SECOND TEST

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 3, 25 March 1927, Page 9

SECOND TEST

LOWRY WINS TOSS NEW ZEALAND BATTING BLUNT OPENS WELL Press Association WELLINGTON, To-day. The second test match, New Zealand v. Melbourne, was commenced this morning in perfect weather. • The New Zealand team is as follows: —J. E. Mills, C. C. Dacre, T. H. Lowry (captain), C. Dempster, H. M. McGirr, M. L. Page, W. Cunningham, C. Oliver, W. E. Merritt, R. C. Blunt, M. Henderson, K. C. James (twelfth man). Dakin and Jewell stood out of the visitors’ team, and James stood down in the New Zealand side. Lowry won the toss, and sent Blunt and Mills in to open. Ebeling bowled with the wind, three coming oft the first over. Ransford bowled from the other end, a single to Mills being the only product. In Ebeling’s next over, Blunt glanced one nicely to leg for two, and followed with a single. The next ball saw Mills clean bowled.— 7—l—2. Page filled the vacancy, and saw Blunt hit Ransford for the first boundary of the match. Page opened with confidence and drove Ransford strongly for two. Blunt also sent Ebeling to the fence, this shot bringing 20 up. His next stroke went to the same place. Blunt also hit Ransford for four, this bringing his score past 20. An or drive for four orf Ransford roused applause. Forty appeared with a beautiful drive by Blunt off Ebeling. Blunt was now 30, scored in 25 minutes, and Rogerson bowled in place of Ransford. Runs continued to come steadily Blunt was scoring with great freedom. He brought 50 up, and liis o\. score to 40, with a couple of delip.h ful boundary shots. Page was - in double figures. At 58 VW. .. Armstrong replaced Ebeling, and his first was a maiden, Page failing to get him away. In Rogerson’s next over Page was clean bowled. 59—2—11. Dacre filled the vacancy, but failed to stay, being clean bowled by Rogerson before he had scored. 59—3 —0. Dempster followed, and soon after Blunt reached 50. SCORES. NEW ZEALAND. First Innings. Blunt, not out 83 Mills, b Ebeling 2 Page, b Rogerson n Dacre, b Rogerson o Dempster, not out 4S Extras i 2 Total for 3 wickets .. 146