THE FIRST TEST.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXIII, 21 March 1927, Page 4

THE FIRST TEST.

MELBOURNE CLUB’S BIG SCORE. MERRITT MAKES GOOD. By Telegraph— Press Association. CHRISTCHURCH, March 19. The performance of the colt W. E. Merritt was the outstanding feature of New Zealand’s outcricket in the test match with the Melbourne team to-day. Merritt finished with a record of seven wickets for 88 runs, a remarkable performance on a brilliant table wicket against seasoned batsmen. Two of his victims were out 1.b.w.; two were stumped; two were caught, and one was clean howled. He was the only bowler who ever looked really dangerous. He varied his length, flight, speed and spin, showing remarkable versatility, and he showed often that he was not averse to being hit. Indeed, many of Iris deliveries were sent down with the apparent object of tempting batsmen to come out of the crease to get over the break and hit for the boundary. He did not exploit the googly to any extent, though he sent down a few which were really good. One to Ebeling completely surprised and heat (he batsman. His useful ball was, the orthodox leg break or the ball coming straight through with an overspin, the ball which a wellknown Australian cricketer named the “straight leg-break.’’ The only other bowlers who looked like getting wickets, and who actually got wickets, were Cunningham and Read. Cunningham's fastish deliveries fizzed off the pitch, but his I length was never very good, and many halls which beat the batsmen also missed the stumps. Read bowled his regular, steady, straight., good length stuff, never very dangerous, but sometimes good enough to keep the batsmen quiet. Alloo had no merit as a howler. Blunt was expensive, and Gallichan, a left-hander, was always easy. The New Zealand fielding was patchy. Kor long spells the picking up and returns were really smart, and then two or three faults, always costing runs, would occur. The mistake of the day was in keeping Merritt off for so long, and treating him as a change bowler. He had a record of one wicket for 36 when taken . off quite early In the innings, and he was not given another turn until the 1 score was over three hundred. ■ Runs came slowly at first, the 3 batsmen digging in and refusing risks. Cunningham and Read were l the first bowlers. Cunningham was jj relieved after five overs, having [ scarcely found a length, and Gallichan, a medium left-hander, came S on. Cunningham replaced Read ! three overs later. After one hour’s i play Merritt came on. Onyons used I his fine foot play to advantage I against Merritt’s leg breaks. He gave I an easy chance to Oliver at cover off | Merritt, which the fieldsman held, | and the first partnership of the day, | which had yielded 90,.was dissolved. I 90—1—47. | Hendry stopped Merritt’s flffet ball, | a “wrong ’un,” with his pads. Al- | though Jewell was by no means at 1 ease facing Merritt, he was occasion--9 ally hitting him, and the colt was re--1 lieved by Alloo at 120. Jewell felt 9 forward for an outswinger from a Read, which took his off stump. 1 120 —2—50. " Ransford began quietly, but he 3 faced all the bowlers confidently. At I luncheon the score, was 138 for two I wickets (Hendry in 24, Ransford in I 7). | Cunningham and Read had charge | of the attack on resuming, and B brisk running between the wickets I kept the fieldsmen on their toes. | Hendry, after having played a de--8 lightful innings, chopped one from 8 Cunningham on to his wicket. 18 4 8 —3—sl. I Sandford joined Ransford,' and I then began the biggest partnership 9 of the innings. Blunt was tried after I the batsmen had well begun, but the | only result was a marked accelera- | tion'in the scoring rate. His seven B overs cost 40 runs. Gallichan had I a turn at the other end and fared 1 little better. Read, who was next | tried, steadied the scoring, and Cuni ningham took the ball from Blunt. 1 Alloo was tried in place of Read, and a then the crowd cheered as Merritt was seen coming on at the other end. B The cheers evidently upset the boyj because.his first halls were of erratic ■ length. Ransford, however, met his | fate by jumping out to swipe the g fifth ball of the over, James whipI ping the bails off when the batsman was well'out. of his crease. It was the second big partnership Merritt had broken, and it had produced 134 funs. T. Armstrong attacked Merritt resolutely, and Sandford, in trying to do the same, was cleaned bowled by a beauty. 331—5—67. Merritt had taken two wickets in I two overs. I Johnston, the next man, went out l to drive Merritt to the fence, and was stumped two yards out of his crease. 331?—-6—o. Merritt had now taken in his second turn three wickets for eleven runs, his total being 4 for 47. Rogerson failed to discern a “straight” leg break, and was out. Merritt had now five for 54. Wood narrowly escaped being stumped off the first ball from the colt, but thereafter he attacked the bowling, scoring two fours and a six the over costing nineteen runs. Merritt was then relieved by Cunningham, who got- his second wicket

| when Wood chopped a fast one on to I the wicket. 373—8—14. | Ebeling seemed steady, and T. j Armstrong was going well with 50 9 on, when Merritt came on again. At 408 Merritt sent Armstrong to the pavilion 1.b.w., and Warwick Armstrong came in. The innings was over at 5.20, when Ebeling put one from Merritt into the hands of Gallichan at deep mid-off. The effort had produced 400. Blunt and-Mills opened New Zealand’s second strike. The first over from Ebeling yielded twelve, an encouraging beginning, Blunt taking eleven of them. Two of his shots, clever flicks to leg boundary, were very smartly and, gracefully made. Two overs later the batsmen appealed against the’ light, and the appeal was sustained. New Zealand had / scored 17 without loss. , Scores: —- MELBOURNE. I First Innings. 1 Onyons, c Oliver, b Mei'rltt 47 Jewell, b Read 50 3 Hendry, b Cunningham . . . . 51 | Hansford, Std James, b Merritt 89 p .Sandford, b Merritt . . . . 6 7 T. Armstrong, 1.b.w., b Merritt -61 Johnston, std James, b . Merritt 0 Rodgerson, 1.b.w., b Merritt .. 2 • Wood, b Cunningham . . . . 14 Ebeling, c Gallichan, b Merritt 10 W- W. Armstrong, not out .. 1 Extras .. ~ 17 Total 409 Bowling.—R. .1. Read 28 overs, 6 maidens,' 107 funs, 1 wicket; W. Chnhlngham, 20—1—78—2; N. H. Gallichan 91 —40—0; W. E. Merritt 11—0—88—7; A. W. Alloo 6 0—37—0; R. C. Blunt .7—o—4o—o.

NEW ZEALAND. First innings 190 Second Innings. Blunt, not out 11 Mills, not out .. 5 Extras . . .1 1 Total for no Wickets .; 17