TENSE CRICKET

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 366, 22 February 1937, Page 2

TENSE CRICKET

MATCH AT HAWERA

South Taranaki Draw with

Rangitikei.

The South Taranaki—Rangitikei cricket match at Hawera on Saturday, towards the end of a day of uninspiring cricket developed into an exciting bowler v. batsman duel and finished when stumps were drawn with Rangitikei at the crease With 201 for eight wickets in reply to Taranaki’s total of 201.

S. Betts was the star of the Tara naki side contributing 71 of the ina ings total and taking seven of the eight Rangitikei wickets. He was responsible for the breaking up o. the Rangitikei opening partnerthipc and brought back when, after the failure of the other bowlers, Taranaki appeared in a hopeless position, he transformed the match by taking three wickets in one over giving Taranaki a faint chance of victory. When he bowled the last over of th match, the Rangitikei batsman. Fullerton-Smith, had one delivery off n'hich to secure the winning single but was unable to do so. The prior arrangement made between the teams that in the event of a close finish being likely an extra half-hour should be played, proved fortunate in that it enabled this tense finish to a match which, ending' half an hour sooner would hake been merely another uninteresting draw. J. Marshall, who compiled an almost chanceless 116 for Rangitikei, was the outstanding batsman of the day and had time permitted the playing pt one more over could hardly have failed to win the match for his side. Sladden. bowling against the Thiranaki opening batsmen and keeping excellent length with slow deliveries, which he could break in either direction looked for a time like causing a rot in the Taranaki innings. He took the first three wickets and at the fall of the third his figures were three for two. When used later in the innings, however, he em ployed more speed and less consist eacy and was unable to secare another scalp. His final figures- Ware three for 42.

Taranaki Strike.

Betts opened strongly for Taranaki but Court, who was with him was unable to open his account and when the score was 26 after about 40 minutes of play, he was dismissed by Sladden. Barker secured a some what lucky two and never appeared comfortable and with the score at 32 he stood flat-footed to one of Sladden's leg-break deliveries, and poked the ball into the waiting hands of Trott, in slips. Hendrum, who replaced him, met a similar fate, putting Taranaki three • wickets down for 38.

Geary had one or two lucky shots at first, with pulls to square leg, but he soon settled down and he and Betts at lunch adjournment had carried the score to 80, Bette- being then 51. The score mounted rapidly on resumption until Betts, who was theif taking risks for the sake of forcing the pace misjudged a delivery from Cameron and was caught at mid-on, the score then being 112. Eden appeared confident from the outset but the possibility of another profitable partnership was obviated when Geary was caught off Whittle, just after he had passed his half century.

Misunderstanding.

Eden shortly afterwards foolishly lost his wicket, being run out through a misunderstanding with his partner, Christie. With Taranaki six wickets down for 137 the skipper, Dormer, joined Christie, and quickly commenced to compile a score with crisp shots to the off. At 144 Christie was bowled by Fullerton-Smith, who Wat brought on at the south end. Foster’s too venturesome play never inspired confidence but after being dropped once he managed to stay until the score reached 167, when he was bowled by H. Marshall.

Playing from the outset with perfect confidence, Beere emphatically demonstrated that had he been put in earlier the Taranaki innings would have benefited.

He lost Dormer at 178 and McKenzie, last man in Was content to hold his end up. Scoring effortlessly

with pulls to the leg and hitting one beautiful six, Beere was right on top of the bowling of Whittle and Marshall and had compiled a rapid 28, when Whittle produced one out of the box which skittled McKenzie’s wickets, doting the innings for 201.

Early Disaster.

Disaster early overtook Rangitikei, who commenced their inning? after the afternoon tea adjournment. A. Marshall was clean bowled by Betts without score. Openshaw and the newcomer J. Marshall, however, both playing sound cricket, got well set and the tally commenced to mount steadily. Dormer tried frequent changes of bowling but the batsmen remained untroubled until Betts was brought back. Betts got' Openshaw when the score was 76 and the Rangitikei skipper, Cameron, taking the crease when less than two hours playing time remained, immediately set out to make runs in a hurry. He was rather lucky with loflfy shots, one of which, falling short, was nearly caught by Dormer in the outfield, but remained in until after the first century was pasted, when he was bowled for 12, trying to lift Batts out of the ground. P. Marshall joined his brother and the two playing attractive cricket took the score to 168. Taranaki fielding, which had at all times been inferior to that of the visitors, dumped badly at this stage, enabling the Marshall's to get even more runs than their batting justified. Betts’ bowling was again responsible for breaking up a partnership, one of bis deliveries to P. Marshall, yielding an easy catch to Geary at mid-on.

Rangitikei Strong.

With 168 runs and only four wickets gone Rangitikei appeared at this stage to have the match well in hand. J. Marshall, with Whittle in partnership, was batting strongly and soundly, punishing loose balls with great severity and could net be up set by changes of bowling. When he reached his century, shortly before 6 o'clock, the only chance he had given was a very difficult one, a hard drive returned to the bowler, McKenzie.

At this stage Betts was brought on for his fourteenth over and got Whittle 1.b.w., making Rangitikei five down for 191. In the same over he dismissed Sladden and Rix-Trott.

without addition being made to the score. J. Marshall took the score to 196 with a four and a one off Dormer, who came on at the northern end. The newcomer H. Marshall, thus left to face the bowling, secured a two but was then caught by McKenzie at point. Fullerton-Smith scored a single off the last ball of Dormer's over.

Fullerton-Smith hit a single off Betts’ first ball, leaving Marshall with only two to get to win. Marshall ran a single and Fullerton-Smith Played the final ball of the over without scoring. Details are:

SOUTH TARANAKI. Court, b Sladden 0 S. Betts, c A. Marshall, b Cameron 72 W. Barker, c Rix-Trott, b Sladden 2 Lendrum, cJ. Marshall, b Sladden 0 Geary, c A. Marshall, b Whittle 53 Eden, run out 5 Christie, b Fullerton-Smith 0 Dormer, b A. Marshall 24 Foster, b H. Marshall , 9 Beere, not out : 28 McKenzie, b Whittle 1 Extras (byes 2. leg byes? 4, no balls 5) 1 Total 201 Bowling: Whittle, two wickets for 35 runs; A. Marshall, two for 63, Openshaw. none for 38; Sladden, three for 42; Fullerton-Smith, one for 14; Cameron, one for one. RANGITIKEI. A. Marshall, b Betts 0 J. Openshaw, b Betts- 27 J. Marshall, not out 116 Cameron, b Betts 12 P. Marshall, c Geary, b Betts .. 33 Whittle, l.b.w. Betts 1 Sladden, c Betts * Rix-Trott, c Betts 0 H. Marshall, c McKenzie, b Dormer 2 Fullerton-Smith, not out 2 Extras (leg byes 7, no balls 1) 8 Total 201 Bowling: Betts, took seven wickets for 48 runs; Geary, none for 20: Christie, none for 19; Lendrum, none for nine; Foster, none for 17: Dormer, one for 19; Eden, none for 37; McKenzie, none for 24.