CRICKET

Hokitika Guardian, 8 May 1931, Page 6

CRICKET

NEW ZEALAND TOUR. THE FIRST MATCH. AGAINST ESSEX. (United Press Anneciation— -By Electric Telegraph—Copyright). (Received 8.40 a.m.) LONDON, May 7. New Zealand cricketers first innings closed for 425- Dempster and Talbot continued well. The former played on a. shooter from Nicholls. James was dismissed cheaply. Allcott and Merritt made a brisk last wicket partnership, adding 4G in twenty minutes. Drier was the most dangerous Essex bowler. NEW ZEIALAND—First Innings. Mills, c Sheffield, b Nichols 33 Page, 1.b.w., b Nichols » Blunt, b Daer ... 2d Weir, h Daer Kerr, b Daer 25 Dowry, st. Sheffield, b Eastman ... 33 James l.b.w. Daer James I b.w. Da or 1 Allcott b Smith Merritt not out *'3 Total 425 Bowling—Daer 5 for 74, Nichols 3 for 92, Smith 1 for 125, Eastman 1 for 157. ESSEX —First Innings. Cutmore l.b.w. Blunt 5 O’Connor c Mills b Merritt 129 Pope run out 20 Eastman b Talbot - 22 Nicholls c Allcott b Blunt IS Sheffield l.b.w. b. Blunt 7 Bray c Lowry b Merritt 12 Hopkin l.b.w. b Merritt 0 Daer c James b Weir 3 Morris not out 12 Smith b Merritt -3 Extras E2 Total 261 Bowling—Talbot 1 for 49, Weir 1 lor 32, Blunt 3 for 67, Merritt 4 for 89. Allcott 0 for 15. Stumps were then drawn. The cable figures are mutilated. Dempster and Talbots score and extras was not received. The Essex bowling figures are inaccurate.

O’CONNOR’S CENTURY. (Received 10.5 a.m.) LONDON, May 7. (Special to Press Association). Except O’Connor, the Essex batsmen failed. Talbot and Weir opened the attack. The spin bowlers were soon given a chance. Blunt in his , first over dismissed Cutmore with u faster ball, T.b.w. An excellent return by Allcott ran out Pope. After lunch, Eastman and Nichols helped O’Connor to score* steadily. Nichols was hampered by an injured hand and was caught in his only attempt at a big bit. QiCoaPV-bWtecU for his second consecutive ceuturv of the season, although troubled occasionally by Merritt. Blunt dropped a difficult chance at seventy-eight. O’Connor lost his wicket in trying to force the .pace. The later batsman tried hard to avert a follow on. The tenth wicket fell in the last over of the day. • Lowry tried 5 bowlers. Merritt and Blunt bowled unchanged for the greater part of the afternoon and were treated with respect. Weir “Opt an accurate length. Few faults were apparent in the New Zealand fielding. Lowry, handled the side admirably;

THE ESSEX TEAM. It is interesting to note that Essex were the first team to lower the New Zealanders’ colom-s in 1927. The county in that season hardly held the position it now does, but it beat the tourists by five wickets —the first of three rather discouraging defeats the team suffered in succession. Naturally the Dominion players will be keen to take their revenge.

H. M. Morris is - one of the English ‘“lucky captains.” When lie took over the captaincy of Essex in 1929 from J. AV. H. T. Douglas, the county had the depressing record for the past season of 13 defeats as against two wins, finishing last but one in the championship. Thus in the course of two seasons the county has improved from sixteenth place to sixth. Strength of Essex.

' For their good record Essex have largely to thank M. S. Nichols, A. C. Russell, J. O’Connor, and J. Cutmore. The first-named, as the players who met him during the Englishmen’s tour of New Zealand last year know, is at times a very destructive bowler of con'siderable pace, with swerve and a little turn. On the tour he took 60 wickets at an average of just under 16 runs apiece, and , in addition, came out with the fine batting average of 43.89, scoring 834 runs. One of the best allrounders in England for some years, he has been tmfortunate in missing international honours on more than one occasion. A. C. Russell, now a veteran, still scores well over a thousand runs Onch season for his county, retaining a great deal of the skill that made him One of the English mainstays in 192021. 1 O’Connor and Cutmore are two professionals who have given Essex good service for several years. The former last year scored 1477 runs at an average of 43, not so good as his previous season’s record of nearly 2000, runs but accompaniel by a number of good bcwling performances. On occasions his leg-breaks will have the best batsmen in trouble. Cutmore made more runs than bis team-mate, but at a poorer average. 1). F. Pope, playing for Essex for the first time last season, proved a great acquisition, scoring

1224 runs at an average of 34. Other useful men in the county team are--A. G. Raer, amateur all-rounder; J. R. Sheffield, wicketkeeper and fine forcing batsman ; P. Smith, slow bowler; and A. R. Hipkin, all-rounder and brilliant field. Tn addition the county-has many amateurs of a high class whose services are available only occasionally. L. C. Eastman, well known a s the Otago As. sociation’s coach, was unable to play last year owing to injury, but liis bowling may be more than useful again this season. ?T. J. Palmer—probably the Palmer who played for the Maori Cricket Club against the tourists—is one of the amateurs whose services file country would like to have more frequently, a quick turn from log making him an effective, and sometimes dangerous, bowler.

SOm-I AFRICAN TEAM. COMING TO AUSTRALIA. ADELAIDE, May 7. \nv doubt as to whether the South African cricketers are coming to Australia is settled by tlm announcement to-day that the team leaves f'piv'tnwn fo r Australia on October 2nd bv the liner “Aneliises,” and they will remain in Australia until Ajarch let.-