A GREAT FIGHT

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 65, 8 June 1927, Page 1

A GREAT FIGHT

NEW ZEALAND’S FINE BATTING

STRUGGLE ENDS IN DRAWN GAME

PAGE’S BOWLING SURPRISE

NEW Zealand made a fine recovery in the match against Oxford, and v -ginning its second innings with a deficiency of 303 runs played'out time, 214 for the loss of six wickets, the match being drawn. The New Zealand batsmen made a forceful attempt to win, and their play did not become cautious until caution

was necessary. Page and Lowry both played vigorously and were highest scorers. Page also distinguished himself by taking four wickets for 10 runs.

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Reed. 9 a.m. LONDON, Tuesday. Crawley batted for 160 minutes and hit 11 fours. The light became poor, and the batsmen found Merritt a most difficult test. Newman’s 33 included six fours. Page made a sensational bowling debut, capturing the last four wickets. New Zealand began unluckily when it lost Mills with a total of 16. Dempster gave a chance in the slips when 10, but the batsmen were making a fine sporting effort to force a win. Fifty went up in 40 minutes. Lowry set a fast pace, but when Dempster was caught at mid-off in attempting a forcing drive, more care was obviously necessary. Lowry and Page watched the bowling cautiously, thus the next hour realised only 30. Page, when nine, gave a hard return, but Greenstock missed. The partnership added 75 in 90 minutes. Lowry batted for 150 minutes. Two cheap wickets followed, and New Zealand was apparently endangered after its sporting opening, but Allcott and Blunt held the fort € successfully for the last 40 minutes.

The following are detailed scores: OXFORD First Innings 337 Second Innings Crawley, c Lowry, b Henderson . . 72 Cazalet, c Page, b McGirr 13 Nunn, b Allcott 0 Holmes, b McGirr 38 De Silva, b McGirr 6 Newman, lbw. b Henderson .... 33 Serrurier, c Dempster, b Page . . 18 Garland-Wells, b Page 13 McCanlis, c and b Page 4 Greenstock, c Mills, b Page . . . . IT Bowley, not out 2 Extras 19 Total 229 Bowling.—Henderson, two wickets for 42 runs, McGirr three Allcott one for 34. Merritt none for 50, Lawry none for 13. Page four for 10. NEW ZEALAND First Innings 263 Second Innings C. S. Dempster, c McCanlis, b Greenstock 26 J. E. Mills, b Holmes 9 T. C. Lowry, c Crawley, b McCanlis 69 C. C. Dacre, c Crawley, b Serrurier 5 M. L. Page, c and b McCanlis . . 49 H. McGirr, lbw, b Greenstock . . 1 C. F. Allcott, not out 25 IT. C. Blunt, not out 27 Extras 3 Total for six wickets 1 214 Bowling.—McCanlis two wickets for 55,, Holmes one for 29,* Greenstock two for 87, Serrurier one for 27, De Silva none for 13. —A. and N.Z. TO-DAY’S MATCH The New Zealand team will begin a three days’ match against Worcertershire to-day. Although the county was bottom in the first-class county competition last season, there are good men in the team. The bowler, Root, who had the Australians “thinking hard,” plays for the county.