GREAT MOMENTS IN CANTERBURY SPORT CRICKET

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30962, 19 January 1966, Page 10

GREAT MOMENTS IN CANTERBURY SPORT CRICKET

QNE of the most fascinat- ' ing and futile of pursuits is attempting comparisons between cricketers of different generations. Yet there is hardly a cricket enthusiast worthy of the name who has not, at one time or another, sat down to select his world eleven of all time —confidently sitting in judgment on Shrewsbury and Sobers, Grace, Kanhai, Bradman, Noble.

It is just as difficult to compare matches separated by many summers. It may well be that Canterbury’s game with Auckland a couple of weeks ago was the most exciting ever played .at Lancaster Park. But it is no sooner said than doubted. The finish of that match was tremendous. But for sustained excitement, over a very long period, one of the finest matches was the one between these provinces 35 years ago.

This was a magnificent match in every way. It was full of runs—in under 22 hours, more than 1400 were scored—and it was full of personalities. And the tension, quite unbearable, was there for the whole of the long last day. In the Auckland team were seven players who played for New Zealand, as well as the talented Sussex coach A. F. Wensley. Seven members of Canterbury’s team also represented their country.

It was a game packed with action from first to last, and played in hot, nor’-west weather. But it started in a rather minor key. Against all expectations, the strong Auckland batting side was dismissed for 164, mainly through the efforts of S. G. Lester, playing in his second shield match..

Canterbury seemed to have a wonderful chance, for its team included I. M. Hamilton, an opener for New Zealand, and such aggressive players as J. L.

Keer, A. W. Roberts, J. Jacobs, R. O. Talbot, I. B. Cromb, Lester, W. E. Merritt and N. Dorreen. Yet Canterbury failed to. being out for 229.

Auckland’s second innings offered superb entertainment. There was the lyric grace of J. E. Mills, who made 66; the power and timing of G. L. Weir, with 134; the charm of H. G. Vivian’s innings of 81, the knock of 65 by the tall lefthander C. F. W. Allcott, and a magnificent effort from the fast bowler, A. M. Matheson, who came in at number nine and scored 94 not out. The Auckland total—s 37. The hero of the Canterbury team was J. T. Burrows, a bowler of brisk medium pace, and an extremely accurate one. He was seldom the devastating wrecker of an innings, but his consistently accurate attack, his tremendous determination and stamina, made him invaluable. He took only two wickets in that Auckland innings, but he was in his forty-fourth over, in blistering weather, when he ended the innings and he had then conceded only 89 runs. The importance of his bowling was immense, for it seemed that Auckland, with the pitch still playing so well, would have to declare at the close of the third day, and it was vital for Canter-

bury that the scoring rate be kept within bounds. This Burrows achieved magnificently—although a total of 537 from 165 overs is a startling rate today. So Canterbury had 40 minutes of the third day, and 360 minutes on the last to score 473. It was a huge task: in all New Zealand matches, no team set more than 400 in a last innings had won the match. Yet by stumps, Kerr and Hamilton had scored 56 and were still together. A magnificent player, Kerr attacked on the final morning while Hamilton settled in to keep one end safe. Kerr directed his assault principally on D. C. Cleverley, a genuinely fast bowler then, and one who had done particularly well in Canterbury’s first innings. Kerr's hooks and square cuts had Cleverley out of the firing line very quickly, and Kerr took only 90 minutes to make his 73. Although Roberts could not get into his stride at first, Canterbury was 177 for one at lunch. Four hours left for 296.

Auckland flung itself back into the game in early afternoon. Hamilton, after a fine display lasting four hours, was out for 80 at 247, and two runs later Roberts was dimissed for 64. Then the Canterbury captain, M. L. Page, and Talbot, counter-attacked, with thrilling vigour and style. In the 50 minutes before tea they added 92. They

ran impudent singles, they hit the ball hard, and they put Canterbury firmly on top. A straight hit by Talbot from the leg-spinner A. W. McCoy nearly smashed the clock on the old number one stand. By this time people were pouring into the ground, and after tea the crowd saw Talbot hit two more fine sixes. But Allcott came on to bowl his slowmedium left-hand stuff, and the torrent of runs became a dribble. Although there had been much savage hitting straight after tea, the first hour after the interval yielded only 55. It meant 77 were needed in the last hour. At 396 Page was out, and it became 396 for five with the departure of Talbot. Page and Talbot had added 147 memorable runs. Cromb helped Jacobs add 50, Jacobs going after the bowling with particular relish, but Cromb was out at 446: 27 needed in 25 minutes. So it was Merritt who came in for the final act. And with one magnificent blow he almost lost the match. He hit Allcott clean over the old east stand into a vegetable garden. It took five minutes for the ball to be found. The chaos among the cabbages as willing spectators helped in the search could be imagined. But then they were at it again, and Jacobs was in charge. The end came, just three minutes from time, when Jacobs called Merritt for the single to

give Canterbury the game. Merritt sent him back, Matheson in the covers threw at the wicket but missed. After all the excitement, all the endeavour, all the excellence of the play, Canterbury won with an overthrow.