SWIFT SCORING

Evening Post, Volume CXXI, Issue 1, 2 January 1936, Page 5

SWIFT SCORING

M.C.C. BATSMEN

DISPLAY AT DUNEDIN

(By -Telegraph—Press Association.)

DUNEDIN, January 1

In contrast to the complete first-in-nings collapse of the Otago batsmen, the M.C.C. cricketers, playing at Carisbrook yesterday and today, scored 550 runs in a bright display of hitting. Otago scored only 7a in their first innings, and in the second innings had five wickets down for 159 at the close of today's play.

For Tuesday's play the weather was beautifully fine and the wicket favoured tho batsmen. There was a fair attendance. Otago batted first and the innings lasted 113 minutes, Knight and Dunning being the only batsmen ito reach double figures. ! The feature of the lirst day's play was a fine exhibition by Smith and Parks, the English team's opening pair, who batted faultlessly for 181 minutes and gave only one chance. Smith made 165 and was then caught by Uttley off L. Smith. Parks did not give a chance until he was bowled by Dunning for 103. The English opening pair, Smith and Parks, lost little time in getting into their stride, and a few minutes after the start they were -hammering the bowling of Dickinson and Talbot. Runs came smartly. 20 going up in seventeen minutes, 30 in twenty-two minutes, and 40 in twenty-eight minutes. Dunning then took over from Dickinson, and 50 appeared on the board in fortytwo minutes. Talbot was replaced by Elmes, and in fifty-seven minutes the. M.C.C. total had mounted to 80, 50 of which had been scored by Smith. L. Smith then took over the bowling from Elmes and Dunning was replaced by Dickinson. One hundred appeared on the board after eighty minutes, the score at the tea adjournment being 113 (Smith 61 and Parks 50).

Smith reached his century after he had been at the wickets for one hundred and seventeen minutes, the total then being 170. Knight was then brought on to bowl, and 200 was reached after the partnership had been batting for one hundred and twenty-nine minutes, the second hundred taking only fifty-one minutes to make. Parks reached his century in one hundred and fifty-three minutes, and a few minutes later he was clean-bowled by Dunning, his score being 103, and the total 239. He had batted faultlessly throughout, and although not as spectacular as Smith, was a delight to watch in action. • Barber joined Smith and faced the bowling of Dunning. He was dismissed with the third ball, being given out leg before without, scoring. Hardstaff, the brilliant Notts batsman, joined Smith, and the pair scored rapidly, 250 being reached in a few minutes. With his score at 141, Smith gave a chance to Kerr on the boundary, who dropped a fairly easy catch. Smith was caught a few minutes later by Uttley off L. Smith, his total being 165, scored in one hundred and eightyone minutes. It''included twenty 4's and two 6's. The score then stood at 289, and Hardstaff was joined by Mitchell-Innes, the partnership taking the score to 307, when stumps were drawn for the day. THE INNINGS CONTINUED. Mitchell-Innes and Hardstaff. the notout batsmen yesterday, provided some bright batting when play was resumed lodav, carrying their scores to 87 ;md 86 respectively before going out. Play was resumed in a strong southerly wind, which assisted the bowlers. The wicket showed no signs of wear. Dickinson and Dunning were the opening bowlers and for a while runs came slowly. When he had settled down, Hardstaff delighted the crowd with some beautiful shots and the score began to mount, rapidly. Twentyfive minutes after the resumption the M.C.C. total stood at 330 (Hardstaff 29, Mitchell-Innes 21). When 350 appeared on the board the Englishmen had been batting for 231 minutes. Both Dickinson and Dunning were bowling with better length today, but both batsmen continued to score all round the wickets, placing tbe balls with that accuracy for which the M.C.C. batsmen are noted, Hardstaff had been at the wickets for eighty-three minutes when his score reached 50, and Mitchell-Innes ■had reached the half-century in eighty minutes. Talbot, and Elmes took over the bowling and the M.C.C. total reached 400 after 261 minutes (Hardstaff 70, Mitchell-Innes 54). With his score at BG. Hardstaff was bowled by Smith, the Otago slow lefthander. The total was then 435, of which Mitchell-Innes. had made 68. Hardstaff batted for 123 minutes and his total included ten fours. Human joined Mitchell-Innes and at the luncheon adjournment the visitors "had scored 445. Twenty-one runs were added to the total after the resumption when Mitchell-Innes.Avas given out legbefore to Dunning. Mitchell-Innes batted stylishly for two' hours twenty minutes, and hit up 87 runs. Holmes partnered Human, whose wicket was skittled by the next ball, a no-ball from Dickinson. Human was hitting out at everything off the wicket. Dickinson was sending down some excellent stuff, and his second ball of the next over clean-bowled the English captain, who was dismissed for a single. Dickinson had 120 hit off him before getting a wicket. The score was 476 when Griffith joined Human, who skied a ball to mid-on off Dunning when 25. Uttley ran and got his hands to the ball but failed to hold it. Human had given three chances. Five hundred appeared on ithe score- board after the visitors had been batting for just over three and a half hours. Human was scoring at a great pace, and had been at the wicket only an hour when his total reached the half-century. At 57 he went leg-before to Smith, the total being 534. Despite the fact that he gave several chances, Human gave an attractive display, scoring off everything possible. His score included eight fours. Sims was the next man in, and the partnership took the score to 539 when he was caught behind the wickets by Toomey off Knight, after making two. I Powell partnered Griffith, for only five minutes, and had made one when he was caught by Cavanagh off Talbot at third slip. „.,„,, Read then joined Griffith, and was clean-bowled first ball by Talbot, the visitors' innings, which lasted 360 minutes.' closing for 550. The total included three sixes and sixty fours. Griffith.. the not out man. made 2b. OTAGO'S SECOND INNINGS. With a deficit of 472 Otago began the second innings, Knight and Saxton being the opening batsmen. Both shaped well to the bowling ol Read and Parks, ten going' up in five minutes. Knight brought off some good shots in the first two overs, and delighted the spectators by square-cutting both Read and Parks to the boundary. Read was bowling with much more pace than yesterday. Saxton was the first Otago batsman to go. being brilliantly caught by Smith in the slips off Read at 13. The total had reached 37.' Knight being 22. Kerr partnered Knight, who was going well when he was caught at point by Barber off Read. Knight scored 31 in 25 minutes, the total being 46. He hit six fours. Elmes joined Kerr, who had been m for 15 minutes before scoring, tifty came up in 34 minutes, and the hundred appeared in 80 minutes. Elmes had contributed a bright 37 and Kerr 17. Both wore going well, playing Hip bowling of Holmes and Sims with confidence. Elmes was dropped by ! Human at mid-off at 47, and was then caught in the slips by Sims off Holmes. IHe batted 69 minutes and hit seven fours. ' , ,

Talbot went in at 110. For the first two overs he was not at all comfortable, and then hit a ball 'high over Sirns's bead for the most spectacular six seen at, Carisbrook for a long time. Ho knocked up J6 and was then bowled by Human, tbe leg-break artist. Otago had lost, four wickets Cor 151 when Cavancif-lv partnered, Kerr, who

had made 42. Kerr added two to his score and was then caught by Powell behind the wickets off the last ball ol the last-over before stumps. The bowler was Human.

Details:— OTAGO. First innings "'% Second Innings. Knight, c Barber, b Read 31 Saxton, c Smith, b Read I.i Kerr, c Powell, b Human 44 Elmes, c Sims, b Holmes 47 Talbot, b Human lt> Cavanagh, not out '•'> Extras -> Total for five wickets 159 M.C.C. ■ First Innings. Smith, c Uttley, b Smith 163 Parks, b Dunning 103 Barber, Ibw, b Dunning 0 Hardstafr, b Smith 8S Mitchell-Innes, Ibw, b Dunning .. 87 Human, Ibw, b Smith •-■" Holmes, b Dickinson 1 Griffith, not out 2(5 Sims, c Toomey, b Knight 2 Powell, c Cavanagh, b Talbot 1 Read, b Talbot ,v Extras ~2 Total 550

Bowling.—Dickinson .one for 139, Talbot two for 71, Dunning three for 114, Elmes none for 104, Smith three for 71, Knight one for 29.