USEFUL MEMBERS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19364, 30 June 1937, Page 9

USEFUL MEMBERS

YOUNGER CRICKETERS BATTING PERFORMANCES N.Z. TEAM IN ENGLAND CARSON’S LUCK NOT OF THE BEST (From a special correspondent with the team.—By air mail.) LONDON,. June 14. Martin Donnelly, Taranaki’s pride, did not take long to justify his inclusion in the New Zealand cricket team now touring England, and he emphasised the correctness of the selector’s choice with a fine innings of GO not out at Derby. The London Daily Telegraph, after commenting that he treated the bowling almost with contempt when others in the team were struggling against it, said that he seemed certain to be the first of the tourists to reach a century, but other wickets fell too quickly. The New Plymouth High School colt went in when five wickets had fallen for 106 runs in the second innings to deadly bowling by T. B. Mitchell, slow leg breaks and googlics, and W. Copson, fast-medium swingers. Donnelly went right back on to his stumps to anything the least short from either bowler and pulled it with great power. In successive overs he hit fours off two successive balls and he hit three fours from one over of the slow bowler.

A Brilliant Feat When Copson began to pitch short in the hope of securing a snick catch behind the wickets the batsman stepped right in front of the ball and hooked it round behind square leg wun the speed of a bullet, a feat requiring not only courage but also a very keen eye, for no bowler in England makes the ball leave the pitch faster, than docs Bill Copson.

Donnelly is also proving a useful relief in the slow left-hand bowling work to H. G. Vivian and N. If. Gallichan. He has changed his howling . action and now runs up to the wicket i in the usual way, instead of just walk- ! ing, as he always did in New Zealand. His bowling has the merit of being well controlled but apenrs to lack nip on a good wicket. However, he is a handy change bowler and he can at least bowl accurately enough to keep runs down. When Vivian strained himself at Derby, Donnelly took over ; the hall and the batsmen could score [only two runs an over from hirn,^

while lie captured one wicket for 15 runs. Carson’s Performances. W. N. Carson, the first old boy o£ the Gisborne High School to represent New Zealand at cricket, also played useful innings at Derby and Worcester. He is a better bat than his fellow left-hander, for he has a wider range of strokes, but he has not been blessed on this tour with the best of luck. His hajf-century at Northampton put him back among the runs and he scored 11 and 20 at Derby. The merit of these scores was that they were made when others were failing against very good bowling. In the first innings Carson again suffered a bad stroke front fortune, for he was the victim of the doubtful l.b.w. decision and in the second he glided a fast ball only to find that the wicket-keeper had moved across very quickly and made a catch out of a stroke that might easily have gone for four. At Worcester his score of 57 was made without a mistake, after live good batsmen had been dismissed for only 54 runs. There again lie was a trifle unfortunate as the lunch interval interrupted his innings and he was bowled before he could settle down again in the afternoon. A Success of the Side W. A. Hadlee covered himself with glory at Worcester, especially in the first innings, when he made 58 out of 154. He has the imperturable temperament required for holding professional bowlers at bay, and has been one of the successes of the side. The feature of the tour, in fact, lias been the batting of the younger members, including M. W. Wallace. Of the older brigade only D. A. R. Moloney was consistently among the runs in the first two months. M. L. Page, G. L. Weir and J. R. Lnmason had no luck at all in the first eight or nine games and even ,J. L. Kerr was inconsistent. is. \v. Tindill is proving a most useful member of the side, making handy scores «aiul keeping wickets well. It is probably true that he is not so brilliant with the gloves as C. K. Jackman, of Canterbury, or D. M. Diinnel, of Southland, but he is very consistent and was probably the best choice that could have been made in New Zealand. Whenever he has to he rested the gloves are taken by T. C. I.owrv. Long absence from the game has not slackened bis alertness when a stumping chance Oder.;. lie is, in fact, probably a heller slumper off the faster bowling than the regular wicket keeper. lisccllciil Team Ulan ,T. A. Dunning is an excellent team man, through his ability to bowl the type of ball the wicket demands. Sometimes be bowls swingers and at others oIT-spinncrs, and sometimes he even mixes the t wo kinds in the one jover. Like J. C'oWie and A. W. Rob-

crls he is a great worker. No day is too long for these three bowlers. Roberts bowled 40 overs in one day at Worcester. Anyone who has bowled 20 in an afternoon in a club match knows what hard work il is. but Roberts was bowling as well at the finish as at the start at. Worcester.