NIMMO BATS, BOWLS AND FIELDS WELL FOR WANGANUI ELEVEN

Wanganui Chronicle, 5 February 1949, Page 6

NIMMO BATS, BOWLS AND FIELDS WELL FOR WANGANUI ELEVEN

Match With Taranaki For Smith Shield; Beard's Good Bowling

NEW PLYMOUTH. Last Night (OU).—Playing a splendid fighting knock for Wanganui, S. (i. Niniino provided the highlight of the innings on the first day of a two-day challenge cricket match against Taranaki for the Smith Shield at New Plymouth

today. With three wickets still in hand, and only two runs needed for a first inning’s lead. Taranaki was in a fairly sound position at stumps. Wanganui was dismissed for 121 and Taranaki has lost seven wickets for 120. The wicket was fast and true, and gave the pace bowlers plenty of lift. A heavy, sultry atmosphere before lunch was of material assistance to the Taranaki bowlers, nearly all of whom were put to no great trouble to make the ball more sharply and, at times, disconcertingly late in the air.

As a spectacle, the day’s play was not exhilarating. Incidents there were in plenty, but the scoring rate was painfully slow. The Wanganui and Taranaki innings both followed similar patterns. Wanganui, at one stage, had 100 runs on the board for the loss of five wickets, and then tailed away dismally. Taranaki passed the to make the ball move sharply and, and then failed equally badly. WANGANUI'S LATENT PROMISE. Wanganui’s innings always seemed to be full of latent promise, but such was the nature of the Taranaki attack, that, apart from Nimmo, who scored a very solid 50 and, to a lesser extent, Thomas, that ever-present promise was not fulfilled. Apart from one or two aggressive shofts lofted wide of mid-off by Nimmo, most of Wanganui’s runs came from behind the wicket. It was largely defensive batting, dictated by accurate and at times hostile bowling. The loss of four quick wickets was a major upset for Wanganui and provided a shock from which it never recovered. To Nimmo must go full credit for a splendid fighting innings. When wickets were tumbling he never faltered, and his 50, scored in 101 minutes, was the highlight of an otherwise disappointing innings. He got right behind his shots and stroked particularly well with Thomas, who put together a valuable 24. He raised the score from 31 to 96. Of the remainder of the Wanganui side, Caradus played sound cricket, as did Condliffe, but they were fighting a losing battle. TARANAKI’S GOOD START. Taranaki started well but it was too good to last, and the first three batsmen could muster only 39 runs. Betts and Miller took the score to 60 before Betts, who had flicked a good length ball from Beard touched one and was well caught by Nimmo. Leighton was bowler, With the advent of Hurcombe things brightened considerably. He was soon into his stride, getting away good off and cover drives. McDougal, the slow spinner, was put away for a glorious six. With Miller, Hurcombe provided

the most attractive cricket of the day, and it came as a surprise when he cocked up an easy catch to McDougal, off Beard, 10 minutes before stumps. His dismissal seemed to be a signal for the rot to set in, for, without addition to the score, both Meuli and Autridge were sent to the pavilion Miller, at stumps, was undefeated with a patient 26. Of the Wanganui bowlers, Beard was outstanding. Tall and mediumpaced, he swung the ball sharply and occasionally made use of an effective off-break. In his opening spell he bowled unchanged for about an hour and a-half, and was always on the spot. Nimmo was another who operated effectively, and took three good wickets for 12 runs off seven overs. He also snapped up three catches in the slips off Beard. KEEN FIELDING. The fielding of both teams was keen and little was given away. Details:—

Wanganui. First Innings. E. K Hunt, b Betts 0 J. Caradus, b McClenaghan 7 A. Webby, b McClenaghan . .. 3 J. Bergerson, b McClenaghan 2 S. G Nimmo, c Davie, b Autridge 50 R. E. Thomas, b James 24 L. Condliffe, not out 10 J. Barnett, b Autridge 0 A. Dow, b James 7 D. Beard, c Cameron, b Autridge 2 G McDougal, b Jamcr, 0 Extras 16 Total 121

Bowling. O. M. R. W. Autridge 15 4 28 3 Betts 9 4 4 1 McClenaghan 13 2 28 3 Miller 6 2 6 0 Cannvn 5 0 20 0 James 10.1 4 19 3 Fall of wickets: 5, 16, 18, 31, 96, 102, 102, 113, 116. 121. Taranaki. First Innings A. Alexander, b Nimmo . 3 R. Davie, c Nimmo, b Beard 9 N. Leighton, c Nimmo, b Beard 12 S Betts, c Nimmo, b Beard . 20 L. Mi’.’er, not out 26 C. Hurcombe, c McDougal, b Beard 32 E. Meuli, c Barnett, b Nimmo .. 0 N. Autridge, l.b.w., b Nimmo . 0 R James, not out 0 Extras ...„ 18 Total (for seven wickets) ... 120 Bowling. 0. M. R. w. Bergerson 4 1 8 0 Beard ... 18 4 35 4 Nimmo 7 2 12 3 Thomas 7 3 18 0 McDougal 3 0 12 0 Caradus 3 0 17 0 f all of wickets: 16 31, 39, 60, 116, 116, 116.