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Scotland v New Zealand 21 & 22 July 1937
by Cricket Scotland


Ground:McKane Park, Dunfermline
Scorecard:Scotland v New Zealanders
Event:New Zealand in British Isles 1937

DateLine: 4th February 2013

 

Scotsman

 

Day 1:
Heavy rain overnight and in the early morning caused a delay to the start of the second international cricket match between Scotland and New Zealand at McKane Park, Dunfermline, yesterday, but the tourists, winning the toss took first lease of a difficult wicket and had a moderately good total (209 for seven wickets) at the close of the day's play after three and a half hours batting.

 

Again the tourists' batsmen played bright and attractive cricket and the Scottish bowling strength was not much in evidence, although J. S. Farquhar was making the ball rise awkwardly, and with the help of P. A. Gibb behind the stumps finished the day with the splendid analysis of five wickets for 32 runs. Other bowlers tried were very costly.

 

Fielding was generally sound, but both B. R. Tod and A. Smith dropped difficult catches.

 

The tourists made four changes from their team at Hamilton Crescent, H. G. Vivian and J. L. Kerr, their opening pair, and J. A. Dunning and D. A. R. Moloney being replaced by J.R. Lamason, A. W. Roberts, G. L. Weir, and O. W. Bickley, the last-named being a member of the committee.

 

Once more the Scots had an early success. W. A. Hadlee and N. W. Gallichan opened the innings, and although the former was not long in getting runs, Gallichan went out to the thirteenth ball of the game for a duck with only 7 on the board. This was the result of a smart catch by Gibb from Farquhar's bowling.

 

A. Paris, bowling from the other end, was not doing nearly so well, however, and before being replaced by Cliffe he had conceded 24 in four overs, including three 4s in four balls to Hadlee, who would have had more boundary hits but for the heaviness of the outfield.

 

Hadlee next experienced a series of escapes. He survived two appeals by Cliffe for leg before, was almost caught and bowled by Farquhar, and had a skied ball dropped by B. R. Tod.

 

After that, frequent changes in the bowling were of no avail, and the second wicket added over 80 with some free hitting. W Anderson and Cliffe could not keep down the scoring, but with the advent of J. H. Melville there was some success. Roberts drove the first ball for 2, but was held by Smith at cover point next ball. Roberts at this stage was just beginning to open his shoulders, and had hit Cliffe for the one 6 the day.

 

Sixteen runs later Hadlee was out leg before to Farquhar, after having been at the wicket for nearly an hour and three quarters for his 59, which included six 4s. But by this time the total was well over the hundred, and the tourists were in a reasonably strong position.

 

Only five more runs were added, however, when Gibb took another catch from Farquhar's bowling. The Cantab's wicket keeping had been very smart throughout, and apart from his catches he had kept the batsmen anxious with his readiness to stump.

 

The next wicket fell for another five runs, Farquhar, bowling splendidly, deceiving J. P. Lamason and taking the bails.

 

The sixth wicket, however, was not nearly so cheap, and 50 runs were added before G. L. Weir's partnership with his captain, M. L. Page, was broken. Next man in was M.W. Wallace, who had perhaps the soundest innings of all in the Glasgow match, and runs came freely.

 

The unusual disposition of the batting strength was not entirely successful, and there was a strong chance of the innings not lasting the day, when Wallace went out with the score one short of 200 and with fifteen minutes still to go.

 

M. P. Donnelly, next man, made an early error but was dropped by Smith, and to-day the tourists can resume with a formidable looking partnership in existence.

 

The start today will be 11.30 a.m.

 

Day 3:
Scotland, after a good fight in the first of the matches with New Zealand at Hamilton Crescent, Glasgow, failed badly in the second at Dunfermline with a rearranged eleven, and were beaten, by an innings and 52 runs.

 

The Scottish side at McKane Park were dismissed yesterday for 53 runs on a drying wicket in their first innings, but it was not until one of the last balls of the match that they were defeated.

 

Rain again caused delay to the start of the second day's play, and the tourists, with 209 for seven wickets, made good headway, although J. S. Farquhar succeeded very early in getting M. L. Page's wicket, J. H. Melville holding a hard drive at mid-on.

 

M. P. Donnelly took little heed-of this, and punished Melville particularly severely, and after he had hit 16, including a 6 and two 4s off one of Melville's overs, the innings was closed. Donnelly, however, had two escapes when Cliffe failed to hold catches.

 

Only Farquhar of the Scots did well, largely as a result of his inspired bowling spell on the previous day. Melville, the most successful of the bowlers at Hamilton Crescent, had in fact one wicket for 91, and conceded 36 runs in his four overs yesterday.

 

The tragedy of the Scottish innings may be seen from their score. W. R. Heggie, the most successful of the steady batsmen at Hamilton Crescent was promoted to No. 1, but was clean bowled by the last ball of the first over without a run on the board.

 

A few overs later, Cliffe was out leg before with the total at 10. P. A. Gibb, however, was in his best vein, and had just hit a 6 and seemed set when a careless stroke gave an easy catch, and he went to the pavilion with 30 to his name. Gibb's contribution in the end was more than half of the total.

 

Things went from bad to worse. B. R. Tod was out for a "duck"; A. K. McTavish did not last long; and the tail melted away for 2s and 3s.

 

The second innings found Gibb ready to start a bold front to carry the Scots to a draw. Not only was it bold, but it was enterprising, and he hit three 6s and five 4s in his total of 67. Again, however, Heggie disappointed as an opening bat, and the others tailed off, although W. Anderson hit out merrily towards the finish.

 

The result was that the New Zealanders, with a surprising mixture of bowling, coupled with their keen fielding, had the Scots out with an over or two to spare, and won a match which seemed bound to be a draw. From a Scottish point of view only Gibb's fine batting and Farquhar's bowling were performances of merit.

 

It is understood that the Scottish teams to oppose Yorkshire and Sir Julian Cahn's eleven were chosen by the Scottish Union yesterday, but will not be made public until it is known how many "Anglos" will accept.

(Article: Copyright © 2013 Cricket Scotland http://cricketscotland.com)

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