Cricket TUMBLING WICKETS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 6, 22 January 1937, Page 12

Cricket TUMBLING WICKETS

Mat O'Brien's Remarkable Stand TEST MISAPPREHENSIONS (By "Mid-off.") Cricket was confined, insofar as the senior fixtures wero concerned, to Napier lafet Saturday, and on Nelson Park was presented tbe spectacle once again of tmnbling wickets. .No. % wicket in paxticnlar appeared to be in capricious anood, and here it was that Techr nical Old Boys effected the complete discomforture of TTnited, while on No. l Rugby staged a great recovery to -concede a firstinnings victory to H.S.O.B. Oontinuing with 70 on for four -wickets, United added but 24 runs, 11 of which eame from Hobbs. Ohadwick, not out over week, added two, then being caught in the country by L. Kauter. As previously mentioned, Kauter makes difficult catches look easy. United could do nothing with the immaculate length maintained by Doug. Pirie, who finished the innings with the great figures of six for 12. It was a strange experience for tJnited to follow on, and they made heavy weather of it, being all out for 73, leaving Technical victors by an innings and 29 runs. With the wicket playing tricks, pride of place for a really great fighting knock goes to Mat O'Brien, fourth man, who remained undefeated for 47. Such a score in face of the difficulties presented by the wicket was a triumph for any batsman and servea to eonfirm, if that wero necessary, the greatness of O'Brien as a batsman. The performance was all the. more remarkable in view of the fact that of the six remaining batsmen that went in after O'Brien, only two troubled the scorers and their total amounted to 12. Pawson recorded 11 of these and then he was run out attempting the impossible. Younghusband, Chadwick, Hobbs and Armitage in succession failed to score, and it would appear that some of our senior ericketers are affected unduly by early adversity. Eric Evans, with his good-length deliveries, secured five for 29, but he was assisted by some of the TJnited men. who just got themselves out. Rugby and H.S.O.B. Over on No. 1 wicket Rugby aiternately raised and then dashed the hopes of H.S.O.B. for an outright win. Opening with Biggar and Fisher, disaster was soon abroad, Harold Reaney polishingi off Fisher, Dyer and then Oraike for oontributions that would have looked good from a pen of "It»dian Runners." Merle Beuth stopped the rot, and with Biggar took the edge off the attack. Proceeding carefully, both m'en took the 6core from 12 past 50 before H. Reaney collected Biggar's wicket too for a valuable 37. Halligan joined Beuth and the pair settled down to a great partnership. At this period the wicket turned easy for the batsmen and Halligan was quick to appreciate it. He went down the pitch to meet the bowlers, and driving and cutting with great power, quickly ran to 73. Rugby declared a little later, but by this time H.S.O.B. were quite subdued and were well content to play out time, satisfied with their first-innings lead, althougfh four wickets were lost in the process. During this period M. Beuth sent down eome clinking deliveries, claiming three wickets. Tests in Aus.raiia.

All Test matches played in Australia are limitless affairs as regards the number of days of play — that is, they *aust be fougbt out to a finish. This explanation appears necessary in view of the many opinions expressed contrary to the fact. Another explanation appears timely concerning the oovering of the wicket. The laws govcrning Test cricket provide that tho cover must be removed from the wicket at 7 o'clock on the first morning of play if no rain is fallifig. If there is rain, the cover remains on until the start of play. The fourth Test commences on January 29, and already the weather prophets are forecasting fine weather for each day. If such does happen the game is likely to extend to seven days. History shows that tho fast and the slow bowlers are the destroyers at Adelaide, and if history repeats itself, England will have an undoubted advantage with Voce and Allen against McCormick, the solitary Australian "express." Much dependa on Don Bradman from the Australian viewpoint, but strangely enough all of his Test centuries for Australia against England in Australia have been recorded on the Melbourne ground — 112 and 123 in 1928-29, 103 not out in 1934 and 270 in the latest Test played. Next week h© will bo at home on the Oval at Adelaide, as it is in this city that Don has made his home. As usual the winning of the toss will have an important bearing on tbe ultimate result. In this connection it is interesting to note , that the highest score for the fourth use of a wicket in a Test between the two countries is 411, made by England at Sydney in 1924. England were confronted with the task of scoring 605 runs and in the circumriMWH mde a valiant effort.