TEST MATCH DRAWN

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19451, 28 March 1933, Page 5

TEST MATCH DRAWN

A DRAB ENDING PLAY PREMATURELY ABANDONED By Telegraph—Press Association CHRISTCHURCH, March 27. After a disappointing, even depressing, day’s cricket, with an even more unsatisfactory ending, the test match ended in a draw very much in favour of England. The weather in the morning and until late in the afternoon was perfect, but about 3.15 heavy clouds banked in the south-west, and a wind rose, blowing in gusts of gale force and raising dense clouds of dust. It was almost impossible to distinguish the players, and it was decided to take the tea adjournment at 3.30 p.m. On resuming, the wind was worse, and newspapers in hundreds blew across the ground, with hats flying in all directions. Another adjournment was made, and as rain began to fall, with a threat of a downpour, the wicket was covered with a tarpaulin. Little rain fell, however, but as the people had practically all left the ground play was abandoned. Afterwards. in the space of a few minutes only, the wind dropped and there was beautiful clear weather. Plav could easily have been continued until nearly six o’clock. The attendance was from four to five thousand. Vivian was discharged from hospital this morning but has to walk with the aid of a stick. He did not play to-day. Page and Kerr (42) resumed New Zealand’s first innings, the total being 153 for 3 wickets. Voce and Allen were the bowlers. Runs came slowly, mostly in singles. Kerr reached 50 after he had been 129 minutes at the wickets. Page was in 22 minutes before he scored a single. Prospects of a long partnership disappeared when Kerr late cut Brown sharply into the slips, where Hammond made a smart catch. James was quite unable to play Brown’s leg breaks, and eventually was out lbw to Tate. At luncheon the score was 196. The two hundred was reached after 270 minutes play—very slow scoring. Page repeated Kerr’s mistake, cutting a ball from Allen to Voce at third man. Newman began streakily, but outstayed Smith, who was clean bowled by Tate. Freeman scored a single and then faced Voce and was bowled. Badcock, whose finger was broken late on Friday afternoon, was low on the batting list in consequence. Although his hand was painful, he batted confidently and scored 10 before Newman was bowled. Vivian’s injured leg made him unable to bat, and the innings closed at 223. Ne“’ Zealand followed on and Dempster and Whitelaw opened. All the bowlers were tried, including Hammond. but the batsmen withstood the attack, and the score was 35 for no wickets when play was abandoned.

The Play Described. Page batted at the south end, while Voce from the north completed the over interrupted by the closure on Saturday. Kerr faced Allen, who bowled his fastest straight away, with two men close in on the leg and two slips and a man in- the gully. Kerr opened soundly and placed both bowlers for singles. Voce also had two men close on the leg as well as a fine leg and mid-on. The bowlers were hammering them down accurately and it was apparent that another spell of defensive batting was of necessity. Page registered his first boundary off Brown to fine leg. Next over he off drove Verity to the boundary, reaching double figures. Verity’s off field was beautifully placed. Three more drives were well stopped. At 181 Tate replaced Brown. Off the first ball Ames whipped off the bails so quickly that the crowd thought for a second that Kerr had been bowled. Both men trundled accurately and runs were hard to find. The batsmen were performing well, and giving everything a straight bat. Play was dull, but the batsmen were playing exactly the game required. An hour’s play brought 33. Brown and Verity were given charge of the attack when five runs had been added. Brown sent down an accurate maiden to Page but Kerr hooked a short one from Verity to the leg fence reaching his half century in 117 minutes. He had hit seven fours. After batting 22 minutes Page hooked Brown dangerously near square leg and made his first run. Pillowing I that he straight drove a single off Verity. Kerr clouted a full pitcher from Verity to the square leg boundary. Tate, who was standing close in jumped out of the way. Brown took over from Verity and with his second ball had Kerr caught in the slips by Hammond, the batsman attempting a late cut. Kerr batted patiently and well for 157 minutes. 186-4-59. James joined Page and was uneasy to Tate, who quickly got him leg before. Smith began quietly and at lunch the score was five for 196. The English fielding maintained its high standard, and ninety minutes’ play this morning produced only 43. After lunch Page and Smith were quickly separated. Page was caught by Voce off a fast one from Allen. Newman, who was next, saw Smith bowled by Tate at 211. Freeman made only one, then Badcock, the last man, came in. Voce also got Newman and the innings closed at 2.40 for 223. New Zealand Follows On. New Zealand. 337 tuns behind, followed on. Dempster and Whitelaw opening in poor light. Both shaped well against Tate and Voce, and at the tea adjournment .the score was none for 24. When the score reached 35, play was interrupted owing to a gale springing up, and it was not resumed. The scores were:— KNOT AND. First Innings: H Sutcliffe, c James, b Badcock 0 E Pa enter, b Smith 0 R Hammond, b Badcock .. .. 227 R E. S. Wyatt, run out 20 D. R. Jardine. c James, b Badcock 45 L. E. G. Ames, b Vivian 103 F. R. Brown, c Weir, b Page .. 74 W. Voce, c Dempster, b Page .... 66 M. W. Tate, not out 10 Extras 15 Total for eight wickets (declared) 560 Bowling. Overs. Mdns. Runs. Wkts. Badcock .. 54 11 142 3 Smith .. 20 0 113 1 Newman ..25 6 91 o Freeman .. 20 2 78 0 Vivian .. 19 1 72 1 Weir .. 7 0 28 0 Page .... 2.3 0 21 2 Fall Qf wickets—One for none, two for four, three for 46. four for 133, five for 375, six for 424, seven for 532, eight for 560.

NEW ZEALAND. • First Innings. C. S. Dempster, c Wyatt, b Allen .. 8 P. E. Whitelaw, c Brown, b Verity 30 G. L. Weir, c Hammond, b Voce .. 66 J. L. Kerr, c Hammond, b Brown 59 M. L. Page, c Voce, b Allen .... 22 K. James, lbw, b Tate 2 D. Smith, b Tate 4 J. Newman, b Voce 5 D. L. Freeman, b Voce 1 F. T. Badcock, not out 10 H. G. Vivian, absent 0 Extras 16 Total 223 Bowling. Overs. Mdns. Runs. Wkts. Tate .. 37 16 42 2 Voce .. 17.1 3 27 3 Allen .. 20 5 46 2 Verity .. 23 7 58 1 Brown 19 9 34 1 Allen bowled tnree no bans and Brown one. Second Innings. C. S. Dempster, not out 14 P. E. Whitelaw, not out 17 Extras 4 Total for no wickets 35

TEAM FOR AUCKLAND TEST. NEW ZEALAND THIRTEEN CHOSEN By Telegraph—Press Association CHRISTCHURCH, March 27. The New Zealand team for the Second Test, which was chosen to-day, consists of the eleven who played in this Test, with the addition of J. E. Mills Auckland) and J. A. Dunning (Otago). K. Cavanagh (Otago), who was twelfth man, will not go to Auckland. Present indications, however. are that H. G. Vivian will be unable to play, and that it would be unwise to rely on F. T. Badcock with a broken finger. The players selected are:— M. L. Page (Canterbury), captain. K. C. James (Wellington). C. S. Dempster (Wellington). J. Newman (Wellington). D. L. Freeman (Wellington). J. E. Mills (Auckland). G. L. Weir (Auckland). H. G. Vivian (Auckland). P. E. Whitelaw (Auckland). J. L. Kerr (Canterbury). F. T. Badcock (Otago). D. Smith (Otago). J .A. Dunning (Otago).