Gisborne Does Well Against Aussies

When it was announced that the touring Australian cricket team was to play a match at Gisborne against a Poverty Bay side, the reaction of many people was that this would indeed be a one-sided affair.

But in fact, Poverty Bay did very well in their game with the visitors, and their showing more than compared with that of the rest of the Auckland province a few days later.

Scores were: Australia, 478 for nine (declared). Poverty Bay, 122 and 54 for five.

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The Australians coming on to the field. Left to right: Drennan, O'Neill, Jarman, Meckiff, Craig (Captain), Benaud (in rear), Martin, Harvey, Watson.

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Jarman and Craig coming off for tea.

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While side was batting, Aussies kept themselves amused with...football!

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Blane, the P. B. captain, bowling to Neil Harvey, who made 112. Others, left to right, are Martin, Eargher (umpire), Craig, Blane, Jackson (umpire), Ken Hough, Harvey, Kelly (wicketkeeper) and Barbour.

The visitors having batted first, P.B. expected to have a full day at the crease, but in the night heavy rain all but washed out the game. In the morning the pitch was a lake. The Aussies prepared to pack their bags.

But they reckoned without Gisborne "go". All hands got to work. The water was pumped off, squeegeed away and mopped up. The pitch was dried with compressed air, dressed with sawdust, smoothed with rollers.

The Aussies had never seen anything like it. It rocked them far more than the sight of Hough hitting Martin over the sight-screen.

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At 10 a.m. — selector, players, gate-Keeper, umpire. Left to right: Chick McHugh, Gordon Harris, Ken Hough, Ian Niven, Bill Bothamly, Phil Fargher.

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Even Harold Taylor-Smith, radio commentator, was pressed into service.

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Captains inspect puddles...... Ian Craig and Jim Blane

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At 1.30. Dick Short and Bob Kennedy drying the pitch with compressed air. Behind them: Brian Pugh.

When the captains came out at 2 o'clock to make an inspection (above and at right), the pitch was being marked out for play. The change in a few short hours was nothing short of miraculous. "I've never seen anything like it in my cricket experience", said the visiting captain, Ian Craig. At left in picture above, Aussie Les Favell (without coat), and Merv. Robinson watch groundsman Jim Barbour marking crease.

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Aussies come to watch.

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Kelly and Graham batting for Poverty Bay. Left to right, Meckiff, O'Neill, Jarman, Craig, Kelly and Graham, Martin, and Drennan

Incidents from the play as Poverty Bay ran up the highest score registered by a minor associations team against the visitors. Top scorer was Ken Hough, an Australian player now resident in Gisborne, who ran up 45 runs in 46 minutes in a sparkling display. He also spearheaded the Poverty Bay bowling the previous day. Other double figures batsmen were J. Kelly (11) and R. Kennedy (27).

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Craig tries to take a hard one in the slips. Play was held up for a few minutes following this incident, in which Craig suffered temporary injury

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Hough electrified game with hard hitting. He soon had fieldsmen chasing shots to boundary

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Hough hitting a six

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Two fieldsmen chase ball as Hough and Blane run for three