A GOOD FIGHT

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 57, Issue 245, 28 July 1937, Page 5

A GOOD FIGHT

NEW ZEALAND IN SECOND TEST.

ENGLAND 130 RUNS TO SPARE. DAY OF VARYING FORTUNES. (From the special correspondent of the United Press Association with the team). (Received This Day, 9.55 a.in.) LONDON, July 27. In a day remarkable for fluctuating fortunes, England won the second test, played at Old Trafford (Manchester). At one stage New Zealand seemed certain to win, but the batting buckled badly in the second innings, especially against the spin-bowling of Goddard. Five thousand spectators saw the New Zealanders all out shortly after tea.

New Zealand dominated the first hour’s play. With the visitors’ chances depending mainly on the taking of two or three quick, cheap wickets, the game was resumed in dull weather. The wicket was firm and fairly fast, showing no signs of wear.

Hardstaff and Paynter played with great care till the left-hander was nicely taken at first slip. Vivian was bowling with teasing length, but Cowie was hurling them down with fine pace. The field was packed in close to the batsmen. Hardstaff was dismissed with a wonderful one-handed catch on the leg side behind the wickets.

The New Zealanders, encouraged by early successes, and scenting a chance of winning, bowled and fielded with great keenness.

Sensation piled on sensation. Itobins was brilliantly caught at short square-' leg in exactly the same manner as Hammond. Wellard, in trying for a big hit. against Vivian, mishit to cover, /where the ball was safely held by 'Wallace. Brown survived a leg-before appeal and was almost caught in the slips off Cowie, when he was given out for 75.

New Zealand had a glorious opportunity, but England recovered, Brown and Ames playing an invaluable partnership which yielded 72. Ames played a fine innings. Brown was vigorous, but fortunate in having several narrow escapes. He hit eight fours and one six. Smith also hit hard, scoring four fours and one six.

The New Zealand howling was almost unbelievably hostile. Cowie gave a wonderful exhibition of sustained pace, reliable length and accurate direction. He bowled nearly half an hour unchanged, maintaining speed with remarkable persistence. He returned after half an hour’s rest and quickly finished the innings, dismissing, both big hitters, brilliantly catching the last promptly pocketing the ball as a souvenir.

Vivian’s shrewdly-pitched and flighted slows, in admirable contrast to the fast bowling, yielded two valuable wickets. Dunning’s swinging flight and 'nip off the pitch deceived two good, batsmen into the leg-before disaster.' Gallichan, although he failed to take a wicket, was very inexpensive. Tindill’s wicket-keeping was a feature. He did not allow a bye and took a remarkable catch.

New Zealand was betrayed by bad catching. There was an epidemic of dropped catches, Brown being given four lives. New Zealand was left with the no means easy task of scoring over a run a minute for four hours in rather dull light to win. The Englishmen made the task even harder, bowling to keep the runs down rather than get the batsmen out. A defensive attack was adopted by Wellard, Smith and Hammond.

New Zealand made a good, if slow, start. Vivian and Moloney took nearly an hour and a half to score 50. The latter was run out through being sent back after being called for a run. Goddard was immediately introduced to deal with Wallace and the result quickly justified the tactics. Robins and Smith had two quick successes, disposing of Kerr and Vivian. The lefthander played a steady innings, lasting an hour and a half. He hit two fours, one six and seven twos.

England’s strategy altered the fielding. The side striving for victory instead of playing to avoid defeat, the attack was entrusted to the spinners, Goddard and Brown, the former bowling off-breaks round the wickets of steady length with considerable turn. Hadlee failed to connect in attempting a big hit. Page was beaten in playing defensive forward. Donnelly was confident and undisturbed, but the others were disconcerted. Tindill missed the top spinner. Gallichan, Dunning and Cowie were dismissed quickly by Goddard. Scores:— ENGLAND. First Innings. Hutton, c Dunning, b Vivian ... 100 Barnett, c Kerr, b Cowie 62 Hardstaff, c Kerr, b Cowie ... 58 Hhmmond, b Gallichan 33 Paynter, Ibw, b Cowie 33 Ames, not out ... ... ... 16 Wellard, b Cowie 5 Robins, b Cowie 14 Brown, b Gallichan 1 Smith, c Kerr, b Gallichan ... 21 Goddard, not out 4 Extras ... H f Total for nine wkts (dec.) 358

Bowling: Cowie 32 overs, 6 maidens, 73 runs, 4 wickets, Dunning 28-5-84-0, Vivian 28-7-75-2, Page 5-0-16-0, Gallichan 36-7-99-3. Second Innings. Hutton, c Vivian, b Cowie ... 14 Barnett, Ibw, b Dunning 12 Hardstaff, c Tindill, b Cowie ... 11 Hammond, c Moloney, b Cowie ... 0 Paynter, c Cowie, b Vivian ... 7

Ames, Ibw, b Dunning 39 Robins, c Moloney, b Cowie ... 12 Wellard, c Wallace, b Vivian ... 0 Brown, b Cowie 57 Smith, c and b Cowie 27

Goddard, not out .. ... -1 Extras * ... u; ... ... 7 Total ... ••• 187 Bowling: Cowie 23.5 overs, 6 maidens,, 67 runs, 6‘wickets; Dunning 12-2-35-2, Vivian 17-5-64-2, Gallichan 8-4-14-0. Leg-byes 7. : NEW ZEALAND.. First Innings. Vivian, b Wellard ... ... .... 58 Moloney, Ibw, b Smith ... ... 31 Wallace, st Ames, b Brown ... 23 Kerr, b Wellard ... ... ... 4 Donnelly, Ibw, b Wellard ... ... 4 Hadlee, .lit wkt, b Wellard ... 93 Page, c Smith, b Hammond ... 33 Gallichan, c Brown, b Smith ... 30 Tindill, b Brown ... ... ... 6 Dunning, not out 4 Cowie, st Ames, b Brown 0 Extras 35 Total 2SI \ Bowling: Smith 22 overs, 7 maidens, 29 runs, 2 wickets, Wellard 30-4-81-4, Hammond 15-5-27-1, Goddard 18-5-48-0, Brown 23.4-4-81-3. Byes 4, leg-byes 11.

Second Innings. Vivian, c Ames, b Smith ... 50 Moloney, run Out 20 Wallace, b Goddard ... ... 5 Kerr, b Smith 3 Hadlee, b Goddard 3 Page, b Goddard ... 2

Donnelly, not out 37 Tindill, Ibw, b Brown 0 Gallichan, c Wellard, b Goddard 2 Dunning, b Goddard ... ... 3 Cowie, c Wellard, b Goddard ... 0 Extras 0 Total 134 Bowling: Wallard 14-2-30-0, Smith 14-2-34-2, Hammond 6-1-18-0, Goddard 14.4-5-29-6, Brown 5-0-14-1. Byes 7, leg-byes 1; no-ball Smith.