Cricket game summaries from the Times, 1950

CRICKET

PARKER'S CENTURY
AT THE OVAL


FROM OUR CRICKET CORRESPONDENT

Surrey, although they had their moments
of anxiety at the Oval yesterday, scored
278 runs, for which they were mainly
indebted to Parker, against Gloucestershire,
who at the close of play had lost
two wickets for 65.
Surrey had an early and unpleasant shock
when Lambert had Fishlock caught low down
and wide by Wilson, an agile and attentive
wicketkeeper, with only two runs on the board.
E. Bedser and Clark, after a discreet start, were
going well enough until they were brought to
an abrupt halt by Goddard, who in turn first
bowled Clark and then Bedser. There followed
a long spell of bowling by Goddard, still a
bowler of infinite cunning, and the left-handed
Cook.
Park was always on the lookout for
runs, but the bowling was accurate and the
fielding keen and well placed. Even so, Parker
found his opportunities to make some delightful
drives to the off, and if only 90 runs had
been made at the luncheon interval, that was in
the main due to the quality of Gloucestershire's
out-cricket.
Barton had found it very hard to get the ball
away and he was out soon after the interval,
when the score stood at 108, trying to hit a
straight ball from Cook away to leg. With
Constable caught at the wicket off Goddard
half the side was out for 109. Parker was as
secure as could be and full of forward attacking
strokes, and he found a gay partner in
McIntyre, who, by hitting a ball from Goddard
over that bowler's head, did a thing most
rarely seen in these days. Some of his strokes
may not have been made with a strictly straight
bat yet they were telling enough, and even when
Lambert and Scott came on with the new ball
he was still undauntedly on the atttack.
Hereabouts Parker made a series of well-
timed forcing strokes to the off, played late
and with ample time to spare, but with the
score at 183 he lost McIntyre, who had his leg
stump hit by a ball which could be termed a
yorker. Parker went on to teach his 100
out of 220 before Surrey lost two more wickets
quickly. Surridge indulged in some cheerful,
but rather haphazard hitting, with peculiar
running between the wickets, and in the end
Parker was left unbeaten, having made his 133
runs in three and three-quarter hours and
having hit 14 4's.
Emmett was playing in grand style at the
start of Gloucestershire's innings until he was
out to a glorious catch by Batton at first slip,
who rolled over and over holding firmly to the
ball. Bedser in his next over took yet another
wicket when Young popped a ball up into
the hands of short leg, but in spite of changes
in the bowling Graveney and Crapp stayed
until stumps were drawn.
[[STATS]]

MATCH FINISHED IN A
DAY
REMARKABLE BOWLING


On a pitch which, to all outward appearances,
did not justify the extraordinary
result, Sussex were beaten at Manchester
yesterday in one day after play had been
extended for 10 minutes in order to produce
a finish. There have been many cases
of a match being finished in a single day.
The last was in 1947, when Derbyshire
beat Somerset at Chesterfield.
In yesterday's remarkable play 30 wickets
fell for 391 runs in six hours 25 minutes.
There were 10 instances of batsmen failing to
score.
Hilton, Lancashire's young spin bowler, who
twice dismissed Bradman on the same ground
two seasons ago, celebrated the recent award
of his county cap with the best bowling performance
of his career, by taking six for 32
in the Sussex first innings and five for 18 in
the second, with 11 for 50 in the match.
Greenwood, too, has rarely bowled better, and
he secured nine for 67 in the match.
In their first innings Sussex were dismissed
before lunch in 105 minutes for 101 runs.
John Langridge carried his bat for 48, and J.
Oakes created a spirited diversion by scoring
35 in 25 minutes with two 6's and five 4's. Five
Sussex wickets fell for 18 runs in 25 minutes.
Lancashire secured the lead in 95 minutes
for the loss of four wickets and ultimately
gained an advantage of 138. Edrich scored
89 in two hours and a quarter with two 6's
and 10 4's. In company with Barlow 67 runs
were scored for the seventh wicket in half an
hour.
[[STATS]]

BRILLIANT BATTING
FAST SCORING BY THE
WEST INDIES


The West Indies batsmen were in great form
at Leicester and runs came at an almost
incredible speed, particularly from Weekes.
There were two big partnerships, 309 unfinished
for the third wicket between Worrell and
Weekes in two hours 25 minutes, and 247 in
126 minutes for the second wicket between
Marshall and Worrell.
Marshall, who scored 188 in three and a
half hours, began a brillantly controlled
assault from the start. His 31 boundaries were
the product of a variety of strokes, the most
prominent being the straight drive. Worrell
completed his century in 100 minutes, but
Weekes's occupied only five minutes over an
hour, the fastest of the season. In 40 minutes
after tea Weekes made 76. He and Worrell,
scoring at the rate of two runs a minute,
harassed the tired fielders in the last 30
minutes by running daring singles.
Leicestershire had no answer to such
brilliance, but Worrell should have been caught
at 134 off Sperry and Weekes at 105 off Walsh.
The county suffered a cruel blow when Jackson,
their off spin bowler, strained his back
and was unable to bowl after the luncheon
interval.
[[STATS]]

WORCESTER V. MIDDLESEX


AT WORCESTER

A missed catch off Robertson by the usually
reliable Outschoorn at second slip cost
Worcestershire dearly. Had it been held,
Middlesex would have been 15 for two, and
with J. G. Dewes not then on the ground--he
arrived 20 minutes after the start--Sims would
have been faced with the problem of deciding
which batsman to promote. As it was Robertson
and Sharp, instead of being separated by
by Perks when their association was worth
only six runs, continued a splendid partnership
which produced 199 runs.
On the ground where he made 331 not out
last year, Robertson's attractive batting brought
him 107 in three and a quarter hours before he
gave a catch to mid-wicket. Sharp, batting
for three hours 40 minutes, hit 15 4's in his
115, and then gave a catch to long-on in
attempting to hit Jenkins over the rails.
Apart from a quick 65 by Compton and
Sims for the eighth wicket, the remaining bats-
men were not comfortable against Worcestershire's
spin bowlers of whom Jenkins, who
bowled 50 overs, took six wickets for 142 runs.
Routledge struck a useful blow for Middlesex
when Worchestershire began their innings,
bowling Kenyon with only nine runs on the
board.
[[STATS]]
To Cricket from 1965