With 164 Deficit; Marshall's Fine Knock o" a wicket madly treacherous by the recent rain, the Recs made an unpromising start in the opening day of the first match of the Wood Trophy series against the S.C.C. on their own ground yesterday, finishing the day with a deficit of 164 runs.
Led by Donald Leach and "Stoker" Jenkins, the Club attack Performed to good effect, retiring the Recs for the meagre total of 75 runs. Opening their innings on a rapidly drying wicket, the S.C.C. put up the creditable score of 239 runs.
F. E. Marshall was the outstanding batsman of the day, scoring 83 runs. Going in eighth, with the S.C.C. score standing at 89 for seven, Marshall remained to take the Club into a strong Position, losing his wicket at 219 for nine.
The sun peeped benevolently from behind the clouds when Pat Madar, Captain of the Recs, led skipper D. W. Leach out on to the sward for the all-important toss) "Heads it is," but to the astonishment of all, the Shanghai Cricket Club captain Tequested Madar to take the crease first.
It was a wise move, and one made after considerable thought had been given to the state of the Recs ground after Thursday nights downpour. Experienced handling of the bowling prevented any of the opposition from settling down.
Pat Madar opened the Recs innings in company with Hart-Baker. Neither could master the deliveries of Stokes from the Pavilion and Pearson, the Hankow bowler, from the top end, with the result that for the first 20 minutes only six runs were registered. However, there was no need for haste in a two-day match, and both batsmen were experienced enough to "understand the necessity for tiring the bowling. At 20, Leach swung Jenkins into the attack, and taking a hand himself a few minutes later, was able to retire Hart-Baker with a nasty leg-break (one for 34). It was high time too, for Baker had already begun to open up.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.