Newspaper Article – Remarkable finish to cricket match

REMARKABLE FINISH TO CRICKET MATCH 
1953

Audacious Running Delights Spectators

The two-day cricket match between a Manawatu eleven and the touring Victoria University side played this week in Palmerston North, produced what surely must have been one of the remarkable finishes to any cricket game. If such a finish to a match appeared in schoolboy fiction, without doubt the writer would be accused of over doing it.

When the second and final day’s play in the match was started on Saturday, Manawatu looked certain to win after putting on 215 runs and taking five Victoria wickets for just over 50. The visitors recovered well, and had 171 on when their last wicket fell. Manawatu batted again and the captain, C. McVicar, declared at 168 when four wickets were down, giving Victoria just over 90 minutes to make 213 runs for a win.

The college batsmen accepted the challenge and piled on the runs thick and fast till they seemed certain to reach their objective. A quick fall of wickets changed the position, however, and when the last Victorian batsman went out to the crease seven runs were still needed and only one over was to be bowled before full time. Five runs were required to win when the last ball of the day was bowled. McMahon, the facing batsman took a wild swing at the ball. He missed, but his swipe upset the keeper and the ball rushed onto the boundary for four byes. This gave Victoria 212 runs for their second innings and made the result a freak one – a tie.

All in all it was one of the most exhilarating day’s cricket seen in Palmerston North for a long time. The small gallery cheered Victoria to the echo when they stole run after run by sheer audacity. Holland again batted well for Manawatu’s second knock and he scored exactly the same number of runs (68) as in the first. Madgewick and Collis also hit out freely.

A spectacular, if chancy 66 by Marris and an ingenuous innings for 57 by Newbigin, highlighted Victoria’s second turn at the batting crease. These two gave a magnificent display of running between the wickets and although the home side’s fielding was snappy, the pair took such astonishing risks that Manawatu were soon rattled into errors. McVicar was the only Manawatu bowler treated with any respect and he took four quick wickets with spin and deceptive flight.

Details:-

MANAWATU

First innings   215

Second Innings
Jones,  c McMahon,  b  Newbigin   8
Holland,  c  Sigley,  b  Marris   68
Grady,  lbw b Newbigin   11
Madgwick,  not out   43
Buckman, not out   1
Collis,  c Sigley,  b  Galvin   29
Extras   8
Total for four wickets (dec.)   168

Bowling  Galvin 1 for 31, Marris 1 for  8, Newbigin 2 for 31, Prince 0 for 18, Sigley 0 for 28, Williams 0 for 19, Clayton 0 for 27.

VICTORIA

First Innings.
McMahon,  lbw  b Campbell   1
Turner,  lbw  b  Collis   15
Marris,  c  Reid,  b  Heaphy   10
Johansson,,  b  Melody   12
Sigley,  c sub.  b  Collis  35
Gibson,  lbw  b  Reid   7
Clayton,  c  Madgwick,  b  Collis   3
Williams, run out   37
Prince, c Heaphy,  b  Buckman   3
Newbigin,  not out   12
Extras   22
Total   177

Bowling: Campbell 1 for 16, Heaphy 1 for 39, Collis 3 for 43, Melody 1 for 7, Buchman 1 for 19, Reid 1 for 9, Madgwick 1 for 16.

Second Innings
Sigley,  c  Madgwick,  b  Heaphy   12
Marris  c  Holland,  b  Campbell   66
Newbigin, c  Madgwick,  b  Campbell   57
Johansson,  b  McVicar   24
McMahon,  not out   25
Clayton,  b  McVicar   4
Gibson,  c  Madgwick,  b  Campbell   0
Turner,  lbw  b  McVicar   9
Galvin,  b  McVicar   0
Williams,  run out   2
Prince, not out   0
Extras   14
Total for nine wickets   212

Bowling: McVicar 4 for 28, Campbell 3 for 53, Heaphy 1 for 28, Collis 0 for ?6, Buchman 0 for 24, Reid 0 for 14, Grady 0 for 15.

Jim Newbigin, better known perhaps in Hawke’s Bay cricketing circles, but now devoting his attention to sponsoring squash rackets in Hastings.