AUSTRALIAN CRICKET TEAM’S VISIT RECALLS WANGANUI’S WIN BY 10 WICKETS IN 1881

Wanganui Chronicle, 28 February 1950, Page 6

AUSTRALIAN CRICKET TEAM’S VISIT RECALLS WANGANUI’S WIN BY 10 WICKETS IN 1881

Today, for the first time in 22 years, an Australian cricket team will be playin" in Wanganui. This visit of the Australians is certain to create great interest amongst cricket enthusiasts and followers of sport in the city and district.. Although Australia’s best players, with the exception of W. A. Brown and D. Tallon, arc touring South Africa, the team for New Zealand contains all firstrate cricketers, many of whom are expected to play a leading part in Ihe test matches of the future.

Wanganui has seen many great ! Australian cricketers, including! Spofforth, Murdoch, Boyle, j Palmer, Trumble, Armstrong, Ransford, Bardsley, Noble, Jackson, Mailey, Grimmett, V. Richardson, Kippax, Wooclfull and Ponsford. The first Australian team to play in Wanganui was on I ■February 11 and 12. 1881. the tourists suffering their only loss of the New Zealand tour by 10 wickets.

It does seem remarkable these days that Wanganui has defeated Australia at cricket. The 1881 match was played at the racecourse on a dangerous and bumpy wicket. At the conclusion of the game 'it is on record that the Australians said that if Wanganui were to take the wicket on tour with them they would beat the world. Wanganui played 22 men and because Blackham, the famous wicketkeeper, was injured in the previous match at Wellington, the Australians had only ten players in their team.

The Wanganui team, which was chosen from the town and surrounding districts, comprised the very best fieldsmen that were available. The team fielded well and their numbers gave them a good advantage. In those days is was the accepted thing for overseas teams to be opposed by 22 or 18 players. These numbers must have been of great assistance to the home teams, especially in the field. However Wanganui scored a meritorious win. This was the only time the Australians were beaten on the tour. They were not extended 'in their other matches so it can be seen that Wanganui accomplished an outstanding feat never likely to be repeated by future teams.

The Australian team included Spofforth, the "demon” bowler and one of the greatest ever, Palmer and Boyle, two leading Test bowlers, Murdoch, the first of Australia’s master batsmen and the first to score a double century in Test cricket, and McDonnell, a good batsman. The match was played in perfect weather. The toss was won by the Wanganui captain, C. Cross, who sent the visitors into bat. The Wanganui bowling was good and the visitors found runs hard to score. F. Bayley bowled seven successive maiden overs (they were four ball overs in those days). The Australians were dismissed for 49 with Spofforth top scoring with 10. Murdock made 4. F. Bayley took 3 for 19 off 92 balls, Parrington 7 for 28 off 72 balls and Cross 1 for 0 off 16 balls.

Opening for Wangapui, Beresford began confidently and there seemed a possibility of the home side obtaining a good lead. However, Spofforth and Palmer were in top form and the Wanganui 'innings closed for 48 (Beresford 10). Spofforth secured 7 wickets for 23 runs off 104 balls and Palmer 12 for 19 off 100 balls. After the creases had been remarked and the ground rolled Australia commenced there second innings and when stumps were drawn at 6 p.m. they were two down for 18. The attendance on the first day was 1500. The second day’s play began before a crowd of similar proportions and the booths and games received large patronage.

Murdoch baited freely for 36 and Palmer made 12. None of the other batsmen could reach double figures and the innings finally closed at 83, leaving Wanganui 85 to win. W. E. Barton started off by forcing the pace and soon reached 44 when he was cought in the outfield. It was the best innings and largest score played against the Australian team during their tour in New Zealand. When Barton was dismissed the Wanganui score was 67. He was loudly cheered and carried off shoulder high. Amid great excitement the Wanganui score increased slowly, despite the efforts of Spofforth, Palmer and Boyle. The winning hit was made by F. Bayley, who drove Spofforth for two runs amid tremendous cheering.

Best Bat In Colony Wanganui’s win was mainly due to Barton and the fielding. In the previous season Barton scored 67 for Wanganui against Wellington and a month later made a brilliant 75 not out of a total of 120 for West Coast (North Island) against Wellington. Playing for Auckland against Otago in 1882, Barton opened the innings and carried his bat for 76, a masterly performance on a bumpy wicket. In 1883 his 74 for Auckland against Taranaki set the seal to his reputation as the best bat in the Colony. Wanganui received fairly regular visits from Australian teams until the First World War. Further teams came to Wanganui in the 1920’5, the last one being V. Richardson's XI on March 16 and 17, 1928. The Australians were a strong side, winning by an innings and 213 runs. The Wanganui team was Orr, “Weka” Wood. Kerr, Edward Thak- ; ambou, Thrush, “Chubby” Williams, I Sewell, Hutchinson, Kirwin and Hari ris. Orr, who learnt his cricket in I Australia is considered the best captain and slip fieldsman Wanganui has had. Wood was a Wanganui representative and opening batsman for a period of more than 20 years. Kerr, who later represented New Zealand and Thakambou, who later played Plunket Shield cricket, for Auckland and was a member of the Fijian team which toured New Zealand a couple

of seasons ago, were both pupils of the Wanganui Technical College in 1928. Chester Holland was the best ever of Wanganui bowlers. He played lor New Zealand in a Test match against Australia at Auckland in 1914. In the early 20’s he was responsible for many outstanding bowling performances and his non-inclusion in the 1927 New Zealand team which toured England is still considered a great mistake. Richardson’S 1928 team in New Zealand was a strong one and was practically an Australian Test team. Wanganui were sent into bat and were given quite a sound start by Orr and Wood, who added 40 for the first wicket. Apart from Holland, who scored 18 not out going in second wicket, the Wanganui batsmen were unable to cope with the excellent spin bowling of the famous Grimmett who took 8 wickets for 30. During this match Grimmett was hit on the head by a throw in from a fieldsman, receiving a heavy knock and had to be assisted from the field.

At stumps on the first day the Australians were 230 for the loss of three wickets. Schneider, who made 64 assisted Ponsford to add 122 for the first wicket. The latter was dismissed for 101. Next day the Australian score was taken to 428 all out.

The innings of the match was played by Archie Jackson whose Test century against England in 1928-29 is considered one of the best of all time. He made 44 on Cook’s Gardens in 1928 and his batting was delightful. The death of Jackson in the early 30’s was a sad blow to cricket. Grimmett, batting in number four position scored 73. Though he achieved fame as a bowler Grimmett did score his half centuries in Test cricket and was quite a useful bat. With the dismissal of Jackson, Kippax the stylish New South Welshman came to the crease only to be out first ball from Williams. Wanganui fielded well throughout the Australian innings. Holland took 4 for 145 and Williams 4 for 63.

Using nine bowlers the Australians had no difficulty in dismissing Wanganui for 132 (Wood 31, Thakambou 18, Thrush 18) in the second innings. The visiting team was Ponsford, Schneider, Richardson, Grimmett, Jackson, Kippax, Oxenham, Morton, Alexander, McNamee. Woodfull and Oldfield, who toured New Zealand with the team, did not play in Wanganui.

It is not yet known who will be in the Australian team, for today’s game but it would be good for Wanganui to see Brown, Tallon, Burke, Meuleman, Iverson and Johnson in action. Brown, who is captain of the team has been a leading batsman since the early 1930’5. A classic batsman he is considered as the model for younger players. Tallon is generally acknowledged as the world’s best keeper with a touch of brilliancy not possessed by anyone else. Burke is probably the best of Australia’s younger batsmen and is rated as a future Test player. A good batsman with quick footwork, Meuleman has proved an attraction on this tour of New Zealand as he did in 1946. Iverson is the best bowling find in Australia since O’Rielly. Johnson has been unlucky in that he narrowly failed to gain selection in the Australian teams to England and South Africa. A right hand medium-fast bowler he played in one Tost against India in 1947. However, whatever team the Australians field it will be a good one and it is expected that all Wanganui cricketers will be able to learn much from the game. The Wanganui team is probably the best one available. The choice of Beard as captain in preference to Thomas has caused surprise 'in some quarters, but there doe. i ; appear to be any great difference between the two.