CRICKET

Otago Witness, Issue 3829, 2 August 1927, Page 51

CRICKET

t THE NEW ZEALAND TEAM. THE WARWICKSHIRE MATCH. LONDON, Juiy 25. An ideal wicket enabled . Dempster arid Allcott to give the finest second-wicket partnership seen anywhere in England this season. Although the county used no fewer than nine bowlers, both batsmen completely mastered the attack, and both passed the century, giving a really superb display. Allcott headed the race for the half-century, which he reached in 70 minutes.

llis partner took 25 minutes longer, but after that became much more aggressive, and reached the century in 170 minutes, just forestalling the Aucklander. He gave a difficult chance at the wickets at 102, but neither man gave any other chance. Wyatt, Calthorpe, and Quaife suffered badly at the New Zealanders’ hands, Dempster hitting five consecutive boundaries off Quaife’s slows in one over. This fine stand lasted three hours and a-half, and put on 303 runs. The critics express the opinion that it was the best batting seen this year. Dempster altogether bad 19 fours in his 180, and Allcott 13 in his 131. At the tea adjournment the total had reached 388 for five wickets, but Warwickshire’s troubles were by no means over. Page and M‘Girr Laid on the wood merrily, and then Merritt and Page carried on. At 492 for six wickets Lowry declared, and the county going in again lost two wickets cheaply. Altogether it was a day of exhilarating and enterprising cricket, and came as a real tonic compared with the average county games.

It is rather regrettable that the attendance was poor compared with Saturday’s gate, which was 30,000.

July 26. Bain prevented play being resumed at the usual hour, and when the New Zealanders were able to take the field they wore handicapped by a wet ball. Kilner and Quaife offered a determined resistance, and their stand, as it turned out, saved the county. They were still in at lunch, by which time the score had advanced to two for 118. Kilner, however, was out to the last ball of M'Girr’s first over on resuming. He had batted for 100 minutes for his 77, and had hit eight fours. Parsons and Croom were quickly dismissed, and Quaife followed, after a defensive innings which lasted for two hours. Calthorpe went at 175, and Merritt, who was the most successful with the ball, was rapidly finishing off the innings when torrential rain came on, and the game had to be abandoned with only three wickets to fall.

New Zealand were thus most unluckily deprived of an innings victory, despite their brilliant batting, keen fielding, and steady bowling. The match was drawn. Details: —

NEW ZEALAND. First Innings. Blunt, lbw, b Wyatt 11 Dempster, lbw, b ParsonslBo Allcott, run out 131 Dacre, c Smart, b Croom 29 Lowry, c Smith, b Smart 9 M'Girr, c Roll, b Wyatt 43 Page, not out 45 Merritt, not out 23 Extras 21 Total for .six wickets (declared) 492 Bowling Analysis.—Wyatt, two for 110 ; Croom, one for 26; Smart, one for 49; Parsons, one for 22: Calthorpe, none for 73; Quaife, none for 91; Santa]], none for 40; Roll, none for 49; Smith, none for 20. WARWICKSHIRE. First innings 235 Second Innings. Smith, lbw, b M’Girr 4 Wyatt, c and b Blunt ... (J Kilner, lbw, b M'Girr 77 Quaife, c Page, b Merritt 46 Parsons, b Merritt 11 Crown, c James, b Merritt 8 Santail, not out 10 Calthorpe, b Merritt 16 Smart, not out 6 Extras 10 Total for seven wickets 188 Bowling Analysis.—Henderson, none for 14 ; M'Girr, two for 52; Blunt, one for 44; Lowry, none for 35 ; Page, none for 7 ; Merritt, four for 26. WEST OF ENGLAND MATCH. LONDON, July 27. Owing to rain there was no play in the nuiteli, New Zealand v. the West of England, which was to have commenced at Exeter to-day. ’ July 28. The New Zealanders went to the wickets, and have so far scored 1-1 without losing a wicket. After the loss of a day through rain, the match with the West of England at Exeter began to-day before an attendance of 1000. New Zealand won the toss, and made a promising start, but the dead outfield took off the pace from the hits and slowed the scoring down. Nevertheless, Blunt and Dempster put on 53 in the first hour. The former m

particular showed plenty of enterprise till he fell to a catch at cover-point by Harrison. After Dempster was got rid of for an excellent 58,- Lowry was dismissed by a brilliant catch in the slips, hut Dacre indulged in some hard hitting while he lasted. Mills, who went in first wicket down, was in his best form, and did not appear to be troubled bv the bowling. He had passed the half eenturv and was still in when Lowry declared with six wickets down for 230.

There remained nearly two hours for play, in which time the West of England lost nine wickets for 93. against splendid bowling and fielding. Merritt kept a perfect length, and varied his break cleverly, with the result that Macßryan and Overton were the only batsmen who could make any headway. and neither of these remained very long. Details: — July 29. Rain prevented any play to-day in the match with the West of England at Exeter, and it had to be abandoned. Merritt took six wickets for 38, Page one for 29, Blunt one for 16, Lowry one for 12, M’Girr none for 11.- s* *• NEW ZEALAND. . First Innings. Blunt, c Harrison, b Amory 43 Dempster, c Miles, b Busk 58 Mills, not out °2 Lowry, c Newman, b Falding 2 Dacre, c Miles, b Falding 32 Page, c Butier, b Harrison 15 M’Girr, c Butler, b Awdry 9 Merritt, not out 9 Extras 10 Total for six wickets (declared) 230 Bowling Analysis.—Miles, none for 55 ; MTntosh; none'for 20: Awdry, one for 8; Harrison, one for 33: Falding, two for 49; Amory, one for 29: Busk, one fur 11; Newman, none for 15. WEST OF ENGLAND. First Innings. Macßryan, c Mills, b Blunt 36 Butler, c and b Page 5 Falding, b Merritt 0 Miles, lbw, b Merritt 2 Newman, c Page, b Merritt 8 Overton, b Lowry 20 Busk, st James, b Merritt 4 Amory, not out 15 Awdry, b Merritt 0 Harrison, b Merritt G MTntosh, not out C Extras 2 Total for nine wickets 93 MATCH WITH GLAMORGAN.

LONDON, July 30. Rain prevented the commencement of the match between New Zealand and Glamorgan at Cardiff till 2.30 p.m. Oliver displaced Cunningham in the visitors’ team. Dacre and Dempster opened the New Zealand innings, but the former was dismissed before he had scored. Blunt a.nd Dempster quickly retrieved the bad start, and completely mastered the attack, cutting and driving magnificently. They brought the 100 up in 80 minutee. In fact, to such an extent was the bowling flogged that only 20 minutes’ more were occupied in carrying the score to 150. At the tea adjournment the pair were unbeaten with the score at 161, Dempster then being 73 and Blunt 81. Soon after resuming, Blunt was dismissed, having added only eight, but the total for the partnership had been carried to 174, having lasted two hours. Dempster carried on, and survived two more partners, being joined by Lowry, with whom ho is still unbeaten with 132 to his credit. Details : NEW ZEALAND. First Innings. Dacre, c Sullivan, b Arnott 0 Dempster, not 0ut132 Blunt, c Hill, b E. Davies 89 Mills, b Arnott 1 Page, c Sullivan, b D. Davies 17 Lowry, not out 10 Extras 19 Total for four wickets26B

WEATHER AFFECTS ATTENDANCES. LOSS ON TOUR PROBABLE. LONDON, July 28. Tt can be said that English cricket has been brighter for the New Zealanders’ visit. Though their straight-out wins have been relatively few, the perverse summer more than their shortcomings has been the cause. Rain once saved them from defeat by the Army team, but at least half a dozen times it has robbed them of victories against far stronger sides What their batting has lacked in individual consistency is atoned for in individual sparkle. Their bowling has seldom been flogged, as earlier critics predicted, but had all the catches been taken the list of wins would have been longer. Lowry (44.25) heads the batsmen, occupying thenty-third place in the English averages. Page is his nearest colleague, but just misses inclusion in the first thirty. Strangely enough, Dacre (16.50) occupies second place in the English bowling averages, and Page (18.41) is seventh. These are the only two included in the leading twenty-five. The attendances have been really disappointing, but the weather has again been,, responsible. Time and again big Saturday fixtures have been literally washed out, and similarly several midweek holiday opportunities nave been lost. The result on the. finances has been most unfortunate. There is a long way to go. perhaps too long to say that a loss will be averted, but the manager will be able to report that it was offset by the valuable experience and development of cricketing talent, and the encouragement to all to help to qualify the Dominion to claim a round of test matches, the lack of which on this occasion has denied the team the glamour from which the Australians benefit.

ENGLAND v. THE REST. LONDON, July 25. The weather was fine and the attendance large when the match England v. the Rest of England was resumed this morning at Bristol. Two hundred appeared for 201 minutes’ play. The field-

ing was good, but the bowling held no terror for the batsmen. LONDON, July 26. The match England v. the Rest of England was resumed in dull, showery weather. The wicket was easy. The match was eventually abandoned owing to rain. England had declared with 461 for six wickets. Details: — REST OF ENGLAND. First innings 248 Second Innings. Sandham, b Larwood 18 Percy Holmes, b Larwood 2 Hearne, not out 36 Hendren, not out 19 Extras 5 Total for two wickets 80 Bowling Analysis. —Larwood, two for 42 ; Tate, none for 30 ; Jupp, none for 3. ENGLAND. First Innings. Hobbs, b Clark .. *l2 Sutcliffe, c Bates, b Sibbles .. . . 227 Hallows, b Hearne . . 135 Hammond, e and b Sibbles . . . . 34 Woolley, run out 20 Jupp, c Holmes, b Geary 13 Jardine, not out 9 Tate, not out - Extras 9 i Total for six wickets . . . . 461 Bowling Analysis.—Sibbles, two for HO; Clark, one for 120; Geary, one for 71 ; Hearne, one for 104 : Eric Holmes none for 2S; Hendren, none for 19.

SUTCLIFFE'S BIG HITTING. LONDON, July 25. The second wicket added 317 in 265 minutes. Sutcliffe was caught in the long field. He hit four 6's, seventeen 4's, and was in 345 minutes. With Hammond he put on 76 in 55 minutes. Hollows hit one 6 and nine 4's. COUNTY CRICKET. LONDON, July 26. Surrey: First innings, 298 (Ducat 89, Daily 52, Shepherd 100). Wright took"five wickets for 80. Second innings: 333 for seven wickets, declared (Ducat 56, Barling 123, Fender 80). Kent: First innings, 258 (Legge 70). Fender took five wickets for 64. Second innings, 259 (Ashdown 80, Chapman 86). Peach took five wickets for 62. Surrey won by 114 runs. Hampshire: First innings, 237 (Mead, not out, 95). Second innings, 261 Tennyson 102). Middlesex; First innings. 285, Lee 100. Mann 74). Second innings, 59 for no wickets. Middlesex won on the first innings, Notts: First innings, 298 (Carr 52, Whysall 163). Rhodes took four wickets for 40. Second innings, 224 for six wickets, declared (Whysall 74, Lilley 60). Yorkshire; First innings. 177 (Oldroyd, not out 76). Second innings, 72 for, no wickets (Leyland not out, 50). Notts won on the first innings. Somerset : First innings. 142. Second innings 299 for nine wickets, declared (Case, not out, 107, Cresswell 54). Sussex : First innings, 85. White took five for 18. Second innings, 214 for nine wickets (Rowley 61). Somerset won on the first innings. For Worcester agaist Lancashire Root took eight wickets for 25. r'or Lancashire M’Donald took five for 23. Lancashire won.

For Leicester against Essex Armstrong took four wickets for 21 and Astill six for 46. Leicester won. For Gloucester against Glamorgan Mills took five wickets for 74. and Parker five for 66. Gloucester won. For Derby against Northants Lee took five ”iekcts» for 41. and Townsend five for 42. Derby won. July 29. Sussex: First innings. 242—Bowley 79, Cook 66. Allom, five for 65. Second. 349 for eight wickets (declared). Bowlev 69. Tate 54, Cook 92. Surrey : First innings, 242—Shepherd not out 126. Second innings 194 for eight wickets. The match is undecided, as the first innings was a tie. For Warwick against Middlesex, Howell took six for 61 ; for Middlesex. Haig took six for 74. Warwick won.

For Worcester against Notts, Tarbox made 109. Root took six for 66. For Notts, Barratt took eight for 53. Worcester won.

For Glamorgan against Somerset, Moren- took six for 25. For Somerset, Hunt took six for 34. Glamorgan won. For Northants against Yorkshire uimp took seven for 21. For Yorkshire, Afacaulav took five for 34. Yorkshire won. Rain interfered with all the matches.

DOMINION AND COMMONWEALTH. INTERCHANGE OF VISITS.SYDNEY, July 27. The Daily Telegraph, commenting on South Australia’s refusal to send a cricket team to Zealand, says: ‘’These tours from one State should be barred, as it is unquestionably a matter for the Board of Control to arrange. The sooner something concrete is done regarding the interchange of visits with the Dominion the better it will be for the game in both places, for if Australia can build up cricket in New Zealand it will be repaid a hundredfold within the next 10 years.” NEW SOUTH WALES SEASON. DECREASE IN REVENUE. SYDNEY, July 26. At a meeting of the New South Wales Cricket Association it was announced that last year’s surplus revenue was £1315, a decrease of £6OO, compared with the previous year. Chapman denies that he has influenza. He says his brewery firm is doing business at the Oval, so he is able to combine business and play.