CRICKET TEST

Hokitika Guardian, 2 January 1932, Page 5

CRICKET TEST

SOUTH AFRICANS’ LEAD

AUSTRALIAN BATSMEN FAIL

(Australian Press Association.)

MELBOURNE. December 31

The weather was delightful and the wicket perfect for the test match, -Ana tralia v. South Africa. The outfield .was .fast. Wood full won the toss, and elected jto bat. Among the early sensations was when Bell uprooted Ponsford's leg stump, thus making the fourth occasion recently on which I’onsfbrd has been dismissed in a similar manner.

In attempting a leg glance, Bradman was nicely taken behind the wickets.

Woodfdll then met with a similar fate.

The bowsers. Bell and Quinn, were making the ball lift sharply, and as those bowlers were on the top of their form, the Cape captain, Cameron, blundered badly by putting on McMillan, who is a. slow bow lei’. Seventeen runs, {including a great straight hit for six, by Kippux, were made off McMillan's second r, and at luncheon the total was three for 67. This is one of the lowest aggregates before lunch on re cord, with the wicket good. McCabe was caught in the Slips after he had been batting for 45 minutes. Bell had now taken 3 for 14, as a result of splendid bowling. Kippux gave his usual neat display. He batted 114 minutes and hit ono six and four fours. A’Beekett and Oldfield were caught in the slips off Quinn in the same over. ■Ri.gg, in attempting t-o force matters, skied the ball and was caught at fine leg. He batted 91 minutes, and hit five fours, and gave an excellent display. At the tea interval the score was eight for 178, the innings closing for 193. Red and Quinn had bowled magnificently, the ball making great pace off the wicket. Cameron was in great form behind the wickets. The other fielding was splendid. Australia s innings ended at 4.37 p.m. The South Africans opened very quietly, they again being badly worried by Grimmett. Mitchell, when 13, gave a chance of stumping off Grimmett. Finally he was caught high up in the slips. Curnow batted ror seventy minutes.

The attendance was twenty thousand, and the receipts over £1,135. The test match was resumed m muggy weather. The wicket was Hi perfect condition in the early stages. The South African batsmen played doggedly, fifty runs being reached in 81 minutes. Christy was far below h:s best form. After batting for an hour, ha was easily caught in the sups. ■‘Curnow was also worried by Grimmett, but he . batted for 114 minutes he hit three boundaries. The ceiltury was brought up in 16. i minutes, Taylor was at the wicket tor 46 minutes./All the batsmen were playing fast-footed to Grimmett and Ironmonger. Morkel was looking for runs, *-ut his timing was very much at fault. Cameron showed an improvement m his batting methods by using his lee* to the slow bowlers. Morkel showed good form against the medium and last bowlers, and the scoring rate ■mprov ed. The partnership added fifty mrs in 54 minutes. Then there followed more dull play, the large crowd becoming impatient. Morkel batted 33 minutes, hitting two boundaries. Cuin-o-on, after opening nicely, became very stodgy when he should have been forcing runs. At the ton adjournment the score was five wickets lor 176 runs. South Africa had lost seven for 268 when stumps were drawn. Cameron was smartly stumped by Oldfield alter batting 96 minutes. He gave a good disjalav at times, but wasted too many opportunities of scoring. Australia s total was passed after 238 minutes, but many runs came from lucky snicks, nn batsmen getting on top of the bowlers. Viljoen, who was at the wickets 136 minutes, occasionally made a nra'fc boundary shot and scored fairly freely off' Ironmonger towards the close. McMillan batted forty minutes. The time for the innings was 367 minutes. The attendance was twenty-one thousand, and the takings £1242. AUSTRALIA.—First Timings. Wood full, c Cameron b Bell ... 7 Ponsford, b Bell J Bradman, c Cameron, b Quinn ... 2 Kippux, c Bell b Quinn ° 2 McCabe, c Morkei b Bell 22 <■ Mitchell b Bell ... ... 68 A’Beekett, v Mitchell b Quinn ... 6 Oldfield, c Vincent, h Quinn ... 0 Grimmett. c Morkel b Bell ... 9 Wall, not out 6 .Ironmonger, run out 12 Extras 7 Total - ~ 198 The wickets fell : One for 11, two for 16. three for 25, four for 74, live for [135, six for 143, seven for 143. eight fm ’ 173, nine for 179, ten for 198. Bowling analysis; Bed 26 overs, 9 in a i lens, wickets, 6J runs; Quinn M overs. 1,3 maidens, 4 wickets, 42 runs; Morkel 0 wickets for 12, Vincent ') for 32, McMillan 0 for 22, Chr.Vy 0 for 14.

SOUTH AFRICA.—First Innings. Mitchell, e McCabe b Wall ... 17 Curnow, b Grimmett 47 Christy, c Mc"abe b Ironmonger 16 Tnvlor, l.b.w. b Grimmett 11 'Morkel, 1.b.w., b Ironmonger ... 3b Cameron, st. Oldfield b Grimmett 39 Vi Coen, not. out 65 Vincent, c Oldfield b Wad ... 16 McMillan, not out ‘ 10 Extras 14

Total for seven wickets

PLUNKET SHIELD

OTAGO OPENS IN GOOD STYLE

AUCKLAND, January 1. The Plunket' Shield, match between Auckland and Otago commenced at Ellen Park to-day in, fine weather. The wicket was hard, and the outfield dry and fast. There -was only a failattendance of the public, this being due to numerous counter-attractions. Otago had first use of the wicket and the side gave a consistently good exhibition of hatting in totalling 317. At the drawing; of stumps, Aueklnd had scored 24 for the loss of two wickets. Badcock was top scorer for the visitors with 84, and he gave a bright all-round display, particularly | in the early part of his innings, ivn-:i he averaged over a run a minute. The crowd was . disappointed at the early j dismissal of Blunt, the record-holder, I who lost Ins wicket on a run out through a foolish call by Badcock. Dimes and Dunning gave bright exhibitions of 49 and 36 respectively, while Knight and Smith were slower in compiling their contributions of 42 and 39. Following are the scores: ■OTAGO.—First Innisngs. F. T. Badcock, c Postles, b Vivian 84 R. Cherry, 1.b.w., b Lvon ... ... 17 R, C. Blunt, run out (> \ A. Knight, c Vivian, b Weir ... 42 S. Elmes, b-Weir 49 3). Smith, b Vivian 39 J. A. Dunning, 1.b.w., b Vivian ... .-36 D. A. Iv. Maloney, run out 11 R. Coup land, b Vivian 24 .J. McHaffie, b Matheson 6 W. Hawkesworth, not out IB Extras * 10 Total 347 Bowling analysis:—Vivian four for 73, Weir two for 46, Lyon one for 62, Matheson one for 96, Pestles none for 13, McCoy none for 47. AUCKL \ND.—First Innings. A. J. Pestle®, b Dunning 3 J. E. Mills, b Badcock ... 12 G. L. Weir, not oiit 3 H. G. Vivian, not out 6 Extras 0 Total for two wickets 24 CANTERBURY’S FAIR START. WELLINGTON, January 1. The Plunket. Shield cricket match between Wellington and Canterbury commenced here to-day. Rain interrupted play for some time. Scores: — CANTERBURY—First Innings.< J, L. Iverr, c Lambert, b Newman 46 I. M. Hamilton, h Henderson ... 47 A. W. Roberts, c McGirr, b Newman 22 M. L. Page, c Hepburn, b Lambert 27 I. B. Crumb, not out 36 S. G. Lester, not out ... 7 Extras 14 Total for four wickets 199 FAIRFAX FOR ACCRINGTON. CONTROL BOARD DEFIED. MELBOURNE, .January 1. At a meeting, the Autralian Board of Cricket Control refused to release the cricketer, Fairfax, from his contract. which forbids his playing for any English team for two years. Fairfax, however, intends to defy the Board, find he is prepared to take the consequences. He is arranging to sail and plav for the Accrington Club in Lancashire. N.Z. SCHOOLBOYS. . SYDNEY, January 1. A party of New Zealand schoolboys who arrived here yesterday by the Aorangi, are going to Melbourne tonight as the are very anxious to see Bradman bat against the Africans. SHEFFIELD SHIELD. SYDNEY, January 1. In the Sheffield Shield match against Queensland, New South Males in the first inAde 308, Wendel 1-Bill making 44 and Marks 71. Tn tie Bowling Oxenham took 5 for 78. Queensland in the first lost 1 for 18. COLTS AND VETERANS. The Veterans team to play against the Colts in the return match at the .Mental during the week end is ae follows ; —Hughes, King, Brown, Cailey, Steel. Ferguson, Wilson. Ranger, Dicdrichs, Gosling, Darby, Best.