FIZZLES OUT AFTER SECOND STRIKE

NZ Truth, Issue 1263, 13 February 1930, Page 16

FIZZLES OUT AFTER SECOND STRIKE

TIME LIMIT MARS THE GAME

Auckland- M;C.C Match Proves Three

Days Are Inadequate

Gll^E^Pliv^felß AND ANTHONY SHINE

'(From: "N.Z; Truth's" Special Auckland

In making wHat if so far, withvthe exception of the second Testy easily the highest score against the M.G.0., Auckland fulfilled Expectations that they would prove the hardest provincial nut for Gilligan's men to crack. True,: they >tiad a splendid wicket to bat on, but the credit lies m the fact, that they seized. their opportunity

THE loss of Jack Mills so early might easily have: ' precipitated a collapse but veteran - Arnold Anthony's . iin-' flurried steadiness coupled with; the. coofness or Gillespie, soon : overcame the initial /disaster.- • ' , . • . ' Mills was playing*' very. confidently and had been ■ leaving the .off-stuff .. studiously alone when 'Allom slung .' up one that went away'a'bit and Jack* failing to get over it -properly, ; Woolley nonchalantly gathered the- chance ankle high.'. . '■■'•..'. Play was quiet for a bit, while Gillespie settled down,- though Anthony ,by means of sweet late cuts and an occasional hard hook off. the short ones, sent i the score along.; ; . .'. ... As a matter of fact, Anthony was ■ going over almost' too far to Allom . and Barratt's off-theory and narrowly missed playing on once or, twice, but apart from that fault, his batting was splendid. ■ ■ \ He is probably the unluckiest provincial rep. player m New Zealand, for though he has played rep. cricket for 25 years he has never been m a New Zealand team! Woolley and Worthington had relieved the opening pair, but it was Ted Bowley who affected a separation, Anthony just grazing a ball into Cornford's hands, and Lindsay Weir came m. Both he and Gillespie were rather streaky with , the fast stuff, but were successful m steering the ball clear of the field until Cornford again was the medium of a dismissal, Gillespie touching one of Barratt's. ' .It was rather curious that two of the chances that came to him were utilised by 'Tlch,' b.ut he was rather uncertain otherwise, and there were several byes. He was favoring a hand arid after tea, Benson kept, Cornford fielding elsewhere. Wensley did not last long, 1 but his knock was a bright one, and one or two stolen singles livened things up. Bowley was brought on again, arid again was successful, nis first ball resulting m Woolley making another nice catch, and Bowley's successor In Auckland departed. Gllllgan only Included five bowlers' ' In his team and changed them round pretty frequently, the policy paying for at this stage, Bowley had had two spells and taken two wickets off less, than three overs. Cyril Allcott came m,, and started m bright fashion with a brace of twos and a boundary. Weir was plugging away steadily and the pair speedily ran into the forties. Weir had a very lucky escape from being run out through watching the ball and not his partner. . He is rather slow to move. Two splendid sixes of successive balls from Bowley, one a straight drive and the other a sweep to leg won. great applause for Allcott, but he then slowed down and finally went l.b.w. to Woolley, bowling round the wicket. It was a belated, appeal from the wicket-keeper that raised the umpire's hand. . The Auckland skipper played a great innings and with Weir added 89 runs. Elliott's stay was 'short, Worthington skittling him and shortly after McCoy's advent, Weir's luck desarted' him. Chances from him had been put "on the floor" by Bowley and Cornford; while Benson failed to accept a ' high drive

Woolley was out, slip-caught; to a poor stroke, and' the M.C.C. were fightinghard. Benson and Worthington played very "carefully for • some time '•< and the terraces began to barrack. "Come on, you. 'missionaries," was one shout, ■ the tour of - the Englishmen having been described as a missionary one by an English "paper. ' ' ;■.' 'The bowling was well handled by •' ; Allcott. The ground fielding, too, was first-class and the throwing-in excellent. Weir, Mills, VVensiey and Anthony,, all distinguished themselves, either by stopping hard shots close In, or racing to save boundaries. Despite fairly slow scoring, the game never : became . tame, because the field were on their toes arid: the batsmen fighting. • Throughout the whole English innings, the fielding never degenerated and was easily the best display seen at Eden Park for years. Allcott tried all his slow bowlers, but the batsmen refused to be tempted. Benson went out m a remarkable way.

He Just stopped a fast ball from Mathieson, which trickled on towards hit> wicket. His bat was m his left hand and unthinkingly he stooped to stop the ball with his right, his back to the bowler and umpire. Realising what he was doing, he just refrained from touching" the ball, but his intention was so obvious that Umpire Andrews, whose view was partially obscured, had no hesitation m. giving him out on Mathleson's appeal. Benson, seen later, very sportlngly exonerated the umpire from blame. • "I did Intend to stop the ball with my hand," he said, "but just remembered m time. But he could not see that." The batsman much appreciated Allcott's sporting attempt to get the umpire to reverse his decision, which, of course, the latter could not. Once the Englishmen had the lead they opened up and had the crowd on its feet. Two sixes were included- m Earle's 49 made m half-an-hour. It was real holiday cricket and much appreciated. ' • • The stands between Benson, Worthing*

ton and the latter with his captain secured, .the lead for the. M.C.C. Both- partnerships were meritorious. All three batsmen refused to be rat" tied by barrackers and played their* own game, scoring whenever possible. Auckland has no reason to be ashamed of the- big score as their bowl-, ing and fielding 1 never slackened. Wensley was tireless m field and bowled unluckily. Mathieson kept a good length and Allcott was very steady. The wicket did not suit Finlayson, but Elliott took a valuable wicket— Woolley's. McCoy's slows, though pasted m the last hour, secured three for 59. . Early on Tuesday it looked odds on the M.C.C. forcing a win. Mills tried to hook a straight- one and Anthony was bowled off his pads. Gillespie and Weir, however, repeated their first innings stand and wore the bowling down. Risking nothing, they managed to score off, anything loose. That change bowler, "lunch," finally broke the partnership, but Wensloy adequately filled Gillesple's place and the process of attrition continued. Slow cricket perhaps, but never uninteresting. Once the arrears were wiped off the game livened up, Wensley and Weir driving Bowley's slows, nicely. The Englishmen's fielding slackened rather, and Gllllgan experimented with Cornford as a bowler In view of the slight possibility of a definite finish. Sussex once more dismissed Sussex. Allcott again opened brightly and the two N.Z. reps, added thirty-nine m twentyfive minutes before Bowley took a hot catch off his own bowling, to dismiss Weir. , Weir's second knock was chanceless, but m both innings he played the right game — a fighting one. Driving was his most productive stroke. ' Allcott mishit a full toss shortly after to give' Bowley his third victim off bad balls. i . Gilligan appeared to realise that it was possible to obtain victory and brought on Allom, who speedily got past Elliott. McCoy shaped well and made some pretty shots before touching Allom, to be caught at the wicket, while Badeley, who had a badly injured hand and was forced to cease keeping yesterday, pluckily went m, but could not hold the bat properly and was soon bowled. It was generally expected that Auckland with 150 m the lead at 4.45 might declare and give the M.C.C. a sporting chance of trying, for runs, but Allcott decided to carry on, so Finlayson and Mathieson stayed there, carrying the score to the third century. There was general disappointment at the tame finish, and the game fizzled out when the last wicket fell. The Englishmen did not bat. Their fielding slackened away completely.' It seems impossible that there will be any finish to the final Test. . Auckland's showing ; throughout the match was excellent. The batting as a whole was- quite consistent, with Weir outstanding. He was backed up by Anthony, Gillespie, Allcott and Finlayson. The bowling was steady and unflurried, and the fielding really good.

but when McCoy called for a sharp run^C "Weir was again slow to start and paid | the penalty. - \ Apart from the blemishes mention- . ed, his 77 was a fine knock and he appeared set' for a century. It was. a good omen for. his success m the. third Test. L ' ;,- ; y . ; . ■•-,...■.-;;., ;;-.\ ■ ■■_'," After reaching the ropes thrice, McCoy's impetuosity made him jump -out to Woolley, but<: the^ break beat him and he was bowled. ■ . ■. • Mathieson played on the first ball" un-j luckily, and -Rumor, which had been quietly insistent, that Rpwntree- was a: non-starter, 'was „■ proved -correct when Badeley, straight off , a four-hour car run from Hamilton; went m as last ,^nan. Although Rowntree was present m the morning, last .minute • business engagements prevented him playing, and Badeley had to be summoned by telephone. He and Finlayson- with the brightest cricket of the Innings, added 49 for the last wicket, Badeley straight-driving Woolley for the third six of the game and

Finlayson getting a five through an overthrow. It was off the. last ball of an over and apparently the Englishmen thought "over" had been called and allowed the ball to go on to the boundary. Finally Flnlayson fell to Barratt and 'the innings closed for 333.' Allom.-was the steadiest of the ..three medium men, his change of pace being oleverly concealed and his late swinger requiring careful watching. Barratt got a few to bump and he, too, necessitated care. < .■■.■'„ Worthington' was erratic to start with, li.ith over and under-pitching, but he came to light- in his last spell. The wickets were evenly divided. Bowley's figures, 2 for 44 being the. best. His usefulness lay m breaking up two useful partnerships. , ' While the Bnglishmens' ground fielding was clean and smart, at the beginning, It deteriorated later on and the throwIng m; was hot too accurate. ■ < Woolley m. the slips, Gilligan at cover and Worthington were outstanding. Ted. Bowley is still feeling the effects of his strain and could not bend very quickly. Neither of M.C.C.'s opening pair. Dawson nor Bowley: was happy, with'Mathieeon arid Wensley, who with good length I and . variety, pinned them down. Daw,son went to a. good catch by Wensley, who also had his revenge- on ' Bowley, his Sussex: club-mate getting him caught. This brought that "pair of artists, Duleepsinhji and Frank Woolley together. The Prince ■ was, comparatively .speaking, subdued for him; but his placing of the tall— like that of Woolley— was almost uncanny. ' j •• ' Auckland was distinctly - lucky ,to get rid' of DuleepV Woolley played a-' ball to Allcott at mid-on, which travelled faster than it appeared to. A smart pick-up, a poor throw-in very well gathered by Badeley and "Tip-toe Singh" was out by ;»"•*. . :■■ : ■■■ ■■'■'.■■ ■ -,