Slow Batting

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 59, 25 March 1937, Page 12

Slow Batting

-Preas Asgooiation. )

. M.C.C. DISPLAY Wyatt Contributes a Solid Century SOME GOOD FIELDING

(By Telegraph-

r WELLINGTON;, Latrt Nlght. Winning the toss the M .0X3. te%in fheld poasesaion of an easy wickert at the jBasin Eeserve to-day in the match jagainst New Zealand and scored 344 iruas for the loas of seven wickets. Heavy rain about 7 o 'clock this morning had xendered the wioket dead easy, but the Englishmen appeared afraid of it and the batting was deadly slow until a great stand by Wyatt and Ames puf on 115 for the sixth wicket, earrying the total from 162 to 277. Wyatt was the strong man of the English side as he showed the solidist of defence during his stay o/; 288 minutes. Ames, who gave the brightest display of the side, had bad luck in failing to reach his century. He was at. the wickets for 103 minutes for 97 which included 13 fours, The New Zealand bowling was steady without being dangerous. The New Zealand fielding was good, brilliant eatches being taken by Hadlee, Dunning and Wallace. The last-named gained frequent applause for smart ground work and accurate returns t,o the wicketkeeper.

Wyatt and Worthington opened the M.C.C. innings. Oowie, the Auckland faBt bowler, took up the attack with a fairly stiff northerly breeze behind him. Cowie got a fair turn of speed and some of his deliveries reared up off the pitch, the second ball rapping Wyatt on the thigh. Roberts bowled from the other end and Dunning dropped Wyatt at mid-on off his third ball. The bowlers kept a good length and it took 20 minutes before 10 appeared, both batsm.n having scored ffve. In Cowie 's fifth over Worthington reaehed double figures by turning one neatly to the fence at long-leg. With 19 up in 30 minutes Vivian relieved Cowie whose five overs had cost 11 runs. He opened with an accurate maiden to Worthmgtou.' After being at the wickets 34 minutes Wyatt reaehed double figures with a square-cut for a single off Boberts, Moloney being applauded for a clean right-handed pick-up which cut off a 'boundary. The batsmen had now got the pace of the pitch and the runs came at a brisker pace. With the total at 29 Dunning took the ball from Roberts who had sent down seven overs for 14. Wyatt "brought 30 up in 45 minutes svith a four off Dunning to aquare-leg. In Vivian 's fifth over one wbipped i across from the leg and Worthington ' touched it to Roberts in the slips. The •first wicket fell for 33 in 47 minutes. Hardstaff joined Wyatt who was 18 :and another spell of slow play followed jbrightened by Wyatt cutting one from j Vivian square to the fence. Hardstaff i opened with a crisp on-drive for four off j Dunning which bronght 50 up for an jhour's play. ; With the total at 60 JHoloney took jever from Vivian whose nine overs had resulted in 16 ;runs and one wicket. • After bowling three overs for nine runs i Moloney gaVe way to Cowie. With the i total at 73 Pagc relieved Dunning j whose ten overs had co£t 17 runa. {Hardstaff lifted Page's first ball over jtho long-on boundary for six. At the luneheon adjournment oue i wicket was down for 80, Wyatt being 1 42 and Hardstaff 18. Resuming Cowie ;and Roberts took up the bowling and jall that. came off four overs was a single |to Wyatt. Hardstaff l&te-cut Cowie through the slips for four placing him in the twenties. Even then only gix runs were scored in 20 minutes. With the total at 89 Hardstaff drove one to Hadlee at cover who took a good catch iclose to the ground . doined by FMilock Wyatt ran to the jhalf-centuiy after having been in 121 j minutes. Wyatt was limping as he ran jbetween the wickets. Dunning had u jfcry in place of Roberts and after a iquiei spelL Wyatt twice drove Vivian ;to the boundary through the covers. jffhis placed Wyatt in the sifties and jbroughfc 100 up in 130 minutes. When 162 Wyatt played one io Hadlee at jcover and had a narrow escape as the ifieldsman just failed to get to the ball. iRuns were coming now. Wyatt drove ,one from Dunning to .the fence at longon and a little later xepeated the stroke. With the total at 137 Fishlock, who had been at. the wickets for 52 minutes for 14, was caught at mid-on by Weir off Page at the second attempt. Hammond was giveu a Tousing reception as he came in to partner Wyatt who was 79, but to the disappointment of the erowd Hammond hit one from Cowie straight to Wallace at cover and was out for four. Leyland joined Wyatt who was 88 and ran mfco the nineties with a late-cut for four off Cowie. Ku was applauded on repeating the stroke in the same over bringing 160 up. Page relieved Dunning whb had bowled with great heart over a long spell and the changfe was at once effective, Leyland skying a full toss t&- Vivian at mid-on and failing for a single. Ames joined Wyatt and opened with a four through the covexs off Vivian. Resuming after tea Page took up the bowling and applause broke out all round the ground when Wyatt reaehed his century with a single off the first ball. Ames reaehed double figures with a four past cover and a tfhree to long-on off Roberts. At 184 Viyian replaeed Roberts and Wyatt cut him square for four. Dunning relieved Page and Ames hooked him past the ropes at square leg. The 200 came up at 4.20, Wyatt being 115 and Ames 22. MfiteSLfJ bqwM but *#via «y&# aflg

£ha over bringing 210 up. This brought Cowie on again. Cowie was m&king the new ball awing but Wyatt did some neat. late-cutting. The pair were now going well and runs eame freely despite frequent changes of bowling. The partnerahip put on 60 in 31 minutes and continued to score at a steady rate. Weir bowled for the first tirne and Amea powerfully cut his first ball to the pickets. Ames was shaping like a batsman in form and ran into his sixties with a powerful drive to the fence at long-on off Vivian. The partnership had now put on 100 in 74 minutes. With the total at 277 Wyatt 's long innings came to a elose. He late-cut one from Weir and Dunning took a brilliant right-handed eatch in the slips. Wyatt had been in 288 minutes and assisted Ames to put on 115 for the sixth wicket. Allen joined Ames who was 67 and the run-getting continued. Ames quickly ran into the eighties with powerful strokes all round the wicket. The third century came up In 297 minute* and Ames then ran into the nineties with a square-cut to the fence off Weir. With the total at 314 Ames, who only required three runs to xeach his century, was taken with a left-handed catch by Vivian off Dunning. Seven wickets were now down for 314. Verity came nest and opened with a pretty leg-glide to the ropes off Weir and Allen banged the same bowler paBt cover to the fence. When stumps were drawn at 6 o 'clock the board showed seven wickets down for 334, Allen being 14 and Verity 8. i The match will be resumed to-morrow morning. Scores: — M.C.C.

Wyatt, e Dunning, b Weir 144 Worthington, c Roberts, b Vivian 15 Hardstaff, c Hadlee, b Vivian .... 22 Fishlock, c Weir, b Page 14 Hammond, c Wallace, b Cowie .. 4 j Leyland, c Vivian, b Page 1 Ames, c Vivian, b Dunning ...... 97 Allen, not out 14 Verity, not out .. 8 Extras 15 Total for seven wickets .. .. 334 O. M. R. W. Cowie 22 0 7 0 Roberts .... 17 5 40 0 Dunning 37 ' 8 74 1 Vivian 24 8 60 2 Page 11 3 38 2 Maloney 5 0 20 0 Weir 11 0 41 1

First Innings.