CRICKET MARATHON

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 300, 10 March 1928, Page 5

CRICKET MARATHON

Australian Batsmen Submerge Aucklanders’ Bowling Efforts

YESTERDAY'S PLAY REVIEWED

A Auckland with vivid recollections of a match ri which premises to be one of the most discussed of any played by a touring side in New Zealand, the Australian cricketers had a wicket mere to their liking at Eden Park yesterday. With rain still in the offing, the pitch had been covered to guard against the possibility of the surface being unfit for play. After the covers were lifted, and the roller put over the surface, the wicket rolled out as hard as a board. Vic. Richardson, on winning the toss, took one look at the wicket and another at his weary team, and promptly decided, We ll bat. J

TT was round about 1 o’clock yesterday morning before, the dogtired and travel-worn Cornstalks got to bed after a belated train from Hamilton. Few had much chance of sleeping in. There were plenty of early morning calls to their hotel by old friends and keen enthusiasts of the game. Most of the team, therefore, breathed a sigh of relief when Richardson won the toss and conferred on nine out of the 11 the priceless boon of a morning’s relaxation in the stand, the old firm of Ponsford ar.d Woodfull nobly holding the fort till the lunch-time bell rang. NOT THE OLD AUCKLAND As far as the day’s cricket was concerned, it saw the highly problematical Auckland bowling almost completely submerged under the flashing blades of the Australians. Somebody told the Aussies that at Auckland they would meet the nearest to an actual test side in New Zealand. Either he was a leg-puller, or else he had been emulating Rip Van Winkle in these last few months which have seen Allcott out of action, Caere on the way to England, Mills unable to spare the time from business, and Matheson gone to Dunedin. Even on the morning of ths match, Nesbit Snedden had fresh cause for worry when it became apparent that H. Roy was in no condition to play, despite a game attempt to fight off an attack of influenza and take his place in the Auckland Eleven. Thus was Auckland deprived of its only bowler above ordinary medium pace. • All day long, harassed trundlers sweated and toiled in the sun under Snedden’s able and encouraging leadership*, but they had little to show for their efforts at the close of the day’s play. Shortly after lunch, one or two Australian wickets fell quickly, but Richardson and Alexander stepped into the breach and went on to break the back of the bowling, taking the score from 181 to 382 before a separation was effected. COSTLY MISSES There was a critical period just after Kippax and Jackson got out, when the Auckland attack contained more “devil” than at any other time in the day’s play. Player was “fizzing” off the pitch at a fine pace, and had Rowntree been just a little quicker ard Langridge not missed one in slips, the story of a memorable partnership might never have been written. The two South Australians played masterly cricket Richardson, we know by repute as a batsman of test match calibre, who might very well have been in the last Australian team which visited England, and his younger comrade has been acclaimed ir. Australia as worthy of comparison with the immortal Trumper. Neither disappointed yesterday. Similar in style, they supplied a vivid contrast to the more sedate but equally effective methods of the two Victorians who preceded them earlier in the day. AN AUSTRALIAN CHARACTERISTIC All the Australians, however, have this much in common. They play their shots later than the average New Zealand batsmen. Woodfull and Ponsford get right over the ball, and push rather than hit it. Richardson and Alexander, who are more spectacular to watch, make good use of :heir feet to get to the pitch of the ball, and both have a quick, sharp movement of the wrists right at the last fraction of the second which iniiparts a crispness and power to their shots which is not generally realised till a perspiring fieldsman “in the country” is seen in (as often as not)

vain pursuit of a bobbing speck which half the time is lost to view in the tantalising light which handicaps visibility from stand and terraces. The double century partnership of Richardson and Alexander found some weak Spots in th© Auckland field yesterday, but taken all through, the work away from the wickets was brisk and keen. Returns to the bowler, however, were frequently bad. Apart from that, Hendy and Anthony deserve a word of praise for their work in the outfield, while Bowley and Snedden permitted the batsmen few liberties closer in. ROWNTREE’S “OFF” DAY Rowntree started off with his customary brilliance, but as the day wore on, his work slumped a little times. Good judges who have seen Rowntree and James times without number declare unhesitatingly for the Aucklander as still the better of two fine exponents of the art of the incomparable Oldfield, but yesterday the Australians could be forgiven if they thought with one of their number that James had given the better display of the two on the present tour. There were too many “frills” about the veteran’s work yesterday, which are not generally part of his display behind the sticks. Later in the day. however, Rowntree accounted for two wickets in his best style. A huge assemblage of “Jimmos” rejoicing in a half holiday, added a novel and entertaining note to the afternoon’s play. At the same time, were their scholastic preceptors to set an essay on “What I Saw at Eden Park,” a somewhat hazy knowledge of the afternoon’s play might be discovered, judging by the number of young Aucklanders who had urgent business elsewhere from 3 o’clock onward. No labour union could be more zealous than young Auckland is in its strict observance of “union hours.”