CRICKET TEST

Taranaki Daily News, 1 August 1931, Page 7

CRICKET TEST

NEW ZEALAND FIGHTING FOLLOW-ON NOT AVOIDED HOPE TO COMPEL A DRAW 106 FOR THREE WICKETS i LUCK AGAINST TOURISTS By Telegraph—Press Assn. —Copyright. Rec. 1.10 a.m. London, July 31. The New Zealand cricketers are fighting desperately to avoid an innings defeat by England in the test match. In reply to England’s first innings score of 416 runs for four wickets the New Zealanders were dismissed for 193 and, following on, had reached 106 for the loss of three wickets at the luncheon adjournment.

England’s bowlers in the second day of the match yesterday enjoyed just as great a triumph as the batsmen the previous day. The match was continued in dull weather. After 50 minutes’ play England declared with 416 for four wickets.

A magnificent display of free batting by Hammond forced home the advantage of the good start. The resumption of play was delayed 10 minutes owing to rain. The wicket was still slow and lifeless.

Hammond gave a difficult chance off the first ball of the day, sending back a hard return catch from a full-toss from Allcott, which the bowler was unable to hold.

Cromb sent down one expensive over, and tlie attack was again entrusted to Vivian and Allcott. Merritt relieved Vivian after two overs, the first of which realised 14, including three fours to Hammond.

Ames was dropped by Mills in the outfield off Allcott when he was 36, but the chance was not expensive as he was caught behind' the wicket in attempting to force Vivian five runs later.

Partnered by Jardine, Hammond reached his centiy in 100 minutes. It was a magnificent display of superbly confident batting. Glorious driving and powerful hooking were the outstanding features. He hit 13 hours.

Mills and Weir opened New Zealand’s innings at 12.17 to the bowling of Tate and Brown. After six overs Verity relieved Tate. The batsmen were unflurTied and scored chiefly with singles.

TWO VALUABLE WICKETS LOST.

After a steady start two valuable wickets fell in rapid succession before lunch. Allen was somewhat unaccountably used as a third change, and immediately succeeded in dismissing Mills, who off his boot with a yorker in the last oyer before lunch. Blunt played a fine leg glance from Allen, and Ames moved across quickly to takS an excellent catch, and two wickets were down for 44.

After lunch Weir was beaten and bowled by a beautiful ball from Allen with the addition of a single. Shortly afterwards Vivian was tempted to snicking a fast rising' delivery outside the off stump and was caught behind the wicket. At this stage Allen had bowled eight overs, including four maidens, and had taken four wickets for four runs. Lowry and Page batted resolutely until the latter struck a kicking delivery from Tate, and Peebles at short leg took a fine catch. The score was 92 for five. The best partnership of the innings followed. Lowry and Kerr played the spin bowlers with every confidence. Hammond attempted to break the partnership, but Lowry hit 10 in one over. Kerr was punishing any loose balls severely. - Allen was brought back after a lengthy spell and was immediately successful. Kerr mishit in attempting a leg shot and Ames ran across to take an easy catch. LOWRY’S FIGHTING INNINGS. A fine fighting innings by Lowry ended just before tea, Jardine at backward point taking a catch close in off Brown. It was a serious loss, as Lowry was playing as if the side were in a winning position, scoring freely with powerful hooks and cover shots. His innings deserves to be ranked with the finest in his career. He batted 105 minutes and hit seven fours.

James, who went out 1.b.w., appeared to play the ball confidently with his pads. Merritt and Cromb both were out to weak shots off Verity, being caught ■by Hammond at second slip. Allen emerged with the remarkable figures of 13 overs, seven maidens, and five wickets for 14 runs. He bowled with considerable pace, and a short pitched delivery occasionally rose awkwardly. However, ho dismissed Mills, Blunt and Kerr with balls which hardly deserved their wickets.

Brown in his first test bowled steadily. Verity was rarely difficult. Tate kept an impeccable length and sent down 18 overs, nine being maidens. New Zealand commenced its second innings half an hour before stumps and against started badly, a short-pitch-ed googly from Peebles taking Weir’s bails in the last over of the day. New Zealand had a worse wicket, and a hard fight faces them to-morrow. The attendance was 12,000. . . . Play was continued this morning in dull, threatening weather and the wicket had lost most of its sting, though it still enabled the spin bowlers to turn the ball. The New Zealanders are fighting hard to avert an innings defeat. Mills and Page continued to the bowling of Tate and Allen. Thirty-live minutes after the start. Tate beat Page with a beautiful ball and wrecked the wickets. A further disaster followed. Brown relieved Tate and in his first over Mills tried to smother a ball pitched well up. It whipped in to take the off stump. Mills gave a sound exhibition of careful batting for 80 minutes. Blunt and Vivian settled down to retrieve matters. Blunt played with unsurpassed patience and Vivian revealed sound defence and did not neglect to punish any loose deliveries. The pair added 50 runs in 55 minutes. The scores are: — ENGLAND. First Innings. Sutcliffe, st. James, b Vivian 117 Bakewell, run out 40 Duleepsinhji, c Weir, b Allcott .... 109 Hammond, not out 100 Ames, c James, b Vivian 41 Jardine, not out J Extras 2 Total (for four wickets, dec.). 416 Bowling: Cromb took no wickets for 97 runs; Allcott, one for 108; Vivian, two for 96; Weir, none for 36; Merritt, none for 75; Blunt, none for 2.

NEW ZEALAND. First Innings. Mills, b Allen 27 Weir, b Allen »••••; I® Blunt, c Ames, b Allen . 2 Vivian, c Ames, b Allen 3 Page, c Pebbles, b Tate ........, .< 12 Kerr, c Ames, b Allen 34 Lowry, c Jardine, b Brown ...... 62 James, 1.b.w., b Brown 4 Cromb, c Hammond, b Verity ..., 8 Merritt, c Hammond, b Verity .... 8 Allcott, not out 5 Extras .......... ••’ 15 Total i. .i. 193 Bowling: Tate took one wicket for 15 runs; Brown, two for 52; Verity, two for 52; Peebles, none for 35: Allen, five for 14; Hammond, none for 10. Second Innings. Weir, b Peebles 6 Mills, b Brown 30 Page, b Tate 3 Blunt, not out 23 Vivian, not out 33 Extras U Total (for three wickets)' .... 100 LUCK AGAINST NEW ZEALAND. ENGLISH CRITICS’ OPINIONS. Rec. 1.15 a.m. London, July 31. While looking forward to victory with confidence, English cricketers generally admit that the luck has gone against New Zealand. Hobbs, writing in the Daily Mail, says: “England’s bowling looks too strong to expect newcomers to test cricket to bat throughout the day. If they are defeated they will not be graced. The luck was against New Zealand from the start. The wicket was dead easy for England, yet at one stage yesterday afternoon it was extremely bad. * “Hammond’s brilliant batting, Allens sensational bowling and Ames’ fine wic-ket-keeping were nothing compared with Lowry’s innings. Mere figures cannot indicate the greatness of his effort. He did not miss a single possible run and never looked like getting out. Brown is the most promising young bowler 1 have seen in years and is exactly the type needed against Australia.”

ENGLISH BATSMEN PRAISED.

NEW ZEALAND’S FINE FIELDING.

London, July 30. All the London papers are full of the highest praise for England’s.batting successes yesterday, and publish glowing tributes to Sutcliffe and Duleepsinhji. They consider that the New Zealand attack fell below expectations. Hobbs, writing in the Daily Mail, says the English team fully justified itself. Lowry seemed afraid to use his spin bowlers, Merritt and Blunt. Perhaps the wicket was not fast enough, but they were always likely to tempt the batsmen to an indiscretion. Osborn, in the Morning Post, says the New Zealanders are one of the finest fielding sides seen for many years.