NEW ZEALAND CRICKETERS FIND WEATHER VERY COLD IN BRITAIN

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 116, 6 August 1927, Page 11

NEW ZEALAND CRICKETERS FIND WEATHER VERY COLD IN BRITAIN

PLAY IN NORTH OF ENGLAND—ON TO SCOTLAND—A ROUND OF GOLF AT GLENEAGLES—TEAM ROYALLY WELCOMED AT GLASGOW

By

MID OFF.

DUNDEE, June 26. Alter our victory at Worcestershire we journeyed ove.r to Kettering to play Northamptonshire. Jupp won the toss and batted on an easy wicket, but after a. good start things went our way and five wickets were down for 150. Wills played a good innings for 68. Blunt, at this stage, was bowling very well, and soon had the rest of the team in difficulties, but Timms came in at a critical stage, and put on a good 50 for the seventh wicket. Northants carried the total to 225 for the ninth wicket, but BJunt was not to be denied and got the last man, with the grand total at 237. He bowled well, aided by good fielding, and cam© out with a good average, getting seven for 108. Blunt and Mills opened our innings and things looked bright till Mills got bowled by Jupp. With one down for 58 we looked like making a big score, but the wicket was doing things, and Jupp was bowling well, and soon we had lost Lowry and Page for a few runs. With five down for 115, it was left to McGirr and Dacre to move the score along, but at 31 Dacre was clean bowled. McGirr and Oliver raised our hopes, but Oliver, after a well played 36, had to retire. With eight down for 175 it looked as if we would be behind, on the first innings, but thanks to a good innings by Bernau, we were able to pass our opponents’ score. Merritt did not last long and we were all out for 251, Bernau being not out 34. Jupp bowled well, getting seven for 92. WICKET PLAYS TRICKS With a few runs in the lead things looked well for us, but it appeared as if the wicket might do things in our second knock, and such was the case. After dismissing our Northamptonshire friends for 260, it looked as if we were up against it as the wicket broke up and captain Jupp used his bowlers well and dismissed us for 164. The batting was bad, but the wicket was unkind to us, as the balls never rose and consequently “shooters” were the order of the innings. McGirr (36) and Dacre (32) were top scorers. Jupp again bowled well, and so won the match with a few runs in hand. If Lowry had won the toss the game would have been ours, but it had to be, and all enjoyed a good enjoyable game. After the game we gathered up our belongings and travelled to Leicester and played Leicestershire. Lowry won the toss and batted on a fast wicket. The start was not good and four were down for 55, but Page and McGirr put on a good partnership and increased our total to 150 before McGirr was bowled for a good 50. Dacre joined Page and things went along at a good pace until Page was dismissed for a beautiful 74. Dacre and Merritt carried on, and Dacre was just within the three figures when he was well taken on the boundary for a well played 90. Merritt and the .rest did not last long and we were all dismissed for the good total of 371. Leicester opened well and had four down for 160, but the rest of the innings was a procession, Henderson being very deadly, and at times unplayable. He .bowled well and had the side dismissed for 242. Henderson and Blunt shared the bowling honours, each bowling remarkably well. With a hundred runs in the lead, we were out to force the pace and gain a victory. With nine down for 160 and a grand innings of 65 by Page we closed our innings, but next day we were delayed by rain and so what looked like a good win ended in a draw. We journeyed up to Durham to play Durham and Dacre had the good fortune to win the toss and after a good innings by Dempster for 178 we closed fo,r 378. Durham did not do

well and were all out for 254, thanks to the ninth wicket stand of Cook and Brooks, who put on 198. Cook got a good century, but was badly missed in the slips early on in the innings. Henderson again proved a tower of strength and finished up with five for G 6, a good performance. With 120 runs behind, Durham carried on, but the second innings was only a procession, as Blunt was at his*best, and soon rattled the side out for 125. This left us five to get, and we won easily by 10 wickets. We had a great at Sunderland, and the Durham County Council gave us a great time. They could not do enough for us. On the Sunday we were motored around the country all day, and saw some very fine old castles. We visited Lord Armstrong’s fine place, and after a good day we returned to our hotel, all tired and weary, and ready for a good night’s rest. GOOD WiN AGAINST NORTHANTS After the week-end we journeyed to Whitley Bay and played Northuinber-

land, winning by an innings, thanks to a very fine knock by Blunt and Lowry. Blunt got 195 and Lowry 95. We were all out for 476, but the weather was against cricket. Everyone wore two sweaters and even then it was a hard job to keep warm. Northumberland batted badly, Pritchard being the only one to do anything against the slow bowlers. Blunt and Merritt shared the honours and I must say they bowled very well. OFF TO SCOTLAND We now packed our bags for Bonnie Scotland, but the weather was bitte.rly cold and cricket miserable. After

some delay we started our game against Scotland on a wet but easy wicket. We could not use our fast bowlers, but Page came to light with six wickets for 76—a very good performance. We dismissed the Scots for 233, but rain commenced to fall and so we drew

stumps for the night, losing two for 99. Next day the weather had become worse, and it was impossible for any more play, so the match was left unfinished. A NOTABLE FUNCTION At night we were given a dinner by the people of Glasgow, and, believe me it was “some show.” It was carried out in real Scottish fashion, and they did us well. It was a dinner to be proud of, and I can guess there were some big heads next morning. After leaving Glasgow we travelled on to Dundee, but broke our journey at Gleneagles. It is a great show place, and, of course, has one of the most famous golf courses in the world. Most of the boys played golf, and after some very good rounds, and no broken clubs, we went our way to Dundee. Arriving at Dundee, we find the weather very cold, and will not be sorry to see the sunshine again. At present we are all well and fit, and looking forward to our game against that good county, Yorkshire.