CRICKET

Hokitika Guardian, 14 December 1929, Page 5

CRICKET

M.C.O. TEAM. FIRST N.Z. MATCH. AGAINST WELLINGTON. (By Telegraph—Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Dec. 13. The M.C.C. team experienced bad luck for tho opening match of their New Zealand tour at the Basin Reserve to-day. Hie rain during the morning miade /it doubtful! whether any play would be possible, but a start was made at three o’clock. The wicket had been covered.

Gilligan won the toss, and lie rightly decided that England should have the first uso of what should have been an easy wicket. The Englishmen, however, never settled down, and they appeared to bo out of form. Splendid length bowling by Badooqk, ‘McLeod, Henderson and McGirr saw the Englishmen all dismissed in one minute under three hours. There were only a few hundred people present when the . play cmimenced, but when it became known that the match had started,' people flocked to the ground, and by four o’clock close upon 3COO were in attendance.

Frank Woolley, the brilliant Kent left-hander, the maker of over a hundred centuries in first-class cricket, failed to score.

The Indian Prince, who played for England against South Africa last season, had just reached a dozen when he had the bad luck to be run out.

The only man cm the English side who played up to his reputation was the vicer-captain, C. P. Earle, of Somerset. Six wickets were down for 79 when the burly Somerset amateur strode to the crease, but this did not affect him in the slightest. He set resolutely about putting a rosier complexion on the score sheet and he succeeded admirably. Swinging the long handle with schoolboy-like abandon, hq delighted the' crowd by sending the leather sailing over the fence and far away. Three magnificent sixes off Badcock were superb shots—the broad shoulders opened, the strokes were perfectly timed, and the ball was caught fair and true on the driving part of the bat. Earle was only at the wickets for 32 minutes, but in that time he hit up 45 runs. It was breezy batting, and the Englishmen would have scored many more runs had they emulated the Somerset man’s tactics.

The chief reason for the M.C.C. downfall, however, was undoubtedly the excellent bowling of .Jhe Wellington side. Badcock kept an immaculate length, and he kept changing his flight and his spin very skilfully. At one stage he had sent down fourteen overs for 12 runs. Earle battered Badcock about sadly, but he ended up a fjpleudid performance by capturing three wickets for 72 runs off 28 oveis, eleven of which were maidens. , r The surprise packet of Wellington's bowling strength, however, was the University captain, Eddie McLeod, who captured three wickets- tor seven runs off 29 deliveries. Henderson and McGirr, the fast medium bowlers on the side, also kept an excellent length. The Wellington fielding was good, particularly the work in the air. Massey took two smart catches in the slips. Lowry snapped up two neat ones close in, and Dempster and Hollings also showed that they had safe .hands. Every man on the English side was caught' out with the exception of the Indian Prince, who was run out. Scores :-r-

ENGLAND—Ist Innings.

A. H. H. Gilligan, c Massey, b Henderson E W. Dawson, c James, b Henderson zo K. S. Duleepsinhji, run out ... 12 F. E. Woolley, c Massey, b Badcock G. B. Legge, c Lowry, b Badcock t M. S. Nicholls, c and b McLeod 28 S. Worthington, c Dempster, b Badcock 10 G. F. Earle, c Dempster, b Mcleod ‘ ‘ F. Barratt, c Hollings, b McGirr - W. Cornford, c Lowry, b McLeod 6 M. J. 0. Allom, (not out) Byes ••• 9 Leg byes ...

Total r Fall of wickets: One for 35, 2 foi 48, 3 for 50, 4 for 61, 5 for 63, 6 for 79, 7 for 147, 8 for 148, 9 for 151, 10 for 166. Rowling analysis: McGirr 16 overs, 4 maidens, 28 runs, 1 wicket; Badcock 28 overs, 11 maidens, 72 runs, 3 wickets: Henderson 16 overs 1 mai - ell 53 runs, 2 wickets; McLeod 4.5 overs, 1 maiden, 7 runs, 3 wickets.