England, At Full Stength In Bowlers, With Great Hopes Sent New Zealand In To Bat

Wanganui Chronicle, 25 July 1949, Page 5

England, At Full Stength In Bowlers, With Great Hopes Sent New Zealand In To Bat

Donnelly, Reid, Rabone And Burtt Do Much To Build A Respectable Score

MANCHESTER, July 23 (Rec. G pm).—With a full quiver of bowlers and in the hope of removing New Zealand twice in three days, Brown put New Zealand in to bat on an easy paced pitch when he won the toss in the third test of the New Zealanders’ cricket tour, which is being played at Old Trafford. After losing four wickets for 82, New Zealand recovered and were eight for 276 at the end of the day.

Bailey was chiefly responsible for New Zealand’s indifferent start, and took three for 27 before lunch, when England was definitely on top; but during the afternoon a fine stand of 116 by Donnelly (<5) and Reid (50) and another valuable partnership of 52 by Rabone and Burtt provided the backbone of a scor,e which is at least respectable.

t Brown made full use of his , tinually. The attendance was estimated > at 30,000, of whom 24,600 paid. The New Zealand Minister of Fin- , ance, Mr. Nash, was present. Sutcliffe and Scott began a little ’ adventurously, almost, in fact, as though they were batting in a county ■ match. Certainly Scott gave this im- . pression when he opened the scoring . by using his favourite on-drive to Jackson for three; and though Bailey beat him with two good balls, he repeated the stroke for the same number of runs. Sutcliffe, watched by several relations, was not quite as smooth as usual and started by snicking Bailey on to his foot for the ball to race to the sightscreen behind him. He looked much more himself when he off-drove , Bailey cleanly to the boundary. OPTIMISM SHATTERED With 22 runs on the board in as j many minutes, we began to feel i rather more comfortable about , Brown’s decision; then, abruptly, this , optimism was shattered Bailey beat Sutcliffe with a perfectly straight ball , which snicked the inside of his bat , before knocking out his left stump; and 10 minutes later BaileJ knocked ' out the same stump, defeating Scott j with one that came back from the . off. ! At this the Old Trafford crowd fair- . ly began to buzz. Hadlee and Wallace set out to open the innings all j over again, and fop half an hour con- ,

tented themselves with getting a sight ( of the ball and playing singles. Brown i used Close as a seam bowler, switched Jackson for Bailey and then changed j Close for Hollies. Only twelve runs were added in nearly 40 minutes, t bringing 34 in the first hour Hadlee j bestirred himself and straight-drove Jackson to fne boundary, which made * him eight; then on-drove Hollies for J a couple and in the next over took 10—lovely straight and off-drives for e boundaries, and a neat late cut. The J fifty was reached in 70 minutes. All , this time Wallace had been correct, n restrained and faultless; then he, too, , decided that it was time to collect J some runs. He pulled Brown to the boundary and reached 12 after 55 1 minutes. Close, who was bowling offspinners round the wicket, sent him a full toss. Wallace hooked it with * the meat of his bat, and as we jerked our eyes to follow the ball’s flight 7 there was Washbrook at forward square leg, right on the boundary. He r judged the catch neatly, went down a on one knee and New Zealand was F three for 62. 11 f< BAD LUCK FOR WALLACE It was really bad luck for Wallace, and the first chance he had given. " Donnelly arrived with nearly a half j b hour to go to lunch, and when Had - I h lee pulled a full toss from Brown for I if another four, the England captain re- I bproduced Bailey and took a rest him- | ri self. Donnelly glanced Bailey neat- i tl ly to the leg boundary and shortly IC afterwards Hadlee faced him for the | tl last over before the interval. Perhaps j tl it was overcaution on Hadlee’s part, ol or an over-determination to return to I pl battle with his inner man refortified, j At all events, he made an attempt to i fc play a ball which seemed a trifle wide fc of his off stump and lifted his bat | fc

bowlers and changed them conabove his shoulder; unfortunately, the ball turned in about an inch ’ and just nudged his off-stump. The bail;: plopped and Old Trafford echoed a shout! Hadlee deserved a better ending than this, for he batted courageously with only a minor blemish or two. It was not the best introduction to test cricket for Reid when he arrived with three minutes to go and four balls to play. But his nerves were steel and he edged the second ball to leg for a single and Donnelly was sound for the remaining third of the aver. So New Zealand were four for 33 at lunch; yet not downhearted! Their optimism was justified for in L 25 minutes to tea Donelly and Reid made a stand of 115 and tamed the England bowling. Reid’s 50 was not anl’y gratifying but pleasant and easy to watch. He pulled with strength ind off-drove firmly, only gave one ?hance—a difficult caught and bowled :o Compton. Donnelly produced all lis perfect shots on both sides of the vicket and was always completely self-possessed They began at a leisurely pace, ’aised the 100 in 135 minutes and lealt competently with Brown at one jnd and Bailey at the other. Thnlelly intimated form by on-driving Brown perfectly off the back foot—m example which Reid emulated, rhe bowling changes made little difference to them and Hollies, Close and fackson were all used. Brown reurned and Reid pulled him powerully for three boundaries, and when Uompton was tried Reid off-drove lim and pulled him for more bounlaries, A new ball was taken at 161. lonnelly hit 16 off Bailey in one >ver. First Donnelly cover-drove to he boundary to reach 50 in two hours 0 minutes, then, with a pull, leg fiance and tap through the slips, ealed a 100 paAnership in 105 minites. Reid lingered at 49 and Donlelly, determined he should get his 0, called and sprinted like a greylound when Reid tapped Jackson to eg. He batted for just on two hours, 'hen, just as he had arrived in the ast over before lunch, so he went on he fifth ball of the over preceding I ea walked straight into Jackon, but used his pads instead of his at. He had made a useful opening o a test career. At tea New Zealand fere for 198, and Donnelly was 0. *

We hoped that Donnelly might reach a century for it was writ large all over him; but he snicked Bailey rather cheekily through the slips and immediately afterwards was leg before. It was a grand innings, lasting just on two hours 50 minutes. Mooney lasted briefly before he was bowled by Jackson, and then Rabone and Burtt showed that the sting had been taken out of England’s bowling. In 65 minutes they hit 52, Rabone gracefully and Burtt with rugged workmanship which included the first six of the match. He hit Compton straight back just wide of the sightscreen; then, having achieved this distinction, was smartly stumped off the next ball by Evans. Cave played out time steadily. New Zealand’s fall of wickets. One Cor 22, two for 23, three for 62, four for 82, five for 198, six for 205, seven for 217, eight for 269.