CRICKET.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 57, Issue 111, 20 February 1937, Page 6

CRICKET.

plunket shield match. DUNEDIN, This Day. Rain in the morning caused a postponement of the Plunket Shield match:, Canterbury v. Otago till the afternoon yesterday. Otago won the toss and elected to hat It made a disastrous start, the first four wickets falling for seven runs. Uttley and Chettleburgh, then Chettleburgh and Mills, stopped the rot, but on their dismissal the remaining wickets fell cheaply. Otagos innings, which lasted 118 minutes closed for 124. The Canterbury colt, Mapleheck, howled well, taking six wickets for 43 runs. Play Resumed To-day. A wicket which had made a splendid recoverey from its soaked condition of yesterday, appeared to favour Canterbury when its first innings of of three for 63 was continued this morning in brilliantly fine weather. Page and O’Brien were the batsmen, the latter opening the proceedings gaily with a; pleasing leg glance to the boundary at the expense of Silver. So accurate was the trundling of Silver and Dunning that both batsmen were fighting on the defence for a lengthy period. Page aroused enthusiasm from a fair crowd by placing Silver nicely to the cover boundary, while O’Brien helped himself to an easy three by driving a full toss from the same bowler to long-off, Uttley being applauded for a quick return. With the advent of Elmes in place of Silver, who at periods had troubled both batsmen with ' sharply rising balls, Page smacked a full toss from the new bowler for four, and 160 appeared in 128 minutes, O’Brien being 27 and Page 14.

As was the case yesterday, Dunning was keeping an impeccable length, varying his pace cleverly. He deserved further success, and it came when Page failed to survive a confident, appeal for lbw, when the score was four wickets for 101. O’Brien was now partnered by Cromb, but the newcomer did not stay, for lie popped up an easy catch to Elmos, whose obtaining of a wicket was a complete surprise. Bellamy joined O’Brien, and he faced an uncomfortable over from Dunning, who was bowling right up to form that might gain him a place in the New Zealand team. The score at 2.30 o’clock was 182 runs for six wickets (O’Brien, not out, 75; Sharjje, not out, 7; extras 16). Scores were:—

OTAGO Knight, b Mulcock 1 Badeock, c Hadlee, b Mulcock ... 0 Kerr, b Mapplebeck 0 Uttley, b Mapplebeck 13 Elines, b Mapplebeck ... ... 0 Chettleburgh, c Mapplebeck, b Mulcock 39 Mills, b Sharpe ... ... ••• 21 Groves, b Mapplebeck 2 Dunning, not out 15 Nimnio, c Mulcock b Mapplebeck 4 Silver, b Majjplebeck 12 Extras - ... ••• H Total ... •••' 124 Bowling analysis.—Mapplebeck took six wickets for 43 runs, Mulcock 3 for 29, Croxnb none for none, Sharpe one for 29. CANTERBURY. Kerr, b Dunning ... ... 27 Hadlee, b Elmes ... ... 13 Menzies, lhw, b Dunning ... 12 Page, lbw, b Elmes ... ... 15 Cromb, c and b Elmes 6 O’Brien, not out ... ... 56 Bellamy, b Nimmo ... ••• 14 Sharpe, not out ... ... 0 Extras ... ... ... 14 Total (for six wkts) ... 154