HIGH TENSION CRICKET

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 265, 30 January 1928, Page 11

HIGH TENSION CRICKET

Auckland's Sensational Collapse Against Wellington Bowling BRICE WORKS SHREWD POINT CRICKET followers in Wellington were treated to a day of sensational incidents at the Basin Reserve on Saturday. Apart from the playing aspect, fierce controversy broke out in the afternoon when Brice, the Wellington captain, followed up his team’s whirlwind dismissal of Auckland by sending his own men in to hat again, instead of the customary practice of requiring a team heavily in arrears to follow on.

T.HB obvious intention of the WellA ington skipper was to take no chances, even with an apparently well-beaten foe, and the question of . how far Brice’s action trenched on the canons of good sportsmanship was hotly debated. As matters turned out, it was a doubtful piece of strategy, because it loked as if several of the Wellington men were scarcely in sympathy with their captain, and the wicket of mor© than one high-class batsman fell cheaply. It is not suggested for one minute that these wickets were deliberately thrown away, but the batsmen took risks which they probably would not have taken had Wellington been called on to make up possible leeway from an Auckland second inning’s recovery. The best that could be saic( of Brice’s action, which is quite justifiable under the laws of cricket, was that it was a high compliment to the regard the veteran player and Dominion selector held for Auckland’s powers of recovery. But Auckland was so far behind that it was stretching a compliment to its limit to justify the unusual action on this score. “JUST CRICKET” ONLY EXPLANATION OF COMPLETE DEBACLE WELLINGTON SLUMPS TOO (Special to THE SUN.) WELLINGTON, Saturday. In March, 1924, after the New Zea.land team been dismissed for 89 and 79 by Nety South Wales, the writer approached Charlie Macartney, the captain of the New South Wales Eleven, and asked him how he accounted l’o.r such an utter and complete double collapse by a national side on a. ’good wicket. “There is no accounting for it,” replied the famous Australian player. “It is just cricket.” The big' crowd which, assembled at the Basin Reserve to-day (£265 was taken at the gates) had another instance of these strange and unaccountable collapses which occur in cricket, and for which there is absolutely no accounting. When Wellington’s first innings closed for the solid total of 595 this morning, most people considered that the Aucklanders would still make a good fight of it. There was not a solitary person on the ground who imagined that it would be possible for the comparatively weak Wellington bowling string to dismiss the full strength of Auckland for such a Lilliputian total as 121, and yet this is what actually happened. A SUCCESSION OF DISASTERS When Bowley, the Sussex professional, and Mills, one of the best batsmen in the New Zealand team which toured England last year, stepped through the gates to open the Auckland innings at 11.30, everyone present sat up in anticipation of seeing some classical batting. There was a gasp when McGirr, who was bowling with the northerly breeze behind him, crashed one into Mills’s sticks before double figures had appeared on the board. McGirr is always dangerous with the new ball, and he made this one cut a figure eight. Worse was to follow, as after Bowley had added four runs, the Hutt bowler spread-eagled the veteran Anthony’s timbers before he had scored a run. Two good men and true had fallen for 11 runs. “Never mind,” said an Auckland supporter, “Bowley is ' still there. He will redeem these early disasters.” He had hardly got the words out of his mouth when away went the Sussex professional’s bails before a beautiful off-swinger from the colt Massey. This was disaster dire and irretrievable. Bowley had been badly troubled by Massey, and it was no surprise when he was beaten, and so it went on. Cooper, the Eden colt, was next to go to the guillotine, clean-bowled by McGirr. HENDY OPENS OUT Four were now down for 17, and the crowd blinked. Hendy, the sturdy United Suburbs man, who was making a first appearance in a representative game, showed that he had the proper temperament. He went resolutely for the bowling and made some powerful drives. Just as he was warming to his work, he drove Massey hard, and Worker took a brilliant catch at mid-off. Five for 35. The sympathy of the crowd was by now with the “bottom dogs,” and everyone hoped that me hard-hitting Dacre would get going in his best style and stem the tide of disaster. The Auckland captain did his best;. He hooked McGirr to the pickets at square-leg and off-drove him to the fence. The bowling, however, was too good to trounce, and Dacre, after scoring 15, made the fatal mistake of touching one into the slips. Here, Foley, the best slip fieldsman in Wellington, was stationed, and the Auckland captain had to join the band of slaughtered innocents in the pavilion. PLAYER AGAIN The veteran, Player, was as steady as the Rock of Gibraltar, but he could get no one to stay with him. A. Weir made a few, but then let one from McGirr hit a stationary bat, and Massey took a catch at point within four yards of the striker. G. Weir shaped promisingly, and Rowntree banged a dozen before the end came for an inglorious 121. It was one of the feeblest batting displays which an Auckland side has given on a firm wicket within recent years. How can one account for it? In the % first place, it must be admitted that McGirr is a greatly improved bowler as th© reshlt of his trip to England. He bagged five for 80-odd against Otago in the Shield match a week back, and his figures to-day were five for 42 off 16' overs, which included five maidens. There is no getting past these figures. COLT GETS HIS CHANCE In the second place Wellington this season has at long last given a chance to the colt Massey, who is as able a bowler as the province has produced. He had a x great deal to do with demoralising' the Auckland morale, as .his dismissal of Bowley was a severe blow to the shield holders. Massey sent down 13 overs, seven of which were maidens, and secured two wickets for 27 runs. Lambert, who is a better bowler than most people give him

credit for, captured two for nine off three overs, and Brice took one for nine. WELLINGTON GOES IN AGAIN With a lead of 474 on the first innings. many * people were certain that Auckland would follow on, but the Wellington captain was not taking any chances, and decided that his men would use the wicket before it was further worn by another innings. The feature of Wellington’s second knock was the opening stand made by Dempster and Worker, which put on 133 runs, more than the whole Auckland side had totalled. Both batted much more brightly than they did on the opening day of the \natch, and for a while Dempster absolutely sparkled. Both reached the sixties and fell within a minute of each other. After lunch McGirr, Foley and James shaped creditably, but the remainder of the batsmen found that they could not force the pace with impunity. The innings closed for 260. which was a big slump from the 505 hit up in the first knock. The Auckland fielding was good, except for occasional lapses in ground work. The catching was sure, Mat heson, Mills and G. Weir bringing off spectacular efforts. THE YORKSHIRE TOUCH Dacre blossomed out as a bowler in this innings, trundling really well in taking four for 38 off 11 overs. Anthony secured four for 65, but owed his wickets to the batsmen trying to force the paceAt the close of to-day’s play Auckland was left with the formidable task of securing 735 runs to win. Everyone hopes that they will show their true form on Monday, and that Dacre, Mills and Bowley will get going in their best style. The attendance at the match so far has been satisfactory, £lO6 being taken on Friday and £265 to-day. TO-DAY’S PLAY AUCKLAND’S SECOND STRIKE 735 TO WIN Press Association. WELLINGTON, To-day. The Plunket Shield match, Wellington v. Auckland, was resumed to-day. Auckland commenced the second innings faced with the task of scoring 735 runs to win. „ , Mills and Bowley opened to the attack of McGirr and Massey, Badcoek replacing the latter after four ovets at 56. Brice also took over from McGirr. At noon the score was none for 71. Bowley, not out, 40; Mills, not out, 29Scores are:— WELLINGTON First Innings 595 Second Innings DEMPSTER, c Weir, b Dacre .... 69 DE R. WORKER, lbw, b Bowley .... 62 FOLEY, c Player, by Anthony .... o 5 BADCOCK, c Bowley, by Dacre .. 0 LOWRY, c Matheson, b Dacre .. .. 2 JAMES, c Rowntree, b Dacre .. .. 25 McGIRR, c Mills, b Anthony 45 TAYLOR, c and b Anthony 1 LAMBERT, c G. Weir, b Anthony .. 12 BRICE, c. A. Weir, b Player 4 MASSEY, not out 0 Extras 5 Total 260 Bowling analysis.—Matheson took no wickets for 53 runs; G. L. Weir, 0-17; Player, 1-31; Anthony, 4-65; Mills, 0-18; Bowley, 1-33; Dacre, 4-38. AUCKLAND First Innings. BOWLEY, b Massey 10 MILLS, b McGirr 1 ANTHONY, b McGirr 0 COOPER, b McGirr 4 HENDY, c Worker, b Massey .. .. 10 DACRE, c Foley, b McGirr 15 PLAYER, not out 28 A. WEIR, c Massey, b McGirr . . . . 10 G. L. WEIR, c Brice, b Lambert .. 14 MATHESON, c McGirr, b Brice .... 1 ROWNTREE, c Massey, b Lambert 12 Extras 10 Total , .. 121 Bowling analysis.—McGirr took five wickets for 42 runs; Massey, 2-27; Badcock, 0-9; Taylor, 0-15; Brice, 1-9; Lambert, 2-9. Second Innings. BOWLEY, not out 40 MILLS, not out 29 Extras 2 Total for no wickets 71