A DRAWN GAME

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 137, 8 December 1930, Page 17

A DRAWN GAME

TOWN >; .COUNTRY-

DEMPSTER IN FORM

• There were many quiet periods during vrhich the ball was definitely in' the ascendancy over the bat in the annual Town v. Country cricket match, which was concluded at the Basin Reserve on Saturday, but the play late in the afternoon was largely of an entertaining order. The . weather, which had been mvourable from ■ the commencement, featured bright sunshine with scarcely any wind, and the conditions generally were made to order for run-setting. Apart from a breezy knock for 70 on the part of l.amason, the Town team s first innings was not inspiring, thoughBlundell and Warnes made a good stand for the last wicket, hitting out at everything that came down. The best the side could do, however, was a score ot 100, exactly 100 short of their opponents_ total, and Lowry exercised his prerogative ot compelling the home team to follow on. The second innings started quietly, and the third wicket fell with only 59 runs on the board.-■ Hepburn, and Dempster advanced the total to near the 100-nmrk, and Crook and Dempster then figured in a partnership which yielded nearly 100 runs. Dempster's safety-first tactics early in his innings did not please a section ot the crowd, but he made full amends later when he rattled on the runs at a fast rate in his best style. After recording a century in practically even time he made a gift of his wicket to his opponents. The ;■ tail-enders went out to have a hit, both Blundell and Newman meeting with some measure of "success. .- For his bowling Lowry relied mainly on Gallichan and Massey, both of whom bowled fairly well. Neither Newman nor Reaney was used as much as in the first . innings, although both wore agaiD keeping the batsmen quiet. Kcaney. was unfortunate in having two chances missed in the slips off his bowling. Lowry gave the bowlers good support by stumping Hep-burn-and Crook off Newman and Gallichan respectively. When '"The Post" went to press on Saturday Town had been batting half an hour for 19 runs in their second innings. With the score at 35 Norris stopped a hard :i>all-- with his thumb and had to leave the field. Lowry took over the duties of wieketkeeper, and Biillock-Doug-ks fielded as substitute. With his first delivery after the stoppage Rcaney bowled. Airey^ whose score of 27 included a six and a four. 35—1—27. . Hepburn was next, and soon made half a dozen runs (four of them from a ball which was misfielded and kicked to the boundary). He was then dropped off Reaney in the slips. With a stoke to leg for. three 'Hamilton reached double figures after nearly an hour at the crease. There ' was nothing very brisk in the play. The score had reached 50 for an hour's batting when Hamilton skied a ball from Newman and Bullock-Douglas made the catch close - in. 50—2—12. With Lamason's appearance some brighter batting was expected, and the newcomer was promising well until he fell Ibw to Gallichan. 59-3-5. Dempster set about improving the rate of scoring. . Hepburn also making acceptable contributions to the score, including a couple of fours to leg. When the tea adjournment was taken the total was 82 for three wickets—Hepburn 29 not out, Dempster 9 not out. HEPBURN OUT. Hepburn did not last long after the interval, being stumped by Lowry, off' Newman, after adding a single and a brace to his total. Hepburn had played a bright knock, although giving a chance in the slips just after reaching the twenties. He hit six 4's. 93—4—32. Crook was i the incoming batsman, but Dempster had most of the bowling and a ; succession of singles off his bat kept the score moving slowly. At length Naismitb was brought on to bowl, and two <.''s and a single to Dempster, with three byes, off his first over put 110 on the board. Seven runs later Massey relieved Galli'.'ehan, who had taken anq wicket for 44 runs off 16 overs. There were further to the score by both batsmen,, and Crook reached double figures and sent 120 up after the innings had been in pro-.-gress 115 minutes. : After bowling three overs for 11 runs,' ■'Naismith gave way to Reaney, and a fur-' ■ther change sa wthe latter replaced by (■■Newman. Dempster was still scoring, mainly in singles, and the crowd began to cheer ironically whenever he ' executed a ■scoring stroke. The coach then commenc;ed to open out and, although several good strokes were cut off short of the boundary by smart fielding, he reached his objective on one or two occasions. With a square cut for a single off Massey, Dempster reached the half century after . batting an hour. In the same over 100 appeared on the board, Crook having 17 to his credit at this stage. BRIGHT BATTING. Gallichan was brought on again at the iouthern end, and Dempster welcomed the change by forcing the first ball past midoff o to the fence. The proceedings-sub-sequently became much more lively, the batsmen exhibiting a good understanding in their running between the wickets, and scoring with well placed shots all round the wicket. The partnership had added 94 runs in an hour, when Crook's innings '.was terminated, Lowry catching him out of his crease after stepping out to Gallichan. 187—5-25. Standidge followed,' and immediately opened his account by collecting a 3 off Galliehan. Dempster-then lifted the slow ■ bowlci over tlio i-upcs mi ..... t.^^.. of the inniiK's. Km-Mi!:' ■••!•■ score saw 200 hoisted after the' side had been batting two and three-quarter hours. Shortly afterwards Gallichan tossed one up well to Standidge and the batsman stepped out to, pull it, misfed, and was given out Ibw. 201—0—0. Warnes filled the vacancy, but had not been long at the wickets before another Ibw decision saw him given out to Massey. 210—7—0. DEMPSTER OUT. Dempster, who was only two short of the century, was joined by Tindill. After batting an hour and three-quarters Dempster placed one of Massey's deliveries down the gully, and a smartly-run couple gave him his hundred. He then opened out to Gallichan and drove one delivery to the fence, but failed to connect properly with the next, which he ran down the pitch to hit, and O'Brien took the catch in the deep field. He had taken care to play himself in, but after becoming sot gave a good display of scientific hitting. His score included eleven 4's and one six. 218—8—105. J. Newman Was next and indulged in some hard hitting, a lusty smite off Gallichan cannoning off the pavilion. Despite their efforts to keep the score moving briskly, however, the batsmen were malting slow progress. Newman made a big swing at one of Galliehan's deliveries, and when he missed, Lowry knocked off the bails and the batsman started to walk towards the pavilion, but was called back. The next ball brought about his downfall, Reaney taking a splendid running catch on the boundary. Newman had hit one 6 and a 4. 235—9—15. Blundell, the last man, also swung the long handle and opened his account with two 4's off Gallichan. He and Tindill were still together at 6 o'clock, when stumps were drawn. Details:— TOWN. First innio^j .': 103 Second Innings. Hamilton, c sub., b Reaney ~ 32 Airey, b Reaney l>7 Hepburn, st Lowry, b Newman 32 Lamason, Ibw, b Gallichan 5 Dempster, o O'Brien, b Gallichan .... 105 Crook, st Lowry, b Galliehan. 25 Standidge, Ibw, b Gallichan ..; 0 Warnes, Ibw, b Massey 0 Tindill, not out 4 Newman, c Reaney, b Gallichan 15 Blundell, not out 14 Extras: Byes 4, leg-byes 2 G ; Total for nine wickets 251 Fall of Wickets: One for 35, two for 50, three for 59, four for 93, five for 187, six for 201, seven for 210, eight for 218, nine for 235. BOWLING- ANALYSIS. O. M. R. W. Newman .... 13 2 2(j 2 ». Massey 24 10 50 1 Reaney 12 2 37 1 : Gallichan .... 31. 0 112 5 ■'' Naismith .... 3 0 11 0