A RECORD PARTNERSHIP

Taranaki Daily News, 25 January 1930, Page 11

A RECORD PARTNERSHIP

FIRST WICKET TOTAL OF] 27'6 BRILLIANT BATTING IN TEST DEMPSTER AND MILLS CENTURIES At Wellington yesterday two New Zealand cricketers established a record score for the first wicket in a test match played in this .country. Opening New Zealand’s innings against the English touring team, C. S. Dempster and J. E. Mills remained together until the total reached 276. Mills was the first to go, having scored 117 runs, and Dempster was dismissed when he had made 136. The third wicket fell cheaply, but during the last hour of the day’s play M. L. Page and R. 0. Blunt Carried the total to 339 for three wickets. The report indicates that fortune favoured the New Zealanders, the fielding of the Englishmen falling short of their usual high standard, but it is evident that the batting was bright and enterprising and the rate of scoring was more than creditable. The performance of the New Zealanders was very different from their disappointing .display in the first Test at Christchurch. The match will be resumed to-day and both the fortunate spectators and enthusiasts at a distance will watch its progress with the keenest interest.

. By Telegraph.—Press Association Wellington, Last Night. Weather conditions were ideal, with brilliant sunshine and a light northerly breeze, for ;the second Cricket Test be-] tween New Zealand and /M.C.C. The wicket looked a picture, and there was joy in the New Zealand camp when Lowry beat •Gilligan for the coin and had no hesitation in Taking first strike, Bowley came into the English team for the first time on the New Zealand tour, •Turnbull and Benson standing down and Earle, acting as twelfth man. Punctually at 11.30 a.m. Gilligan led the .M.C.C. team on to the field, -and • they were promptly followed by the New Zealand opening batsmen, Dempster and Mills.l Nichols bowled with the northerly breeze behind him, and was making them fly. The last ball of .the opening ov.er rose and struck Dempster on the head, the bat flying out of his hands and the ball cannoning off the, batsman’s-cranium for a bye. Allom, the Surrey amateur, who had played such 1 havoc in the first Test, bowled against the breeze. Mills was applauded for -turning one from Nichols prettily to the square leg boundary. After sending down one over Allom was replaced by Barratt, the burly Notts professional. Both batsmen were shaping well, and 20 came'up-in a quarter of. an hour. Dempster was shaping well •and reached 20 with a late cut off Nichols, -the bat again flying out of his hands as he made the stroke. He then turned the Essex professional neatly to the pickets at long leg. This 'brought--30 tip -in as many minutes. With the score at 38 Allom relieved Nichols, whose six overs had cost 21 runs. .After having been at the wickets for 55 minutes Mills ran into double figures by turning Allom prettily to the track at long leg. The Auckland left-hander hit the next delivery to the ropes at square leg, bringing 50 in sight. Dempster brought 60 up with a neat leg glide for four off Allom. Mills warmed up and hit Allom again to the ropes at square' leg, reaching the twenties, and set the applause going by flashing the next delivery, past cover to the pickets. PAIR-GAIN WELL. The pair were now going well. Dempster off-drove Barratt for three, reaching the forties. At 75 Nichols took the ball from Allom after he had sent down 11 overs for 17 runs. Barratt gave way to Worthington, the Derbyshire professional. Mills reached the forties by powerfully hooking a short -'one from Nichols to |he ropes at square leg, and he brought 100 up by getting the next delivery in the same direction for a couple. The hundred had .taken .88 min-, utes, and was greeted with warm applause. Mills again hooked Nichols to square leg for four, scoring a dozen off this over. At 106 Barratt relieved Nichols. The batsmen were together with 49 each, and Dempster, won the race for the half-cen-tury by placing Barratt through the slips for a couple. Play had been in progress for 96 minutes. With a single off Worthington’s next over Mills also reached his half-century, bringing another salvo of applause from the fair-sized crowd of l : spectators, who were delighted with the splendid start Dempster and Mills were making for New Zealand. The luncheon ’.adjournment was - taken at 1.15 with the . score standing at 113 for no • wickets; Dempster being 53. and Mills 51. Upon resuming at 2 o’clock Allom and Nichols took up the bowling. A square cut by Dempster off Nichols travelled fast to the ropes. The pair went on the evc3i tenor of their run-getting way, and when 134 appeared Barratt, the 18stone Notts giant, took the ball from Nichols. The luck was with the batsmen, as both flew some into the slips, ; but the chances were just beyond the reach of the fieldsmen, Dempster reached 70 with a lucky four ’through the slips off Barratt’s sixteenth over, and Mills slammed one in the same • over to the fence at long leg. At 150 Worthington took the ball from Allom, and when 65 Mills gave a sharp chance ■ to Nichols at third slip off the Derbyshire num. At 161 Gilligan brought a slow bowler on for the first time in the innings, Bowley relieving Barratt. Dempster reached ■the eighties by square-cutting the Sussex professional’s first ball for four. At ■ this stage Woolley retired, Turnbull replacing him in the field. The batsmen appreciated Bowley’s slows, 14 corning off his first two overs, including a (fine hook by Mills to the ropes. Woolley • here resumed his place on the field. 1

SLOW BOWLING APPRECIATED. • Both batsmen were now in the •eighties, and Dempster ran into the nineties at Rowley’s expense. There was a brief adjournment while the batsmen had a drink, which they had well earned. At .192 Alloin took the ball from Worthington. The crowd had by now swelled 'to about 5000, and they were all delighted with the valiant stand New Zealand was making. Applause broke out from (ill round the ground when the pair .brought 200 up in 180 minutes, Dempster being 96 and Mills 88. Nighols'.here came on again in Bo’wIcyty ran into' the uiinbjjjek

with a crisp square cut off Allom. There was a great .burst of cheering when Dempster reached .his hundred by turn-: (ing Allom to leg for a couple. He had been at the wickets for 203 minutes. This -was the signal for Barratt to .relieve Nichols. ' ■ 4 . ‘ The Englishmen were beginning to tire, and slack ground fielding gave the Batsmen a fevr singles. They also stole a few short ones. Interest now centred upon Mills ( getting his century, but Barratt and Allom were keeping a good length and runs were hard to get. At 223 Woolley had a try for the 'first time in'the innings, .taking Allom’s end. .Mills reached 99 by hitting a no-ball front Woolley to mid-on for three and raised a perfect storm of applause by reaching ■his century with a single past point off. Barratt. The graceful Aucklander had been at the wickets for 219 minutes.At the tea adjournment the score stopd •at 227, made in 224 minutes, Dempster being 106 and Mills 100. Upon resum--1 ing .at 4.25 the sun had increased in' strength. Woolley and Worthington took up the Englishmen’s heavy burden. Dempster set.the applause going when he brilliantly drove Woolley past cover to .the pickets, bringing 230 up. Gilligan lost a good chance of running Mills out when he .misfielded one at cover, but worse was to come off the next ball,'as Mills mistimed a hook off one from Worthington and spooned the easiest of catches to the English captain at mid-on. The bright sun was in Gilligan’s eyes and he completely lost sight’df the .ball, which fell softly just over his head. It was New Zealand’s day. In Woolley’s next over Mills hooked one to the fence at mid-on. The runs continued to come at a steady rate, and the 250 came up after 242 minutes’ play. A no-ball by Worthington went for four. A crisp hook by Mills off Worthington was beautifully timed and went smoking -hot to the ropes at square- leg. This brought 270 in sight, and the crowd began to speculate whether the pair, were going to pass on to the third hun-l dred.

END'OF THE PARTNERSHIP. At 5 o’clock, after the partnership had lasted for 258-minutes, the record stand came .to an end, Mills. lashing opt -at Woolley, to be clean-bowled. The Auckland left-hander had given a sterling display for his 117, which included a dozen fours. The partnership had realised 276, a record .for a Test match in New Zealand. Lowry, the New Zealand captain, joined Dempster, who was 128, and was nearly bowled by Woolley right away. Dempster drove Worthington to the sight screen and placed him down the gully for a couple. With the total at 288 Dempster, who. had been at the wickets for 274 minutes, jumped out to one from Woolley and was smartly stumped by Cornford. The Wellington man had batted very soundly for his 136, in which? only eight .fours figured. ■ He did hot time his strokes too well, but his dcj fence was of the soundest. 288 —2 —136. M. L. Page, the Canterbury captain, came next, and 290 soon appeared. Lowry I‘got a lucky two for one which spooned over Dnleepsinhji’s head in the slips. The Indian Prince recovered the ball and ran back to his place' to take a brilliant one-handed catch at slip oil the next 'ball, which disposed of the New Zealand captain. 295 —3 —6. Blunt arrived.to see Barratt take the ball from Worthington, who had sent down 20 overs for 55 runs. Page opened out and'brought 300 up after the innings had -been in progress for 288 minutes.. Page hooked one from Barratt off his ear'to the long leg boundary, and Blunt swung one from Woolley to the ropes at long leg. Blunt.got a lucky four for a snick through the slips off Barratt, ami Page reached the-twenties with a late cut off Barratt, which Worthington should have cut off. Blunt again swung Woolley to the long leg boundary, running into doubles.' Page sparkled up and quickly ran into thirties with wellplaced shots, which had plenty of wood behind them. When stumps were drawn at 6 o’clock the score stood at 339 for three wickets, Page being 33 not out and Blunt 15 not out. Woolley, Who came on as fifth change, was the pnly English bowler to meet with success. In all the tall Kent left-hander sent down 19 overs, five of which were maidens, and took three wickets for 48 runs. Barratt, Worthington, Allom and Nichols had long spells at the crease, a nd all pegged away with great heart. The English fielding was not -as good as on their opening appearance. It was not their day, as no one seemed to be in the right place when catches were flying. Even Cornford, the clever Sussex wicket-keeper, was unable to hold the leather with his customary sureness. Duleepsinhji was as smart and active as ever, and Nichols did some smart work in tlie gully close in. Details:— NEW ZEALAND. First Innings. C. S. Dempster, st. Cornford, b Woolley '........'..,.'136 J. E. Mills, b Woolley . . 117

T. C. Lowry, c Duleepsinhji, b Woolley 6 M. L. Page, not out 33 R.; C. Blunt, not out 15 I Extras 32 Total for three wickets .... 339 BOWLING ANALYSIS.

Nichols , 0. t .. 15 M. 4 R. 55 W. . o Allom ... .20 4 48 0 Barratt ... 27 3 09 0 Worthington ... 20 3 55 0 Bowley . ..... ... 5 0 32 0 Woollev ..... ... 1!) fi 48 3 Jail of the wickets.—One for 276, two for 288, three for 295. "