TO-DAY'S PLAY

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 2, 4 January 1932, Page 9

TO-DAY'S PLAY

. For the continuation oC the CanterburyWellington match to-day playing conditions were again splendid, except that a fairly strong northerly .wind was in evidence. _ After Wellington's great performance on Saturday there was considerable interest in to-day's proceedings, with the prospect of Wellington adding many more runs to an already, big. score. There was a large attendance at starting time, and the number of onlookers increased as the play progressed. : • ' ■ : During the first hour's play to-day the visitors captured three more wickets before Wellington's score passed the 400 dark, .- -. ..-■ ■■ . ■ By the. lime, the luncheon adjournment was taken". Wellington's score had been advanced to 445 for sis wickets."' ■ : McGIRR-iHEPBURN PARTNERSHIP. Play was resumed at 115' a.m. to-day, Hepburn (41) .and McGirr (24) taking strike to. Lester and Cromb. For a time lyicGirr did all the scoring, and in making one boundary hit to the on ho lifted a ball over Burrows's shoulder. Another boundary was realised from a splendid stroke which sent'the ball fast through the slips. With other good scoring strokes JlcGirr caught up with Hepburn before the latter had -improved . his - account. During the first fifteen minutes of today's -play McGirr had hiade 17 runs. Hepburn then moved forward with a couple o£ scoring strokes, aud McGirr, forcing matters, passsed the fifty mark. McGirr :Kad been ;at. the ' wickets " for 55 minutes. With a splendid four to the off he had taken Wellington's total beyond; 350 -for 248 minutes' batting. .- ■ ■ Against, a . bowling change—Bellamy on in -place- of Lester—McGirv "continued to' meet the ball forcefully, but finally fell to. a good catch in endeavouring to .send a ball from 'Cromb .over .the slips. Bellamyv at' second slip, . "jumped for the" leather, failed to. hbld it at the first attempt, - but succeeded .at the second— ■a. good "effort.- McGirr's forcing bat. had accounted for 54 runs ;in GO minute^ this score including -six - four'si-■ The: partnership: had mado S3- runs- in. SB minutes 358-^-3^54. ■ ■ -■-■■■ ••■ ' TWO MORE WICKETS. Lambert joined Hepburn and was into his. stride xight. away, with. a couple of we]l;placed;.s.tfqkes^\:. Hepburn carried on .'steadily ..without "doing "much' scoring. At 306 Cromb (one for'9l)' was relieved by Merritt, and he was credited by Hepburn with his first maiden over of the innings. Burrows was then tried in.place of Bellamy. A little later Hepburn reached his' halfccentuvy,-. after haying been- in for 107 minutes. Both :bats'men were making BtroKes-iri plenty,' with Lambert showing- a- d«sireto- get' runs quickly. The fieldsmen, -however, - covered up most of the strokes, andthe scoring' rate -was-kept doiv-Ji. -.Gradually, the .total, was advanced to 350,. this -point being, reached whoii Lambert placed a ball from Burrows to the on for three. Just afterwarus Hepburn . failed with a vigorous attempt- to nit ; a ball from Burrows, and was bowled. ■Hepburn s innings occupied.. 117-minutes .and while, he.- .was at '■ the wickets thf score'was advanced from 239 to 382. Hep, burn made 51, including six fours. 382— 4—51. '.. •."■• ■•;' ; ;.: ;; • ''•'.' The vacancy..was filled by Massey, snd ho.had.no sooner.appeared at-the crease tnan .Lambert..narrowly .missed beirtE caught by Page, fielding close, in, on the off. Lambert, later lifted a ball, from Merritt to the .outfield, where Hamilton,, who had been- conspicuous for good field-ing,--toot-the catch. Canterbury had. done well m- getting-three wickets <lmm>> the. hist" hours-play to-day. ■• 3SQ— SV-IS. -.'•■ : QUIETER.Pi.AY.. Eowry- joined.'Slassey and the captain quickly ran. to, double figures, a couple of singles, being, followed up with two .splendid forcing strokes to the ' boundary Massey was playing himself in and was satisfied, with several singles, but Lowrv added, another four in. lifting a ball wefl: clear, of the. slics.l-Wellington's total-reach-ed 40Q when the:inniiigs had: been in progress for five hours nine minutes. At 405. U'pmb. took.over from Merritt (two fpr l? °, S 131 T or-s)- The batsmen forged ahead steadily, with Massey more on the defensive^ than Lowry, who netted, three from a stralsbt drive off Cromb. Lowry however, was unable -to scoro :.Vom one of Burrows s overs. A quiet period was broken.-by- Lowry in sending a ball hard to the long-on boundary, and just after this a ball went through to the-boundary without being touched. A beautiful four square to the off, was added by the captain on changing over to face Cromb, and he kept the bowling by notching a single Massey had been at the creases for oW haft an horn- in making six runs, but he (then made a stroke to Teg for two The (score was 431 when Merritt was brought 'back, but Lowry was not.to be quietened However he could not realise much from Merntt., but he. dealt heavily with a ball from Lester, sending it straight and hard to the- boundary, Lowry was making good headway by sound play, and Massey at length reached double figures after havin<* •been at the wickets for three-quarters of an hour. He did not go much further being out on appeal when Page, neldin"----449!1fi ln'io fo"vard and caught the ball. Crook was - next, and started with a single to leg off Merritt. He remained with Lowry until. the adjournment. was taken, the score then being 445 for sis ■wickets—Lovrry 37, Crook 1. LOWRY OUT. ■When play was resumed after lunch the attack was entrusted to ■iUerriU aud Burrows,, who had been used extensively earlier in .the "day. Lowry and Crook witg soon under way,again, the captain reaching 40 with a cut for three off the slow bowler, from whom Crook, moving out of his crease, made, some good scoring strokes". A glorious chance of breaking this partnership was presented;when-Lowry ntarlo a hit to square leg. The ball was fumbled by;Lester, and Crook-was, half-way u|i the pitch when- the fieldsman -resumed the ball., which was. immediately .thrown to Me.rritt at the .bowlers-end. • Crook was hurrying back, but had no chance of gelling to the crease in the event of Merritt taking the ball" cleanly. This Wcrritt failed to do, and. Crook landed home safehr. A little later, however, better ]iu-k favoured the -visitors,-.w-hen Roberts, slip fieldsman for Merritt, made a fine catdi to dismiss "Lowry:-'■-■ The- captain's "knock," occupying 73 -minutes. liad produced 43 runs; including six fours. -457—7—43: - NEARING THE END. ? Croo.k, how. partnered by .James,' went for runs-confidently, and one off-drive in facing Merritt sent (lie ball along the carpet to the boundary." Another stroke would have had a."similar:" result but.' for smart fielding by .I'aße. Crook contin nod to Bather, in-.runs quickly, a-iid-from; a-neat-_«nt off Burrow? ;t : he.-ba Union- i;tn all-the vrjiy for ihe tour runs which the' slrolie produced. Other scoring efforts made|

Crook's total 1!), at which he was beaten by a ball from jNleirilt and was bowled. In nine minutes Crook had iiiipL-ovec! the total by thirteon- rmiß. 470—S—10. Henderson- joined James, who had not yet- scored, and the newcomer started olf with a brace through the slips. James made a single just afterwards, anil a solid drive by Henderson sent--the ball moving fast to the boundary. When James hud recorded another single Henderson lust his wicket'through a ball kicking up on to his bat and presenting a simple catch to Koborts, the slip fieldsman. This gave ilerritt.his sixth wicket. 478—9— G. LAST WICKET—SOO UP. Xewinan, the last man, immediately square out a ball from Ifen-itt for three, and James received a similar return for a stroke behind the wicket. Then a bull from Burrows was skied to leg by James. The chance appealed so easy"thnfc James was starting for the pavilion, but Merritt did not take it and James gained a. run, to which he added a four to leg oil" Merritt and, following up with ;i single, mado Wellington's total . 490. Four byes brought Wellington near the 500 mark, and the prospect of reaching this rare mark increased interest in the proceedings. A smartly-run single was registered by Xewman, who subsequently played out an over without scoring. At 2.30 p.m. the score was 405 for. nine wickets. With, only five runs required to make the total 500, J.ames scored a single to leg, and, after a no ball had gone to the account and Newman had added a single, James brought 500 up with <i solid hit to the fence. This was a higher total than any ever previously recorded by Wellington against Canterbury in a Plunket Shield match. Cromb was brought on in place of Merritt, but this change was met • by more free scoring. Newman started off with a single, and then James hit two successive balls from Cromb to the boundary and drove another for two. Burrows was still retained at the southern end, and one of his deliveries was allowed to go through to the boundary for byes. Newman touched a ball for two, and followed up by forcing another to the off. for foil)-. In twenty minutes the lust-wicket pair had put on 46 runs. James made it a half-cen-tury partnership by driving a ball from Cromb to the fence. The pair wove going along merrily, and Lester and Merritt were each tried as a means of separating them. James, however, hit out strongly for two more fours, and Newman also, made another boundary hit. There were other scoring strokes, and the cricket was entertaining, providing a bright finishing touch to the innings. After having been associated for half an hour, Newman and James had increased thb, score by 71 runs. At 2.55 p.m. the score was 550 for nine wickets—James 40 not out, Newman 19 not out. INNINGS ENDS. The innings ended just afterwards when Newman lifted a ball slightly to the off," and was caught by Page, giving Merritt his seventh wicket. On the day Merritt had taken six wickets for 70 runs. Wellington's total was 553 made in 430 minutes. _. The last wicket put on 75 runs in 36 minutes, James carrying his bat for io, and Newman making 21. Details:— ... CANTERBUKV. First innings : ' -rjij WELLINGTON.' First Innings. Dempster, '<: Boberts, b Burrows .... 154 Dustm, st Burns, b Merritt 92 Hepburn, b Burrows ... 51 McG.ixT, c Bellamy, b Cromb ....'. 5-1 Lambert, c Hamilton, b Merritt IS Massey, c Page, b Merritt ...-.- 12 Lowry,. c Merritt, b.Roberts ... 43 Crook, b Merritt ...'. ..'. 19 James, not out •......"..'.!'.".".'. 45 Henderson, c Roberts/ b Merritt G Newman, c Page, b Merritt 21 Extras (byes 10, no balls 5) 3S .. '-Total .".'' /.'.'- •'"•...'..,-..."........". 553 .. Fall of Wickets.—One for 239, two for 27a, three for 355, four for 352, five for 356, cii for. 4-12,-seven "for 457-, eight for 470, nine for 475, ten .for '553.. BOWLING. O M. 1?. W. U-omb .- m i 110 I Burrows 47 17 10(1 2 £ ef. tOY -..,.... .22 4 0(i 0 Bellamy.. „.-.„... -los ■■ M) 0 Roberts.-. ......:-,„,-.■.-..- 7- '-0 °° 0 I'owell -■."...,,.;,..,....;." a\.--l' "<j "o Merntt. 4S ' 1 159 7