HADLEE BATS BRILLIANTLY

Chronicle (Levin), 19 March 1946, Page 6

HADLEE BATS BRILLIANTLY

UNBEATEN WITH 169 TO CREDIT. By Telegraph — Press Association DUNEDIN, March IS. The tlxird day's play iix tlie cricket •uatclx betweeix Australia aird Otago xrovided thrills aird sui'prises. Otago, 252 beTixiid oix the first ixxixiixgs, fought >ack gallantly to cause Australia for ihe first tixxie iix their tour to bat again. The stroug, domiriating faetor iix this perfornxauce \vas the spleixdid iixnings oi Hadlee, who had previously scored over 1000 runs iu all cricket this season. ■ Hadlee batted with ease and coixfidence r'roixx the outset against the full Ausiralian bowling attack. His innixxgs •vas unblemislxed uxxtil 97. Then during a seusational over from O'Reilly, he was nxissed off a difficuit chaixce close to nxid-ofl: axxd again off the next ba.ll, which he lifted to long off, where Jolxnson got his hands to the ball, but did not hold it. During its flight the batsnien raced three . ns, seranxbling back to give Hadlee his century. The batsinan went on to score freely and fixxished with 109, unbeaten. He batted for 323 mirxutes and hit one six off O'Reilly and 15 fours. Hadlee 's score is the highest yet made by an Australian or New Zealand bats man on this tour. The valuable partxier ship betweeix Hadlee and Smith added 119 in 112 minutes I or thejsixtlx wicket, Smith 's shaxe being a cautious 40. It. was during this partnership that Australia 's total was passed. No othei batsman reached 20. O'Reallv was again the ouDTnmlG'" bowler. The veteran. sent dowix 26 overs for 89 runs and tour ' \, eia. Barnes,' who b ro ke Tlfe "long partnership by getting Smith well caught by Tallon, took two for 12. Lindwail was gc.lxn^ more iift out of the faster wicket, but still lacked danger. His one wicket cost 56 off 24 overs. Australia 's ground fielding was good, but again on a large number of oceasions runs oame from overthrows because of wild returns. Otago have still two wickets to fali and are now 54 rur .,'iead of the Aus tralian total of 420. %