MERRITT AGAIN!

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 109, 29 July 1927, Page 1

MERRITT AGAIN!

WICKETS FALL QUICKLY WEST ENGLAND MATCH NINE MEN OUT FOR 93 RAIN having reduced the match against West of England to a two-day game, New Zealand declared its first innings closed with six wickets down for 230. Then Merritt, bowling splendidly, laid the West England wickets low, so that when stumps were drawn, nine men were out for 93. By Cable.—Press Association.—Copyright

Reed. 9.5 a.m. LONDON, Thursday. 'J'HE attendance was 1,000. The New Zealanders made a promising start, but a slow outfield retarded the scoring.

Nevertheless, 53 came up in the first hour, Blunt in particular showing plenty of enterprise. He fell to a catch at cover-point. A brilliant catch in the slips dis~ missed Lowry; but Dacre hit hard and Mills was in his best form, being untroubled by the bowling.

After New Zealand declared, West of England batted for an hour and three-quarters, i n which time nine wickets fell before the splendid bowling and fielding. Merritt was keeping a perfect length and varying his break cleverly. Details:

NEW ZEALAND First Innings R. C. Blunt, c Harrison, b Amory 43 C. S. Dempster, c Miles, b Busk . . 58 J. E. Mills, not out 52 T. C. Lowry, c Newman, b Falding 2 C. C. Dacre, c Miles, b Fajding . . 32 M. L. Page, c Butler, b Harrison. . 15 H. M. McGirr, c Butler, b Awdry . . 9 W. E. Merritt, not out 9 Extras 10 Total for six wickets (dec.) . . 230 Bowling analysis.—Miles took no wickets for 55, Mclntosh none for 20, Awdry one for 8, Harrison one for 33, Falding two for 49, Amory one for 29, Busk one for 11, Newman none for 15. A later message than the one printed above gave Blunt’s score as 36, but this does not square with the total of 230. WEST OF ENGLAND First Innings Macßryan, c Mills, b Blunt 36 Butler, c and b Page 6 Falding, b Merritt 0 Miles, lbw, b Merritt 2 Newman, c Page, b Merritt 8 Overton, b Lowry 20 Busk, st James, b Merritt 4 Amory, not out 15

Awdry, b Merritt 0 Harrison, b Merritt 0 Mclntosh, not out 0 Extras 2 Total for nine wickets 93

BRIGHTER CRICKET EFFECT OF THE TOUR DISAPPOINTING FINANCE By Cable. — Pi'ess Association.—Copyright LONDON, Thursday. Cricket in England has been made brighter by the visit of the New Zealand eleven. Although the outright wins scored by the visitors have been relatively few the perverse summer, more than their own shortcomings, has been the cause. Rain once saved the New Zealanders from defeat by the Army eleven, but at least six times it has robbed them of victories against far stronger sides. What the New Zealand batting has lacked in individual consistency has been atoned f-or by the individual sparkle. Their bowling has seldom been flogged as earlier in the season critics predicted it would be, but had all the catches been held the list of wins would have been longer. The attendances at the matches hav% been really disappointing, but the weather again has been responsible for that. Time and again Saturday fixtures have literally been washed out. The same has happened in respect of several mid-week half-holiday fixtures in the Midlands. The result on the finances has been most unfortunate. It is perhaps too soon to say that a loss on the tour will be averted, but the manager, Mr. D. Hay, will be able to report that a loss will be offset by the valuable experience gained and the development of cricketing talent. Old cricketers give the visitors encouragement, and say their experiences will all help to qualify the Dominion players for a round of test matches, the lack of "which has denied the team the public glamour from which the Australian cricketers benefit.—A. and N.Z.