M.C.C. DOWNED

Hokitika Guardian, 1 July 1931, Page 7

M.C.C. DOWNED

NEW ZEALAND’S WEN

(By Dr A. J. Harrop). LONDON, 'May 20. So completely did New Zealand rout the M.C.C. at Lord’s that one is still left gasping with bewilderment. Few of us who have been following the fortunes of the team with the keenest interest since the beginning of the tour ever thought such a feat' was possible. When, the M.C.C. side was announced we saw that it was strong, and, -while confident that New Zealand would not be beaten, resigned ourselves to three days of high scoring similar to that of the M.C.C?. match in the last tour. To think that the match is over—that there was less than nine hours’ actual play—that 20 M.C.C. wickets fell in four hours for 180 runs! Tt seems almost too good to be true, and such a brilliant performance more than compensates for the bitter disappointment of the bad weather which ruined the first two days of the match. EMILY SHOOKS. The game began with one or two early shocks for 'New Zealand. James and Blunt went out with the score board showing only 28. Dempster was unlucky to be out off a good hit when he looked to be well set. Only one bowler in ten would have brought off the catch which J. C. White held. Talbot delighted everybody with some free hitting, and when rain caused play to be impossible after lunch time, the score stood at Tl 4 for four. There was a long wait on the second day, but it proved worth while. Talbot’s score mounted rapidly from 29 to 66, and Lowry showed that he retained his habit of scoring runs when they were most wanted. Starting very scratchily, he soon began to score at a pace which was remarkable in view of the state of the outfield. Everybody was glad that he had time to complete his hundred before the close of play. A GREAT' DAY. On the third day we arrived at Lord’s with a oertain pleasurable anticipation hut little that we were going to sec cricket history made before our eyes, or that Mr P. F. Warner, chairman of the England selection committee, would be comparing 'May 19,1931, with May 27, 1878, when the Australians placed themselves on the cricket map of the world. When Matheson and Cromb began the bowling to E. IV. Dawson and J. W. Ilearne, one was at once impressed by their command of length. Cromb had Dawson beautifully caught almost at once, and Matheson soon alter had Crawley caught by Page at short slip. This began a collapse which was not arrested until seven wickets were down for 67. White then stayed with Jardine, who was batting splendidly, until 53 were , added. It looked at one time as if the follow-on would be averted, but Merritt finished the innings off at 132, getting Franklin 1.b.w., and Allom caught by Kerr. l "\ . SENSATIONAL COLLAPSE. The M.C.C. total was small enough tobring out startling newspaper placards, but everybody thought that the I s.ue would be. able to avert defeat in the 170 minutes that remained to play. .. e reckoned, however, without Merritt and Blunt. Lowry, whose captaincy throughout the match was remarkably good, wasted little time on the medium paced bowling. After a couple of overs from Matheson, Merritt and Blunt bowled unchanged through probably the most remarkable innings in which New Zealand has ever engaged. Merritt was positively unplayable. If one had not known that the batsmen opposed to him had nearly all played for England against Australia or South Africa, one would have thought them an extremely poor side. 'Htarne, the only professional in the team, was almost as much at sea as the other members of the siae, and only Jardine emerged from the match without a samv diminished reputation. Merritt got three wickets in one over, and one in each of the next three overs. Nine wickets were down for 32, and even after a despairing last wicket stand had increased the total by 50 per cent., the net result was only 48 after 65 minutes’ play. ONE IN A. LIFETIME. When congratulated after the the heroes of the encounter were careful not to exaggerate the importance of the victory. They said it was the sort of thing which would happen only once in a lifetime—and they were probably rin-ht. Just as the victory was one achieved by whole-hearted team work,

so was the pleasure of the result enhanced by the feeling that the whole tour would benefit. The comments of the critics on the result were very flattering, but there is no among the members of the team to think that th r iv path is likely to be an easy one. Whole-hearted' det"rin;nat;on has done a lot already, and it will do a great deal more to win matches for the side. There is ample evidence already that the fielding is as good or better than that of anv eounty s ; de in the country. Some of the catches taken at Lord's wei” veallv b’-illfant. Only one was missed, and the fieldsman retreve'd his mistake by catching the same batsman a few runs later. Thomas Wilford 4uCommissioner, who was present during the closing stages of vhc game. was naturally delighted by the result and the spirit of the New Zealand side. Whatever happens during the remaind°r of the tour, it will he made memorable by this almost, incredible M.C.C. match,