Batsmen Who Wouldn’t Score

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 473, 1 October 1928, Page 11

Batsmen Who Wouldn’t Score

AMAZING CRICKET OPPONENTS BOWL WIDES Batsmen who refused to score, and a bowler who scored for them, were features of the extraordinary cricket seen in the Minor Counties championship match at Leicester last month, between Leicestershire 2nd XI. and Staffordshire. The first day was blank owing to rain. The next day Leicestershire was all out for 124. e There was ample time for Staffs to pass this total, but after tea they refused to score, or to run when runs were possible. A possible explanation was that a first innings lead might affect their chance of the championship. The crowd barracked them continuously .and when the total had reached 75 for four, including five extras, Rudd, the Leicestershire captain, went on to bowl. SEVEN RUNS LEAD He put up one of the most remarkable overs ever known in county cricket. He sent down 14 consecutive balls, which included eight wides, six of which counted as single runs, and two of which went to the boundary for four runs each. Following this the ball went to the boundary for eight byes, each yielding four runs, so that without a single run coming from the bat 51 runs (including the earlier five extras) were added to the Staffordshire score, giving them a lead of two runs. After that five runs were put on from the bat, and Staffs finished with a lead of seven runs on the first innings. In the Minor Counties Championship a match not completed on the first innings does not count. A first innings win'counts three points out of five.