CRICKET.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 70, 4 January 1936, Page 6

CRICKET.

THE PLUNKET SHIELD MATCH. AUCKLAND 378 FOR SEVEN. AUCKLAND, This Day. The Plunket Shield match Auckland v. Canterbury was resumed to-day in brilliant weather. At the luncheon adjournment Auckland in the first innings had scored 378 for seven wickets. Details are: — AUCKLAND. First Innings. Hook, c Butterfield, b Roberts ... 45 Vivian, b Graham 60 Matheson, not out .... 78 Townsend, not out ... ... 0 Extras 16 Total (for seven wickets) 378 WICKET LIKE A GLUE-POT. SOUTH AFRICA FOLLOWS ON. (Received This Day, 9.50 a.m.) CAPE TOWN, January 3. Large areas of the Newlands grounds were under water this morning after torrential rains all night, and play in the third test match between South Africa, and Australia, was doubtful today. Though the wicket was covered, water seeped through, and. eyen though the sun is shining strongly the pitch will be unplayable lor several hours. The outfield ‘is still waterlogged, but efforts are l>eing made to drain the water. The public was not admitted, and only those with season tickets were allowed to enter. The captains (V. S. Richardson and 11. F. Wade) spent 15 minutes examining the wicket at 1 o’clock, and decided to inspect it again at 4 o’clock. The outfield was drying rapidly, but there were still large, soft patches on the wicket. Wade felt that the South Africans should not bat on a sticky wicket in view of the fact that it had been agreed that the wicket should be properly covered. The Australians yesterday had the benefit of a plumb easy wicket, and the South Africans are entitled to a similar pitch.

Australia deolared at th© overnight score of 362 for eight. Richardson and Wade disagreeing as to the state of the wicket, the umpires made three inspections before deciding that the match bo resumed. Play began at 3.30. The wicket immediately behaving strangely, and the ball popping up sharply. McCabe got Wade with his second ball, but the spin attack was soon brought into action, Grimmett capturing Rowan’s wicket with his first ball. Thereafter the batsmen were completely at the slow bowlers’ mercy. Siedle after batting thirty-five minutes scored a single, and was then badly beaten by a low ball. Both Mitchell and Viljoen were beaten by vagaries of the pitch. Nourse, however, played grandly though he was compelled to introduce a note of caution into his play. The tail-enders failed to make any showing and three wickets fell for no runs with his total at 95. Nourse was unconquered. The innings closed after 108 minutes. The South Africans owed their collapse entirely, to the treacherous wicket which was like a gluepot at the outset. The Africans were forced to follow on, Wade and Siedle cautiously playing out time. Scores: — AUSTRALIA. First Innings. Total for eight wickets, (dec.) 362 SOUTH AFRICA First Innings. Wade, c and b McCabe ... ... 0 Siedle, lbw, b Grimmett ... 1 Rowan, b Grimmett ... ... 12 Mitchell, c Fingleton, b O’Reilly ... 14 Viljoen, st. Oldfield b Fleet-wood-Smith ... 14 Nourse, not out _ ••• 44 Nicholson, b Fleetwood-Smith ... 0 Langton, b Grimmett 3 Crisp, b Grimmett 0 Bnlaskas, b Grimmett 0 Robertson, run out 1 Extras 13 Total ... 102 Fall of wickets —One for 0, two for 12, three for 21, four for 29, five for 86, six for 88, seven for 95, eight for 95, nine for 95. Bowling—McCabe took one wicket for 9 runs, McCormick none for 3, O’Reilly one for 24, Grimmett five for 32, Fleetwood-Smith two for 21. Second Innings. Wade, not out 3 Siedle, not out $ Tottf (for no wickets) ... 11 M.C.C. PLAYS SOUTHLAND. THE VISITORS BATTING. INVERCARGILL, This Day. The M.C.C. Match against Southland opened in beautiful weather before a fair attendance. The visitors won the toss and elected to bat, on a wicket which, gave the impression that it would not last. _ Parks and Smith were the opening batsmen, the latter, facing the bowling, gave a chance at eight and was dismissed for 14, when he cocked back an easy ball to the bowler, lhe partnership yielded 35 in 25 minutes. Holmes’ the English captain, was the next to bat. He was shaky at first, but became aggressive and hit two sixes in the second over, bringing up 100 for an hour’s play.