New Zealand v England 1929-30

Played at Auckland, February 21, 22, 24. Drawn. Any likelihood of New Zealand winning the extra Test match and so avoiding defeat in the rubber practically disappeared on the first day when England scored 375 for six wickets. As the supremacy of the bat continued, the game had, of course, to be drawn so the honours remained with the touring team. Apart from Woolley, all the more famous English batsmen came off, Legge excelling in one of the best innings he has ever played. Making 104 on the first day, Legge went on batting almost faultlessly until within four of a double century. He drove and cut particularly well in a most attractive display which lasted four hours and forty minutes and included twenty-two 4's. Duleepsinhji did not play so freely as usual but Nichols hit hard during a partnership that realised 184 runs in two hours and ten minutes. The New Zealand bowlers would have prevented such heavy scoring had they received better support. So lacking in dash was the work in the field that short runs were brought off without risk.

The home team's batting, however, proved thoroughly reliable. While Blunt failed, nine men reached double figures. Weir gave further proof of his ability and on the second day, when four wickets had fallen for 127, Allcott helped him play out time. On Monday morning Lowry, going in with five men out for 186, suited his play to the occasion. Acting mostly on the defensive he stayed for three hours and a half. McGirr also showed admirable steadiness in a partnership which, producing a hundred runs in two hours, destroyed any possibility of New Zealand being beaten. Allom was by far the best bowler in the match, a combination of length, swerve and pace making him exceptionally difficult to hit. Woolley was called upon to do more work with the ball than any of his colleagues.