COMMENTS ON THE PLAY

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 72, 27 March 1933, Page 9

COMMENTS ON THE PLAY

IS ISSUE BEING FORCED?

(Special to "The Evening Post.")

CHRISTCHURCH, March 25.

The Englishmen displayed a different style of cricket this morning—every bit as delightful as yesterday's showing; indeed to some appetites it was even more so. With the early departure of Hammond, the hitters arrived, and Brown and Voee~gave an exhilarating' exhibition of forceful, yet sound i batting. At first one gained the imI pression that' they were not quite so ; confident as their predecessors had be'en; but when they got properly going success begot confidence and neither i looked uncomfortable at any stage. Both, too, appeared to have cominland of all the shots that'class batsmen should know. For example, in Brown's 54, compiled in a little over-an hour, were off drives, cover drives, straight drives, late cuts (one the gentlest most caressing stroke imaginable; j followed in the same over by a vicious • straight drive and a lofting on drive), square cuts, pulls, and leg hits. Voco's repertoire was more limited. He relied chiefly on a devastating square cut | and a full-shouldered ou drive, but he executed these so hard and so often, with wido open shoulders, that he was every bit as pleasing to watch and every bit as effective as'his partner. Two big men, they showed what brawn scientifically applied, can do. Yet-there was nothing rash in their methods; They tempered their zeal with discretion and. picked the right ball unerringly..

As might well be imagined, there was hardly a dull moment during the morning. Tor a period of twelve minutes, while Badcock and Newman v were on, together, only seven runs were scored, yet the partnership, which lasted 54 minutes, realised 90 runs. In one period of half an hour 60 runs were rattled on. . BADCOCK HANDICAPPED. The weakness of the New; Zealand bowling was once more apparent. Smith, bowling faster than yesterday, had Voce in trouble for an over, during which ho beat the Notts man'three times, but that was all. Badcock fielded everything that came to him with his left hand, indicating that his right hand was troubling him, and with "Badcock gone everything was gone. Page's success lends colour^ to the <yiew previously expressed that he might have tried an over -or two himself, but, o£ course, yesterday's batsmen were not of the type to succumb to his blandishments.

Cricket'o£ a still different nature was seen in the afternoon, when for a long period the play was very slow, and. it was not until after, the tea adjournment that "Weir, 'who had then been hatting an hour and a half for 30 tuns, began to Kven up. True, the bowling was of a much different calibre from that which Hammond and company had to face, but one felt that a littlernore resolution, while detracting nothing from'safety, would have resulted in greater, confidence and an increase in the rate of scoring.. MENTAL TIMIDITY. The early dismissal of Dempster, who mistimed his favourite hdok and gave an easy catch, was, of course, a blow that threw- a -heavy responsibility on the remaining batsmen, and there was also the further consideration that Vivian and Badcock were incapacitated; so perhaps Weir may be forgiven for what appeared at. first blush to be timidity—in the mental and not the physical sense. Whitelaw also could have put much more power into his strokes, and it was1 a weak shot that led to his dismissal. Having made. up his mind to go out to Verity, he should have gone with all the power his shoulders wore capable of, and so, if he were to give a, catch, have made it as difficult as possible. He scored many of his runs by late cuts, and he played the ball off his legs well. One or two that went down the gully looked somewhat accidental, but on the whole, for a youngster playing in his first Test, he did well. ■ . , BAD LUCK POX WEIR. Weir was at the- wickets for nearly three hours, and his careful methods, if they did nothing else, at least made an M.C.C. win very problematical. It was unfortunate for him that he should have got out only a few balls after he had unsuccessfully appealed against the light and that stumps should have been drawn immediately. Ho gave a hard chance to Jardine early in his innings, but otherwise he was very safe. When, he did decide to go for the bowling he made some good drives to the on, and although he failed to connect with a great many balls on the leg side he now and again got a good one away. Ho did some cutting, but not with the vim that sends the ball flashing to the boundary. Kcrr was very restrained. Never a very good starter, he was at pains to play himself in, feut after the tea adjournment he (as did Weir) began to use his feet to advantage and to force the pace a little.' He lifted the ball I occasionally, but always into safe places, although not with the power j that Brown and* Voco had shown in the I morning. THE M.C.C. BOWLING. i Jardine rang frequent changes with his bowlers, of whom Verity, especially when the batsmen were staying at home to him, looked the most difficult. Allen was quito impressive. Taking a run of about fifteen yards, ho went through at top, and there- was no trace of that hesitancy half-way through with.which Crook and Parsloo, for example, reduce their effectiveness. All the bowlers required careful watching, but apart from that they appeared to give little trouble.

Verity did good work close in at fine leg, and Payntcr was very smart and active in the outfield, but the general impression left on one's mind regarding the English fielding was that of carelessness, and ono wondered whether any serious attempt was really being made- to force the issue. With seventeen wickets still to fall, New Zealand should, -unless firmer methods are adopted on Monday, be able to save the game.