CRICKET TOUR

Southland Times, Issue 20201, 11 June 1927, Page 7

CRICKET TOUR

WORCESTERSHIRE GAME NEW ZEALAND’S SPLENDID SECOND INNINGS CENTURIES TO PAGE AND LOWRY (By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.) London, June 9. Despite a good innings of 79 by Fox, Worcester’s total only reached 222. M. K. Foster did play after all, but went in very late and carried his bat for 16. Alicott bowled with good length and secured three wickets cheaply. Merritt offered the most tempting, but well-pitched slows, and secured four victims, but at higher cost. Henderson got good pace on from the pitch, but it was expensive. The ball which dismissed Coventry broke a stump and sent the bail flying an unusual distance. The fielding of the New Zealanders is sharpening up as the team becomes more accustomed to the pace of English grounds. On going in again James did not last long, but Mills gave Lowry good assistance. The New Zealand captain, who is now at the top of his form, played another fine innings, but was rather fortunate in being let off. He was missed when 41 and 52 on two successive balls in the longfield. He obtained most of his runs by daring pulls, and, with Page, put on 129 in sixty-two minutes, being finally caught by the bowler (Spencer) when 106. This century, out of a total of 188, was compiled in two hours, and included one sixer and fourteen fours. I Page went on steadily and reached his 100 in 110 minutes and 140 in 135 minutes. He drove cleanly and made many accurate-ly-timed turning shots to fine leg. There were eighteen fours in his total. The innings was declared with the score five for 349, and the County had to go in again at the end of the day with 404 to get. Merritt gave New Zealand excellent help towards victory by securing two of Worcester’s most valuable wickets at small cost. Dempster has sprained his shoulder and will not be able to play for a week. WORCESTERSHIRE. —First Innings.— King, b Merritt 18 Wright, 1.b.w., b Allcott .. ..... .. 7 Gibbons, b Allcott 19 Fox, 1.b.w., b Merritt .. .. .. .. .. 79 Spencer b Merritt 26 Tarbox run out 1 Shakespeare, c Page, b Henderson .. 1 Coventry, b Henderson 7 Foster, not out • • 16 Garrat, c Lowry, b Merritt 31 Price, st J ames, b Allcott ...... .. 4 Extras .. 9 Total .. 222 Bowling.—Merritt, four wickets for 83 runs; Allcott, three for 33; Henderson, two for 66; McGirr, none for 6; Bernau, none for 3; Page, none for 22. —Second Innings.— Wright, st James, b Merritt ........ 2 Gibbons, 1.b.w., b Merritt 17 Fox, not out 7 Extras .. ...... . 5 Total for two wickets .. .. 31 NEW ZEALAND. First Innings 276 ■ —Second Innings.— Mills, b Price .. . 34 James, 1.b.w., b Tarbox .. L ... .. 9 Lowry, c and b Spencer .. .. .. .. 106 Page, not out .. . .. 140 Dacre, b Tarbox ........ L .. 10 Allcott, b Gibbons 22 Oliver, not out 20 Extras 8 Total for five wickets (declared) 349 Bowling.—Tarbox, two wickets for 128 runs; Price, one for 65; Wright, none for 5; Gibbons, one for 68; Coventry, none for 41; Spencer, one for 34.—A. and N.Z. NEW ZEALAND’S OPPONENTS.

ABSENCE OF LEADING BOWLERS. KEEN DISAPPOINTMENT EXPRESSED. (Per United Press Association.) Wellington, June 10. Keen disappointment at the absence of leading English bowlers from county sides which have met the New Zealand cricketers on the present tour is expressed by Mr W. S. Brice, one of the selectors of the team. “One of the main objects of the tour was that our batsmen should gain experience against the best,” he remarked to-day. “What is the use of sending our players over there if they are not going to play against the best bowlers? I am very disappointed that our team has not met such bowlers as Tate and Root, and I should say the team itself is disappointed. I am sure our players would have liked to have had a go at those bowlers.” Mr Brice added that he had written to the New Zealand Cricket Council’s chairman urging that some action be taken with a view to making sure that the New Zealand cricketers will have opportunities of gaining experience against leading bowlers during the remainder of the tour. It seemed to him that there would be a certain loss of interest in the tour if counties continued to drop their leading players from teams opposing the New Zealanders. It will also probably have the effect of discounting the real merit of the performances of New Zealand batsmen. “We want counties to play their best bowlers,” he said. “It is of no use playing weaker men as there are plenty of that class in New Zealand.”

AUSTRALIA v. SOUTHERN MALAYA. Singapore, June 9. At cricket Australia made 302 for eight wickets and declared—Woodfull 64, Andrews 67 not out, Bardsley 54. Southern Malaya made 121 for six wickets.—Cougdon 55.—A. and N.Z.