CRICKET TOUR

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 90, Issue 57, 9 March 1946, Page 5

CRICKET TOUR

AUSTRALIANS BATTING AT CHRISTCHURCH BROWN GETS CENTURY (P.A.) Christchurch, March 8. rhe visiting Australian cricketeri began their match against Canterbury to-day, and at stumps had lost eight wickets lor 415 runs. In view of the strength of the visitors and the scor« they made in tiie Hist match of their tour, tiie results achieved by Canterbury were reasonably good. They may well have been considerably belter had not the Australian captain, Brown, been dropped three times in making 137, the top score. His partner in a first-wicket stand of i 44, Meulcman, was al. o dropped eariy in tiie day. As was expected, the wicket was a little soli, and the bail came through fairiy easily most of the time. The Canterbury medium-paced bowlers were able to get lhe ball to kick occasionally, particularly in the morning, when Mcßae, in a really fine spell of bowling, was on top of the batsmen for an hour.

Brown’s batting was notable chiefly for the excellence of his leg side play. In lhe"first 10 minutes of the game he twice moved into Burtt to offdrive him to the boundary, and it ■eemed that the Australian captain was more of a forcing batsman than had been believed. From that time, however, he rarely seemed to hit the ball, but appeared to persuade it with his delicate leg cut through the field. In the morning he was never slow, and in. the afternoon he scored very rapidly indeed. After passing his century he again appeared in his initial role, and began to walk down the wickel to make some handsome drives. His last scoring .'hot, a huge six oft Cromb, was effortless. When the bowler dropped the next ore shorter he was caught. His partner, Meuleman, also played some fine cricket. He made some prettv cuts and also drove very well indeed. He had one period of extreme doubt to Mcßae in the morning. A, that stage the Canterbury left-hander was giving the best exhibition of bowling by a Canterbury player this seaion, and Meuleman was struck on the hand seveial times by deliveries which rose sharply. FAST SCORING. S. G. Barnes, who was associated alter Meuleman’s dismissal with Brown in a partnership which realised 85 in 52 minutes, hit the ball very hard. Hamence, who followed Baines, v. | qui',t and had made only 11 when he was run out. K. Miller also gave a polished display. Hassett was subdued, but played some text book shots. Tallon gave an impressive display of clean driving and square cutting.

Butterfield failed to take a wicket, but he seemed to make the ball do more than the others. He had a catch dropped from his bowling, and through a tiring day was reasonably inexpensive. Burtt bowled really well in a spell in which he dismissed Miller and C. McCool. Scott bowled steadily, and at times well. O'Brien, bowling late in the day, kept runs down remarkably, considering the state of the game. Canterbury’s ground fielding in ths morning began quite well, but after lunch it slipped badly. When wickets began to fall later in the afternoon the side showed more fight, and at the finish it was still performing fairly well.

Brown and Meuleman seemed completely at home in the initial stages, and the first 20 runs were made in even time. Mcßae was very steady, and the third ball of his fifth over was the first really to worry either batsman. Meuleman played late at it, and survived an appeal for leg before. From this stage Mcßae became more and more aggressive, and frequently made the ball jump. Butterfield and Mcßae were defin. holy on top for a time, and Mcßae's first 12 overs cost only nine runs. Seven succes ive overs were maidens. Mcßae frequently had Meuleman in two minds, but nevertheless both batsmen played some beautiful shots, and scoring* was never slow. At the break the score was 85 (Meuleman 44, Brown 36). MORE QUICK SCORING Alter lunch Brown began scoring very quickly, and hooked Mcßae twice to leg boundary. Shortly after he hooked But erfield high to the leg boundary and reached his 50 in 114 minutes.

Meuleman reached his 50 ten minute; later. Both were batting very aggressively, and in the first halfhour after luncli added 57. Meuleman, whose batting had been delightful, attempted <o hit Mcßae, and the bail went almost straight up. Burtt waited and hold the catch. The partnership of 144 had lasted 136 minutes. Barnes, the next ba'.sman, look 10 off an over Hom Sharpe, pulling him wide of mid-on to the boundary twice. Brown continued to bat freely, but with his score at 88 he gave a chance off Scott to Shand in the slips which was not accepted. Prov. .1 scored 86 in the hour after lunch to reach his century in 165 m.mi.c . ihe batsmen were now scoring at the rate of almo t two a minute Ba.: cs being particularly aggressive, and 200 was reached in 1.1 minutes. Scott came back for Butterfield and Obtained a wicket in his first over. A good length bail to Barnes kicked up, and 'ho batsman, playing back, sent it into Hie hr.’ ds of Mcßae. Barnes had made his 48 runs in 52 minutes. The ’score at lhe tea interval was 288. Ha sett and Miller resumed after tiie interval, and brought 300 up in 238 minutes. Miller was driving beautifully, but Bu-.t: began to bowl boiler than at any stage of the innings and dismissed Miller with a good one. The batsman went back outside his off-stump to pull the ball, but it turned in sharply and bowled him. Scores: — AUSTRALIA.—First Innings. K. Meuleman, c Biutt. b Mcßae 61 W. A. Biown, c Mcßae, b Cromb 137 S. G. Barres, c Mcßae, b Scott 48 H. Hamence, run out - 11 K. Miller, b Burtt 42 A. L. Hassett, c But erfield, b O'l’i ien C. McCool, lbw, b Burtt 13 D. 'lai lon. not out 38 R. Lindwall, b Scott J \V. J. O'Reilly, not out " Extras (byes 6, leg byes 5, no bails 2) . 13 Total. 8 wickets for 415 Bowling: D. Mcßae, 34 overs, 13 maidens. 76 runs, 1 wicket > T. P. Burn, 23, 1, 108. 2: L. A. Butterfield, 2S. 5, 68. 0: R. H. Scott. 28. 4. 86. 2; T. M. Sharp. 6. 0, 32. (i; I. B. Cromb, 2,0, 15, 1; F. P. O’Brien, 7,2, 17, 1.