KEEN CRICKET DUEL

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 61, 4 December 1937, Page 17

KEEN CRICKET DUEL

BATTLE OF WITS BETWEEN C. ii. OLTVER AND I. B. CROMB. Fxequently the most absorbing stage of a cricket match comes when there is a battle of wits between two wellknown players. There was a duel of this type at Hagley Park (Christchurch) on a recent Saturday between . two former New Zealand representatives, C. J. Oliver as batsman, and I. B. Cromb as bowler. It was well worth watching. Oliver unhesitatingly s'wept any loose ball to the fence when it came along, but he took no risks whatever if the delivery seemed to be loaded with m'enace. A slow leg-break would be followed by a straight one with over-spin, and then, perhaps, a couple whipped down with the peculiar "slinging" action that distinguished Cromb's run of bowling successes in England ln 1931. Still Oliver could not be lured into a trap, and the score kept mounting. Cromb tried all the- guil% he could muster, and was never discouraged when a good ball failed to bring results. Finally it became apparent that Oliver might be partial to a slowish full toss. Cromb did not overdo it, bift carefully baited the trap. At last Oliver hit lustily high and hard to the boundary at long-off. A fieldsman was waiting but .... Later Cromb tried the device again— first shifting a fieldsman. Dryden, from long-on to deep square-leg. Again the ball went up high and hard — and Dryden held it. Oliver's valuable. innings was over. He had made 66 of the best.