TEST CRICKET

Southland Times, Issue 20447, 27 March 1928, Page 6

TEST CRICKET

AUSTRALIANS DECLARE WOODFULL SECURES 284 NEW ZEALAND LOSES SIX FOB 207 (Per United Press Association.) Auckland, March 26. The first cricket test between Australia and New Zealand was continued at Eden Park to-day. The visitors batted until the luncheon adjournment and declared the innings closed with five wickets down for 573. New Zealand lost six wickets for 207 when stumps were drawn. Conditions were even better than those prevailing on Saturday. The wicket, although worn, played very true, but an occasional ball kept low. VYoodfull was fortunate in being dropped off the second ball of the day and Schneider had a couple of lives, all the chances being at the expense of Read. Richardson made his runs by some powerful drives and toward the end of the innings the Australian captain was hitting out. Grimmett bowled with great command and length and bowled 32 consecutive overs for three wickets and 84 runs. McNamee was also fine. He sent down eleven overs for 15 runs and three wickets. Read opened the attack this morning and was unlucky when Woodfull snicked the second ball to Finlayson at second slip, the fieldsman dropping the catch. Badcock bowled at the other end. Read’s luck was still running against him. A couple of overs later Schneider gave a catch to Lowry behind the wickets. In the next over Schneider Lad a let-off in the slips, Foley failing to hold a chance off Read. This made the fourth catch missed off the bowler. Schneider was scoring more quickly than Woodfull, and after adding 18 to his overnight total, was nicely caught by Lowry off Badcock, 448—3—68. When Richardson went to the crease Merritt replaced Read. The Australian captain gave a very difficult catch to Merritt on the leg side off Badcock. The fieldsman, jumping in the air, just stopped the ball with his left hand. Badcock was bowling steadily and keeping the runs down. Woodfull was adding runs by his usual wellplaced shots and at 466 McGirr took over from Merritt. Woodfull had scored another thirty runs after 40 minutes’ play. Powerful driving by Richardson soon carried him into the twenties. He then lost Woodfull. who went out to drive McGirr and was clean bowled, 490 —4 —284. The retiring batsman was given a roaring reception for his fine innings, which occupied five hours 45 minutes. Jackson commenced with some pretty shots and 500 went up. Five minutes later Richardson survived an appeal for l.b.w. in McGirr's next over. Finlayson then relieved Badcock. One hundred more runs were added in just over an hour. Richardson, still driving with great power, reached the forties, but Jackson was quieter than his partner. Merritt came on again in place of McGirr, with the total at 526. A couple of boundaries to the Australian captain took his score to 50, after he had been in for 65 minutes. Some smartly-run singles sent 20 up to Jackson. Merritt was bowling well and Richardson, in jumping out to him, skied the ball just out of reach of thre" fieldsmen. Richardson was now taking risks and another mishit fell safely. Merritt secured his first victim by dismissing Jackson (351, caught and bowled, and the luncheon adjournment was taken, the board reading 573 for five wickets, Richardson 65. Richardson declared the innings closed and after the adjournment Dempster and Mills opened New Zealand’s innings to the bowling of Morton and McNamee. Dempster ran into double figures quickly and with the total at 22, Grimmett relieved . McNamee and four runs later Morton was replaced by Blackie. The scoring quietened for a time but Dempster reached twenty with nicely placed shots while Milk was displacing very solid defence. Mills at nine went right out to Grimmett but Oldfield missed a stumping chance. The good attack with a well placed field slackened the scoring rate. Boundaries to both batsmen sent 50 up in as many minutes, Dempster reaching the thirties while Mills ran into the twenties. Shortly afterwards, Dempster gained applause by hitting Grimmett twice to the boundary in one over. Mills did likewise to Blackie much to the delight of the spectators. The New Zealand pair were both batting with great confidence, -80 going after an hour and a-quarter. Then Dempster in attempting to score to leg off Grimmett put across too far and was bowled round his legs, 88—1—44. Hamilton opened cautiously and 100 went up after an hour and a-half’s play. A wild return by Jackson notched five to Mills who was now 40. Hamilton was cheered for hitting Blackie for the first six of the match. He almost succeeded in repeating the performance the same over and 20 went against his name. Mills reached 50 just before the tea adjournment while Hamilton, batting nicely, was in the thirties. the board reading 142 for one wicket (Mills 55, Hamilton-33). Morton and Grimmett bowled on resuming and the slow bowler secured a lucky wicket bv bowling Mills off his pads, 145 —2—sB. However, Grimmett bowled Badcock with a beautiful length ball before the Englishman had scored, 145—3—0. Grimmett had taken three tvickets for 59 runs. The loss of two wickets steadied Hamilton’s scoring and Lowry commenced to play himself in. At 161, McNamee relieved Morton. Lowry was shaping confidently but lost Hamilton after the pair had added 32, McNamee clean bowling the batsmen, 177—4—40. The same bowler disposed of Lowry five runs later, Oldfield making no mistake with a catch behind the wickets, 182—5—18. Gallichan after scoring one was dropped by Grimmett off his own bowling. McNamee who had taken two wickets for 13 runs was relieved by Blackie when the board read 186. With Foley and Gallichan together, the scoring rate slackened considerably and 200 went up after the innings had occupied 3 hours 5 minutes. McNamee again came back in place of Blackie and dismissed Gallichan l.b.w. in his first over. 204 —6—ll. Stumps were then drawn for the day. The scores were:— AUSTRALIA. —First Innings.— W. H. Ponsford, c Lowry, b Finlayson 86 W. M. Woodfull, b McGirr 284 A. F. Kippax. c Lowry, b McGirr .. 16 K. J. Schneider, c Lowry, b Badcock 68 V. Y. Richardson, not out 65 A. Jackson, c and b Merritt 35 Extras 19 Total (for five wickets) declared 573 Bowling Analysis.—Badcock took one wicket for 121 runs; McGirr two for 88; Merritt one for 121; Read none for 102; Finlayson one for 92; Mills none for six; Dempster none for 24. NEW ZEALAND. —First Innings.— C. S. Dempster, b Grimmett 44 J. E. Mills, b Grimmett 58 J. M. Hamilton, b McNamee 40 F. T. Badcock, b Grimmett 0 T. C. Lowry, c Oldfield, b McNamee .. 18 H. Foley, not out 10 N. Galljchan, 1.b.w., b McNamee .... 11 Extras 26 Total (for six wickets I 207 Bowling Analysis.—McNamee took three wickets for 15 runs; Grimmett three for 84; Blackie none for 58; Morton none for 24.