CRICKET.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXIII, 19 March 1927, Page 11

CRICKET.

THE FIRST TEST

EAST BOWLERS BEAT NEW ZEALANDERS.

By Telegraph-—Press Association,

CHRISTCHURCH, March 18. Beautiful weather prevailed for .the opening day of the first test match between the Melbourne Cricket Club team and a New Zealand eleven. A warm sun was pleasantly tempered by a brisk easterly. The wicket looked a perfect one, and the play confirmed the impression previously formed, namely, that New Zealand batsmen cannot play fast bowling. Blunt and Page were the only oues on the side to play Eliding with any confidence. Most of the others knew very littlo about hinj, and the later batsmen lookI ed as though any ball might be their I last. The total of 190 .was very disappointing after the good start made by Blunt and Page. Their partnership appeared to have taken some sting out ot the bowling, ■ and the natural | outcome should have been a respectable i total. libeling was the outstanding figure, in the visitors’ out-cricket, and ; be more than confirmed the impression, | that the match with Canterbury had {left —that lie is a very fine fast bowler. Ho has a tiling delivery, but his skipper nursed him carefully by spelling him before he had been on too long. The result was that he kept up his pace throughout. Ho rarely sent down a bad length ball, and the be§t compliment that can be paid him is to say that not a batsman on the side played him with absolute confidence. Dacre won the toss, and the Tie- ||| !f|| on to field bMIj l!r " ■ ;|i , If Jiff. jtljjY New IZoalanft lllllllljr fcW ([lit

the south end) and Hansford wero the bowlers, and Blunt got a single off the former’s first over. Each bowled a maiden, and then Wood supplanted Ransford to enable the bowlers to change. Blunt cut the former’s first bail sweetly for <l. A full toss from Ransford was a gift qf 4 to the lefthander, and 10 went, up. Blunt reached double figures With a nice 3 to leg off the, fast bowler, and the latter beat everything with a fast one that went for 4 byes. After a succession of singles, Blunt got Ebeling to square leg for 3, and Mills with a pair w'ent into double figures; and sent 30 up. The batsmen wero very restrained, and neither of them seemed very happy to Ebeling’s fast deliveries. A dissolution came from Hansford’s end, Mills being caught in the slips. 33—1 11. Page followed, and Wood bowled in place of Ebeling. Page cut him sweetly for 4. T. Armstrong replaced Ransford, and Page hit him to the square leg boundary. Blunt, with a beautiful 4 to the leg boundary, sent 50 up for 70 minutes’ play. Blunt passed the 30 mark with a late cut to the fence — 70 up. Blunt reached 40, and sent 80 up within, powerful on drive to the fence, and Paco went to 30 with 4 to fine leg. Ehelin.g replaced Wood, and at once steadied the scoring, while at the south end Warwick Armstrong relieved his brother. He bowled a wide and a very short one, which Blunt pulled on the boundary. The next ball no lifted over Ebeling’s head at midon, but the fieldsman tyurned, and brought off a clever catch. 97—2—47. James was next, and singles brought up 100 for 90 minutes’ play. James livened tilings up by running smart singles, and at 110 the tea adjournment was taken.

On resuming, W. Armstrong and Ebeling were still the bowlers, and 6 came off the latter’s first over. Pago reached 50 with a sniartly-run pair, and off drove Armstrong beautifully for 4. In Eboling’s next over James lifted one to Wood at cover. 1333 — &

Oliver followed, and after some singles Page cut Armstrong prettily for 4. After some more singles Oliver played Ebeling on, but the batsman knew nothing about it. 145—4—4. Alloo joined Page, but oiilv two singles bad, been added when Hendry at slip snapped up a late cut from Page. 147—5—67. Dacre was next, but almost at once lost Alloo, who stenprd two nnparently straight ones with his pad, to the second, being adjudged l.b.w. 147 —6

Galliolian joined his skipper, and the latter got a five, four being overthrows. At 155, Pie" I '] snellerl Ebeling. and in bis first over GalHebnn was caught at the wieket. 155—7—2. Read followed, arid after scoring eight tried to lift a leg break, and was bowled. 188—8—8.

Cunningham was next, and Ebeling replaced Wood. After Cunningham had scored a single, the next ball knocked Poore's off stump out of the gr""nrl. 190 —9—3.

Merritt went in and out, the first be" shifting his leg stump. The innings had lasted 3J hours.

With onlv eight minutes to play, Onyons and Jewell onnuod Melbourne’s innings. Road howloff nr( over from the south. Horn, which Onyons scored n two. and then .an apnea! against fha fight bv the batsmen was upheld by the umpires. Scores:

NEW ZEALAND. First J linings. R. C. Blunt, e Ebeling, .* W. Armstrong 47 J. C. Mills, c W. Armstrong, b Ransford H M. L. Page, c Henry, b W. Armstrong 67 K. C. James, e Wood, b Ebeling 8 C. Oliver, b Ebeling ... 4 A. W. Alloo, Ibw, b Ebeling !" 1 0. C. Macro, b Ebeling 31 N. Galliclian, c Jewell, b Wood ... 2 R. J. Read, bW. Armstrong ... S W. Cunningham, not out 2 W. E. Merritt, b Ebeling ... ' n Extras T.. ... ... 8 Total . 190 Bowling.—H. I. Ebeling 31 runs, 5 wickets; V. S. Ransford 12 runs, 1 wicket; W. Armstrong 60 runs, 3 wickets; Wood 48 runs, 1 wicket. MELBOURNE. First Innings. B. A. Onyons, not out 2 R. Jewell, not out "... .... ; o Total for no wickets 2 Timaru juniors (at Anzac Square)— Jones, Morrison, Henderson, Glass, Edmiston, Sneddon, Scott, Robinson, McGovern, Leopold, Brown, Kennedy. Star seniors (at Park at 2 p.m.)'— McKmglit (2), Burns, Lewis, Johnson, Brooks, Stevenson, Cutlibertson, McCullough, Holden, Moore. Celtic Third Grade (v. Fairview, at Anzac, at 1.45). E Laws, T. Mullaly, R. Mason, H. Quinn, J. Dclury, T. Quinn, L. Fountaine, G. Cox, J. O’Brien, G. Kelly, f T>. Kent. South End Juniors (v. Fairview, at Fairview, at 2 p.m.) will he selected from the following:—Wall, Bowev, Barbour, Styles, Hughes (2), Reddick, Cowles. Gillespie, Newman (21, Barker. Old Boys juniors (v. Timaru, Anzac Square 2 p.m.)—H. Button, J. Ellis, A. Miller, J. Flanagan, C. Miller, L. Ashton, S. Lancaster, Armstrong, W. Wakefield, Hayliurst, T. Speedily, A. Boss. a Celtic (v. Star, at Park, at 2 p.m.)— Angland, Annear, Austin, Dickel, Fitzgerald, Gibson, Harding, Houlihan, Kane, Roper, and Sullivan.