NEARLY BEATEN

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 43, 13 May 1927, Page 6

NEARLY BEATEN

N.Z. CRICKET TEAM RAIN STOPS MATCH CRICKETING SEA-DOGS An entertaining account of a deck cricket match which the New Zealand team played on the Tahiti on the way to England is given in “The Wireless News,” a brightly compiled little publication which was issued on board ship by Amalgamated Wireless, Ltd. Under the heading of “A Great Sporting Event,” the ship’s newspaper says: “The unbeaten teams representing New' Zealand and the R.M.S. Tahiti respectively met on Saturday last to decide whether land could triumph over sea. The rope ball and the movement of the ship were against the men from Maoriland, but as they were all crack players, it was felt thet something was needed to even up the chances.” E. R. Bowley, who is travelling with the New Zealand team on his way back to England, was enrolled amongst the sea-dogs, and proved most successful. AN OMEN COMES TRUE A limit of 20 runs was placed on the scoring and the Sussex professional duly achieved this in both of the marine team’s inningses. Rain, unfortunately, finished a game in which the “Tahitians” had a good chance of milking themselves famous by being the first team to defeat the Enzeders. The marine XI. made 60 and 85, to which New Zealand replied with 62 and 34 for four wickets when rain stopped play. In the first innings, both Blunt and Dacre reached the limit, which was hailed as a good omen for future success. (So it was.! —Sports Editor.) By this time, Bowley has probably settled down to get runs for his old county, Sussex, for which he will play during the English summer, then returning to New Zealand for the next cricket season in the Antipodes to continue his work as coach to the Auckland Cricket Association. All going well in the meantime, Bowley will be a member of the Sussex XI.. which will meet the New Zealand team at Hove a fortnight from to-morrow.