Cricketers’ on the March

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 77, 22 June 1927, Page 7

Cricketers’ on the March

By MID-OFF The Essex match :— We get our first toct wicket. McOirr comes to light xoith the ball. Douglas saves Essex , and toe meet our Hrst defeat. our good showing at Lords’ we journeyed down to Leyton to play Essex, but the weather was not kind to u», and the slow Essex bowlers got us on a wicket that was doing a bit. The first day of the match the weather favoured the batsmen, but on winning the toss on what looked a perfect wicket, we soon found that the wicket had been well watered underneath. and it made our batsmen sit up and take notice. Our opening pair. Mills and Blunt, did not last long together, Blunt being caught in the first over. Runs were hard to get, and Mills was content to sit on the splice and wait for the loose one, but the bowling was good and commanded plenty of respect. At the end of the day’s play we had two down for 50. Lowry played real Test match style, batting sixty minutes for 13. WICKET UNDER WATER During the night it rained very hard and I knew we were in for a bad day. On arrival at the ground we found the wicket under water, and could not start play till mid-day. On resuming it was very greasy and Douglas did not take long in putting on his slow bowlers. In O'Connor they have a very good slow leg-break bowler, who flights them as well and it was not very long before he had bagged a few wickets. The best bit of cricket came from the last wicket. Merritt and Cunningham putting on 50 in about 20 minutes, Merritt played a good knock for 40. With the grand total eleven short of 300 we had made some good recoveries. Mills's 64 being a very solid knock. Essex opened with Cutmore and Eastman, and at the end of the day we had got two down for 56. O’Connor and Russell kept us moving and before we could separate them Essex had three down for 127. Our bowling lacked sting at this stage, and Russell put on a beautiful 76 before McGirr removed one of his stumps. three wickets in one over McGirr was beginning to bowl well, having a cross-wind that helped him to swing and soon had the Essex side in trouble. With four down for 188 and no one but McGirr bowling well we thought Essex would pass the five hundred mark, but in one over McGirr got three wickets, and things began to look up. With seven wickets down and three more to bat it looked if Essex were in for a bad time, but a grand knock by Nichols and Eastman took the total to 373 before Lowry caught Nichols at square-leg—-a good catch. With 80 runs behind and having to face a wet wicket, our chances did not look too good, still less so when Blunt and Mills went out for 48. James and Lowry carried on to 59, when James got caught. With six down for 160, we looked to be in a bad way, and it was only Dempster who pulled us together. He was still going strong. With two wickets to fall and only 100 runs ahead, Merritt joined Dempster, but after jnaking a good 79 Dempster made way Cunningham. Three balls later Cunningham .-got out, and this left Essex 124 to get on a much improved wicket.

We never gave up hope of dismissing this side for less than a hundred, and with any luck at all we might nave just snatched a good win, but Douglas came to light and tired our bowlers. With three of the best out for 76 and Blunt bowling well, we put our backs into it, but Douglas and Ashton carried the score to 105 when Ashton had his stump lifted by Merritt. With four down for 105 we never gave up hope, as it looked as if Blunt would bowl Douglas any moment, time and time again he beat him, but could not just get there, and with Jive down we took of our hats to a better side and a great match came to ai J ®nd. All the boys were well pleased s"® the performance they had put up. r ne crowds gave us a great hearing ■° n leaving the ground.