New Zealand Cricket Team in England in 1927 - First-class Matches

First-class Matches

Matches were played against 16 of the 17 first-class counties, with five won and four lost. The touring side was particularly strong in batting, and most of their victories relied on the weight of runs produced. The exception was the match against Somerset at Weston-super-Mare where the New Zealanders, after being dismissed for 128 in the second innings, their lowest total of the tour, won by 94 runs with Allcott taking five wickets for three runs in a feeble display by the county. The match was Arthur Wellard's first first-class appearance.

Perhaps the most exciting game was the drawn match with Surrey at The Oval. In three days 1,345 runs were scored. New Zealand made 313, with 103 for Mills, and Surrey responded with 377, Jack Hobbs scoring 146. New Zealand then made a rapid 371, with Dempster making 101 and McGirr 66, and Merritt reduced Surrey to 207 for 8, taking five wickets. But an unbroken ninth wicket partnership of 77 took Surrey to within 24 of victory before the match ended.

Even that total of runs was surpassed in the match against an all-amateur MCC side, which yielded 1,522 runs in three May days, but ended as a draw. Other first-class matches included the usual touring side games with the universities and end-of-season festival cricket. But there were also first-class matches against the Royal Navy, the Army, the Civil Service and Wales. In all 26 matches, New Zealand won seven and lost five, with the others drawn, including several affected by weather.