CRICKET TOUR

Southland Times, Issue 20202, 13 June 1927, Page 7

CRICKET TOUR

NEW ZEALAND TEAM MATCH WITH NORTHAMPTONSHIRE BLUNT TAKES 7 FOR 109 (By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.) 5.5 p.m.) London, June 11. I'he New Zealand cricketers began a match at Kettering to-day against Northamptonshire. The county men went in first and were disposed of for 237 and when stumps were drawn at the close of play the New Zealanders had lost 3 for 86. Rain overnight had softened the wicket and when play started, runs were difficult to get. Woolley and Wills opened slowly against the bowling of McGirr and Allcott but they knocked up 50 in as many minutes. Blunt went on after lunch and off his first ball got Bellamy caught in the slips. Jupp sent the next one to the ropes and was missed in the same over, after which he hit Allcott for two fours. Prior to this Jupp had treated the bowler with respect. Later he put up a ball which enabled Allcott to bring off a well judged running catch. Wills did not give a chance during the 225 minutes he batted for his 68 which included eight fours. It is his highest score in first class cricket. Timms hit two sixes and seven fours and was twice missed but he fell to a remarkable one handed catch by Oliver on the leg boundary where the fieldsman stumbled and fell but retained his hold of the ball. Blunt and Mills put on 50 for New Zealand’s first wicket. The former completed his half century (out of the 81 then scored), in 70 minutes. The following are the scores:— NORTHAMPTONSHIRE. —First Innings.— Woolley c James b Blunt 24 Wills b Allcott 68 Bellamy c Page b Blunt 14 Jupp c Allcott b Blunt 31 Walden c Lowry b Allcott 2 Timms c Oliver b Blunt 55 Towell c James b Blunt 0 Pennington b Blunt 0 Wright c Page b Blunt 9 Matthews c James b Merritt ...... 28 Thomas not out 4 Extras 2 Total 237 Bowling:—McGirr 0 for 13; Allcott 2 for 46; Page 0 for 13; Oliver 0 for 9; Blunt 7 for 109; Bernau 0 for 9; Merritt 1 for 36. NEW ZEALAND. —First Innings.— Mills b Jupp 18 Blunt l.b.w. b Jupp 50 Lowry b Towell 12 Page not out 4 James not out 0 Extras 2 Total, for three wickets 86 —A. and N.Z. WORCESTER DEFEATED A GOOD PERFORMANCE. London, June 10. The New Zealanders’ defeat of Worcestershire is considered an excellent performance. They played like a team which considered itself the better side and never allowed momentary discomforts to upset that belief. Fox played cautiously and again came out with the top score for the county, making 79—precisely the same number as in the first innings. Tarbox batted spiritedly, and this pair put on a bold front for a time and redeemed the innings from insignificance. But for them the game would have been over before lunch. Lowry’s policy plainly was to entice the batsmen to get themselves out. He appeared to have told Merritt to persevere in pitching the ball up and kept him on for an hour and three-quarters, though he had failed to get a wicket. The youngster puzzled King immensely, but both Fox and Tarbox were comparatively comfortable. King was run out very unluckily. He drove Merritt hard and the ball hit the stumps. The batsman did not see where it went to and started off without looking. Once, however, Fox and Tarbox were separated, McGirr and Merritt, who was brought on again just before lunch, rapidly finished off the innings. James, who kept wickets excellently throughout, caught Fox magnificently on the leg side, and in the end the county was beaten by 194 runs. The wicket played beautifully. The local bowling club used the outfield each evening for their pastime after stumps were drawn. The following were the scores:— NEW ZEALAND. First innings 276 Second innings 349 WORCESTERSHIRE. First innings' 222 —Second Innings.— Wright, st. James, b Merritt 2 Gibbons, 1.b.w., b Merritt 17 Fox, c James, b McGirr 79 King, run out 28 Tarbox, c James, b McGirr 35 Spencer, b McGirr 2 Shakespeare, b McGirr 5 Coventry, c Henderson, b Allcott .... 16 Faster, not out 7 Garratt, c Mills, b Merritt 1 Price, c Allcott, b Merritt 0 Extras 17 Total 209 Bowling.—McGirr, four wickets for 62 runs; Henderson, none for 20; Merritt, four for 75; Lowry, none for 13; Allcott, one for 9; Bernau, none for 13.—A. and N.Z. ABSENCE OF LEADING BOWLERS. NEW ZEALAND CRITICISM NOT JUSTIFIED. (Per United Press Association.) Christchurch, June 11. “I think we can quite safely leave the team in the hands of the English authorities,” said Mr D. Reese, Chairman of the Management Committee of the New Zealand Cricket Council, when asked if he cared to pass any comments on the telegraphed remarks of Mr S. Brice, one of the selectors of the team, in reference to the absence of some of the prominent players from the county sides. “The Englishmen are only doing now what the Australians have done to New Zealand over a long term of years,” continued Mr Reese. “I feel quite certain the play of the New Zealanders to date has in itself sufficiently demonstrated at any rate to Sussex and Worcestershire the mistake of leaving out their crack bowlers. There is plenty of cricket ahead of the present team to enable them to force the leading counties to play something like their best sides. One must also remember the English Counties’ point of view that they all have big seasons, and even counties like Yorkshire and Lancashire and others frequently rest their star bowlers against the weaker counties. It would be savouring like nothing short of presumption on New Zealand’s part to make any definite request to the English Counties on this matter.”—A. and N.Z. AUSTRALIA v. NORTH MALAYA. (Rec. 11 p.m.) Singapore, June 12. In the match Australia against North Malaya, Australia has lost seven for 346 (Bardsley 59, Macartfley 61, Oldfield 76, Sullivan 53). Stumps were drawn.—A. and N.Z,