SLOW BATTING BY SUSSEX IN CRICKET MATCH WITH N.Z. TEAM

Wanganui Chronicle, 30 May 1949, Page 5

SLOW BATTING BY SUSSEX IN CRICKET MATCH WITH N.Z. TEAM

LONDON, May 29 (Rec. 7.15 pm). —Sea breezes provided the only life about the ground at Hove when Sussex won the toss and could only score 170 for four against the New Zealanders’ on an easy batsmans wicket Rain prevented play until 2 p.m.,’ but the wicket had been entirely covered, and it was thoroughly dry and placid. e With Hadlee taking his first rest, Wallace captained New Zealand. Cowie bowled eight overs to John Langridge and Smith, found the leg muscle which he strained at Leicester troubling him again, and retired until Monday. Langridge, who at one time was in the running for 1000 runs in May, added 92, not out, to his total of 625; but he is not a stroke player and plodded along quietly against steady bowling by Hayes, Cresswell, Burke and Rabone. He brightened up in the last halfhour, probably with the intention of relishing a century during the weekend, but it was not an impressive knock and he was rather lucky to get as far as he did. When he was 14 Reid might have had him at first slip off Cowie. The ball flashed like a streak and hit the New Zealander on a wrist. Cr.esswell could have had Langridge caught and bowled when the Sussex batsman drove

straight back at him. Cresswell was a little off his balance, and the batsmen ran four.

Rabone got the first wicket with his third ball of the day when he bowled the left-hander Smith, and after tea Hayes bowled Charles Oakes with one that kept low. Bar.tlatt who, in his prime, scored the fastest century on record against the Australians (1938, in 59 minutes) thumped around with some cheerfulness until he swopped a turning long hop from Burke to Smith at cover. Mooney caught Cox off Burke and though Langridge finally bestirred himself, nobody . was sorry to get away for the week-end The first hour’s play brought only 30 runs and the average rate for the whole afternoon did not rise above 40 The New Zealander’s fielding was not quite up to the standard they have set. Their batting order on Monday will be: Sutcliffe, Reid, Smith, Wallace, Donnelly, Rabone, Mooney, Burke, Cowie and Hayes. Scott, with a black eye still plastered, occupied some of his rest at the nets with Cave bowling to Hadlee. Scores: SUSSEX First Innings. John Langridge, not out 92 D. Smith, h Rabone 30 Oakes, b Hayes 1 Bartlett, c Smith, b Burke 25 Cox, c Mooney, b Burke 4 James Langridge, not out 3 Sundries 12 Total for four wickets 170 Fall of Sussex wickets: One for 73, two for 85, three for 130, four for 151.

Bowling Analysis. W 0. M. R. Cowie 8 4 8 0 Hayes 16 2 37 1 Cresswell 10 30 0 Burke 15 4 29 9 Rabone . . 14 2 45 1 Reid 3 1 7 0 Sutcliffe - 1 0 2 0