BLUNT DULLS EDGE OF BOWLING.

Shannon News, 5 January 1926, Page 4

BLUNT DULLS EDGE OF BOWLING.

N.Z. GOING WELL, FOR* THIRD TEST DRIAW. SYDNEY, January 3. The match between New South Wales and New Zealand was resum-. ed in dull, fine weather. Heavy rain fell during the night and the wicket was drying. The outfield was slow. . Some balls were rising high. The third ball of the Aay, Patrick missed Nicholls off Allcott. Play generally was slow, Allcott being treated with the greatest respect, but more freedom was used with Patrick. Three quarters of an hour after the start, Bardsley just tapped a ball about three yards to Blunt, near midon. He had batted 126 minutes and hit nine fours. The partnership with Nicholls added 69. The fifth century took 355 minutes. Fielding and Captaincy Criticised. Eleven runs later, Patrick should have caught Nicholls but he was too slow on the move, Nicholls scored slowly and some of his strokes were very lucky. Cunningham was the best bowler of the innings. He had bad luck and would have capturad more wickets if the fieldsmen had supported him better. He found the ground very hard. Allcott also bowled splendidly. He kept a good length. It is difficult to understand why Patrick did not make more use of Alloc. Kis figures against South Australia, 3 for 41, showed he was worthy of more notice. Blunt Bats Brilliantly. New Zealand opened well, Alloo making some dashing strokes, but he fell a victim to a good length ball from Nicholls. Worker appeared unj easy and opened slowly. Blunt playing [ with great freedom, quickly raised j the total. He executed strokes with j nice precision all round the wicket' His driving was particularly pleasing and he frequently gained the applause of the five thousand spectators. *lhe score board showed a hundred in seventy minutes. Worker scored slowly, mostly singles, hitting only one bull oi.v of four. Ihc second wicket added 98. When the total Was 131, Blunt hit a ball to Campbell at midon. He had batted brilliantly for seventy-five miinJtes and hit ten fours. Oliver indulged in some big hitting and was caught on the boundary. HSs score included' four fours. Campbell was proving troublesome with the ball. He is a slow bowler dropping awkwardly about the crease and the batsmen played over him. Lowry and Dacre quickly followed Oliver to the pavilion.

Patrick and Allcott add 120 Unbeaten With the board showing 162 for 5, New Zealand's position looked pretty bad, but Patrick and Allcott got the measure of the bowling 'and two hundred appeared for 160 minutes. Neither batsman was taking chances. ' ]$ *i They managed to get many runs through the slips, where Bardsley was somewhat weak. Nicholls was rising quickly from the - pitch and Patrick received a painful blow in the hand from one delivery. He reached his fifty in eighty minutes. Patrick was playing with greater dash than Allcott, Ratcliffe made frequent changes in the bowling in an attempt to break the partnership. The New South Wales fielding gen- < erally was good and some sharp re- ' raturns were made. The batsmen hustled and the century for the part« nership appeared when they been associated a hundred minutes. As a result of this fine, piece of play, there is every chance" for New Zealand to stave off the follow-on.

Patrick then livened up the game. He stepped out to Campbell and hit him hard. Allcott was also taking more liberties. Campbell's average had gone from 3 for 29 to 3 for 70. Allcotfs fifty occupied two hours. Scores:— NEW SOUTH WAIiES. FIRST INNINGS. Phillips b. Cunningham 1 Brown c. Dacre b. Patrick . v . 168 Scanes b. Alcott '• • . 17 -Morgan c. Oliver, b. Cunningham 29 Ratcliffe b. Allcott ;... 128 Bardsley c Blunt b. Cunningham 87 Punch, c. Allcott b.' Mcßeth .. 13 Vaughan, b Cunningham * H Nicholls c. Mcßeth b Cunningham 47 Campbell not out •• • 16 Tweedale run out 2 Extras • • 12 Total ••• 531 Bowling: Cunningham 5 for 125, Allcott 2 for 112, Mcßeth 1 for 76, Oliver 0 for 31, Blunt 0 for 96, Alloo 0 for 27, Patrick 1 for 52. NEW ZEALAND. FIRST INNINGS. Worker c. and b. Campbell .. 30 Alloo b. Nicholls 13 Blunt c Campbell b Morgan .. 73 Oliver c Vaughan b Campbell '.. 23 Lowry c Ratcliffe b Morgan .. 6 Dacre b Campbell 6 Patrick not out .......... 71 Allcott not out * .. 51 Extras ....-, 9 6 wickets for 28 - (Even if New Zealand has to fol-low-on, 14 wickets would have to fall before the team would be beaten by an innings As only 6 fell on Saturday, the chances of a draw look good.)