English Bowling Too Strong For Otago

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 860, 2 January 1930, Page 10

English Bowling Too Strong For Otago

M.C.C.’S FIRST INNINGS HOME TEAM WELL DOWN From Our Oicn Correspondent DUNEDIN, Today. The first day’s play in the M.C.C. v. Otago match at Carisbrook on Tuesday was divided into three distinct phases. In the morning England's opening batsmen defied all the efforts of the bowlers to dislodge them, but immediately after the luncheon adjournment the bowlers got on top and wickets fell rapidly. The third phase came after the tea interval, during which a light shower had fallen, making tho ball greasy so that the batsmen again were in the ascendant and remained so till stumps. There was a good deal of doubt on Monday afternoon whether the ground would be fit for a start at the scheduled time on Tuesday, but a drying wind improved conditions, and though the wicket was very soft, Gilligan thought it good enough to take first use of it when 'lie won the toss from A. W. Alloo. As a matter of fact the wicket was easy and the opening batsmen, by watching the ball closely and playing back a lot, had little difficulty in remaining there and scoring steadily though not freely. Gilligan was the freer of the two, but was lucky in being twice dropped, Blunt declining a sharp chance off his own bowling at 28, and Elmes dropping a sitter at mid-on at 58. The batting during this phase was not inspiring, and the crowd began to ask where was the sparkle that had been promised. Nevertheless both batsmen plhyed nice, correct cricket and scored on both sides of the wicket whenever an opportunity was given. With the century up without the loss of a wicket things looked blue, for Otago at the luncheon adjournment. After that, however, the second phase began, Gilligan opening straight into the outfield, where Knight took a splendid catch, running in and falling on his knees. ROT SETS IN The crowd sat up and riveted its attention on the game as Duleepsinhji came in, but it was doomed to disappointment, for the Indian, after scoring a couple with graceful, wristy strokes, misjudged the pace of the wicket and sent a shortish ball to square-leg, where Cavanagh took a good catch low down. This began what was practically a rot, which could be accounted for only by the fact that the bowling was being kept to a wonderful length and a swing away from the. middle to leg stump, cramping the batsmen with a close on-side field. Elmes, a left-hander coming in with his arm and occasionally keeping very low. Though he got the first three wickets, two of them were with balls which could not be called good. Dunning kept plugging away, and eventually was rewarded with three good wickets. During this second phase, extending from luncheon till the tea adjournment. Dun-* ning bowled without a spell, sending down 22 overs. WOOLLEY SAVES INNINGS It was only Woolley who saved the situation. The great left-hander was obliged by the state of the game to play in an unusually restrained style, and he took 100 minutes to reach 30. While he was at one end there was hope, and his tactics were justified, as after the showery tea interval he once more showed a veteran’s judgment by opening out and taking toll while the ball was greasy, unexpected help being given him by a quite good innings by the diminutive Cornford. When the latter went, # Woolley still nedeed a few for his century, so he went for it, and hit Blunt for six, two fours, and a six in one over. In all he hit two sixes and eleven fours, and in getting the last 70 he made many delightful shots, notably wristy cover hits off shortish balls, and pretty glides to fine leg. The public was disappointed when Earle, after two or three attempts .at a big hit, hit too soon at a leg break from Blunt, and was clean-bowled. Blunt bowled really well until Woolley got to him, his tally being two for 49 off 14 overs. The wicket did not suit Dickinson, who was Linable to make the ball fly, and bowled only 15 overs. He really should not have been used even to this extent. Dtinning was a willing horse, and was worked to the extent of 43 overs for 78 runs and three wickets. Seven bowlers were tried. England got its score of 322 in 309 minutes. The attendance was short of 2,000, and the gate was £l6B. SECOND DAY’S PLAY Persistent rain on Tuesday night and showers yesterday morning made play at Carisbrook impossible before two o’clock yesterday, when the match was continued, for although the wicket had been covered the surrounding turf was practically under water. A drying wind helped matters and conditions were fairly easy for the batsmen. It was not a very exciting day for the spectators, however, except for the 1 last few breezy minutes of Woolley’s fine innings. During this time he lifted Elmes for a lofty six but misshit another sky high and was caught. Elmes came oLit with very creditable figures and at times bowled really well. Dunning’s consistent length bowling savoured of a first-class professional’s effort. The batting of the Otago team lacked sparkle, all the batsmen appearing to be overweighted by the occasion. Blunt, perhaps, was an exception, but lie was not allowed to get very far, being out in playing over one from Worthington, a little over a good length. Knight was painfully slow. He simply hung his bat in front of anything near a good length and pushed half volleys. There was only one four in his tally. Cavanagh was more animated once lie settled down. There were many who considered lie should have been dropped from the team, for neither in club nor shield cricket had he done anything this season. His 32 therefore was very opportune, though lie was lucky in being missed at square-leg off a hard bit and lie was later caught at the wickets, but given not out. SLOW SCORING RATE The average rate of scoring by Otago was under 5u an hour, Knight taking 150 minutes to get 44. A cold wind was blowing across the ground most of the afternoon and the Englishmen did not appear too happy. The fielding was anything but good. the throwing-in being particularly erratic. On three occasions runs were got for overthrows. Cornford making franticleaps into the air in a vain endeavour to rake balls feet above his head. His wicket-keeping was also well below standard indeed. In this match Clark compared more than favourably with him. Duleepsinhji was a notable exception in the faulty fielding of the side, he being quick and clean in picking up and returning. The bowling, on the whole, was accurate, but on the soft wicket naturally lacked sting. Allom and Worthington kept consistent lengths and pace, the former beating McMullan and Knight with good ones. The ball with which Worthington got Dunning first struck the batsman’s thigh before being caught one-handed by Turnbull at short leg. Woolley was easily the best bowler, lie seTit down 23 overs, of a hich nine were maidens, for 38

runs and three wickets and kept the batsmen guessing all the time by varying pace, pitch and break. His two lbw victims were plumb in front though Galland afterward declared he touched the ball lightly. This was the last ball of the day. As in the case of Dickinson the wicket was no good to Nichols, but Gilligan did not make the mistake of giving runs away by persevering with him. As a matter of fact he bowled the opening over and then went off until near the end of the day. when he sent down two more overs and again went off. Duleepsinhji's four overs brought the quickest scoring interlude of the innings, 19 runs being got from them. No fewer than 13 lfoballs were bowled by the English bowlers, seven by Woolley and three each by Allom and Worthington. Six of these were scored from. Strangely enough the gate takings were within one shilling of yesterday’s €l6 S. which was satisfactory in view of the broken weather and delayed start, but nevertheless a substantial loss to the Otago Association in the match seems likely. Following are the scores of both days: ENGLAND First Innings GILTJGAX, c Knight, b Elmes .. .. 70 DAWSON, c and b Elmes 41 WOOLLEY, e Clark, b Elmes . . . . 132 DULEEPSINHJI, e Cavanagh, b Elmes 2 LEGGE, c Dunning, b Elmes ... 4 NICHOLS, b Dunning . 1 TURNBULL, b Dunning ... 4 WORTHINGTON, lbw, b Dunning EARLE, b Blunt 10 CORNFORD, c Alloo, b Blunt .... 29 ALLOM, not out 4 Extras ” 23 Total 322 Bowling.—Dickinson, 0-43; Elmes 5-6S* Dunning, 3-85; Blunt, 2-49; Monk 0-33 • Alloo, 0-14; Galland, 0-5. OTAGO First Innings KNIGHT, b Allom 44 Me MULL AX, b Allom “ 5 DUNNING, c: Turnbull, b Worthington 5 BLUNT, b Worthington 13 CAVANAGH, c Worthington, b Woolley 32 ALLOO, not out .... ‘ r; ELMES. lbw, b Woolley .. ” in GALLAND, lbw, b Woollev .. 4 Extras ‘ 15 Seven wickets for 143 Bowling.—Nichols, 0-5; Duleepsinh ji, 0-!9: A Horn. 2-37: Worthington, 2-29; Woolley, 3-3 S.