. He and J. A. Cowie are the only New Zealand bowlers who have taken five wickets in an innings a test match, a feat which Cowie has now performed four times. J. A. Hayes. G. F. Cresswell, and H. B. Cave also continue to bowi well but lack the hostility of Cowie and Burtt. Nevertheless, they are all getting their share of wickets and CresswelFs four for 28 against Hampshire was an excellent performance. With five wins, six drawn games, and one loss the team continues its tour successfully. The following are the averages up to the end of the match against Hampshire:— 1 BATTING

Inn. N.O. H.S. Agg. Avge W. M. Wallace . 15 — 197 924 61.60 M. P. Donnelly 16 3 146 777 59.77 W. A. Hadlee . 17 4 119* 533 41.00 V J. Scott .. . 15 — 129 591 39.40 J. Reid .. . . 12 1 188* 423 38.45 F B. Smith . 16 1 96 509 133.93 B Sutcliffe . 18 — 83 562 31.22 G. O. Rabone . 13 4 92 236 26.22 F H. L. Mooney 15 1 102 322 23.00 T B. Burtt . 12 3 38 159 17.66 J. Cowie .. . . 5 2 26* 39 13.00 G F. Cresswell 5 4 5* 12 12.00 H B. Cave .. . 9 5 10* 35 8.75 J. A. Hayes . 4 2 9* 17 8.50 C. C. Burke . . 6 1 6* 14 2.80 * Denotes not out. BOWLING O M R W A . T. B. Burtt .. 454.2 167 1025 55 18.64 J Cowie .. 217.2 48 473 22 21.50 J A. Hayes .. 192.4 46 476 19 25.05 G F. Cresswell 295.5 91 658 25 26.32 H. B. Cave .. 266.3 77 626 23 27.21 J Reid .. 32 • 8 85 3 28.33 C C. Burke .. 201.1 54 488 15 32.53 B. Sutcliffe .v 37 8 101 3 33.66 G. O. Rabone 212 51 - 576 17 33.88 M. P. Donnelly 15 — 79 2 39.50 Also bowled: F. B. Smith 3, 1. 6, l: W M. Wallace, 2, 0, 6, 0; V J. Scott, 1, 0. 9, 0; W. A. Hadlee, 3, 1. 12 0.