First Inning’s Lead

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 295, 5 March 1928, Page 11

First Inning’s Lead

AUSTRALIA'S RECOVERY GREAT SEVENTH WICKET PARTNERSHIP KEEN CRICKET AT CHRISTCHURCH Press Association. CHRISTCHURCH, To-day. With Canterbury having secured the very respectable total of 305 on the previous day, and with Ponsford and Woodfull opening for Australia, there was a large attendance to witness the continuation of the cricket match with the Australian eleven on Saturday morning. The attendance was estimate<r at from 13,000 to 15,000, and the takings for the two days totalled £593. Ponsford and Woodfull were the opening batsmen for Australia. Each gave a chance early, and with the total at 40 Merritt beat Ponsford all the way. With the score at the same figure Read, who was bowling finely, beat Woodfull, whose pads stopped a straight one. Richardson, Jackson and Oxenham followed in quick succession, and although Alexander made a useful st .nd the total was 135 for six, and Canterbury were jubilant. A GREAT STAND Old field and Schneider, however, quickly put a different complexion on the game, and in a great partnership they added 229 in an hour and 50 minutes. Canterbury sorely missed Cunningham, who ricked his back and had to retire after getting one wicket for 10 runs in three overs. After the big partnership was over the innings did not last long, and Australia was left with a first innings lead of 59. Canterbury had a quarter of an hour to bat, and Hamilton was bowled in the last over. For some unaccountable reason Page •lid not bowl for Canterbury, ho that the side, which was thought to be strong in bowling, was really two short of its strength. Read, Newman and Merritt thus had to .lo the bulk of the work, as neither Nixon nor Evans, who were given a turn with the ball, was accurate enough to steady the run getting. SCHNEIDER’S GREAT DISPLAY Schneider gave a wonderful display of sound, but very aggressive, batting. For such a diminutive player it was a marvel where he got the power from, that he put into his strokes. He used his feet to such anything overpitched he either got on the full or made half volleys of them with powerful drives on either side of the wicket. Oldfield's innings was little interior to that of Schneider. Merritt’s performance of taking five wickets for 105 was an excellent one. Details of the scores are: CANTERBURY, First Innings 305 Second Innings. GREGORY, not out 7 HAMILTON, b Griramett 3 Total for one wicket 10 AUSTRALIA First Innings. PONSFORD. b Merritt .. 16 WOODFULL, Ibw, b Read 30 JACKSON, c Doreen, b Merritt .. 12 RICHARDSON, c Hamilton, b Cunniigham 6 SCHNEIDER, c Read, b Merritt .. 138 ALEXANDER, b Read 3G OXENHAM, b Newman u 1 OLDFIELD, st Doreen, b Merritt .. 137 (IRIMMETT, not out 12 BLACKIE, st Doreen, b Merritt .... 1 McNAMEE, b Read 4 Extras 11 Total 404 Bowling analysis: R. J. Read, 3-120; J. Newman, 1-114; W. E. Merritt, 5-105; W. H. R. Cunningham. 1-10; D. C. Nixon, 0-28; C. E. Evans, 0-16.