CRICKET

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 70, Issue 126, 13 March 1950, Page 5

CRICKET

OTAGO IN BAD POSITION AUSTRALIANS MAKE 568 FOR SEVEN (P.A.) DUNEDIN, March 12. The Australian cricket team was in an almost unassailable 5 position, and the Otago team was struggling desperately to avoid complete collapse at the end of the second day’s play, in the match at Carisbrook on Saturday. From 334 for four wickets, Australia’s score was taken to 568 for seven wickets before the innings was closed at 3 p.m. This was the first *tjme t*he Australians had exceeded 400 on the present tour, and was also the highest score made on Carisbrook since the war. Otago began promisingly, but during a dramatic period of 40 minutes in the last hour, five wickets fell for 27 runs, and at stumps, with the score only 84, the home side had its back to the wall. Conditions were unpleasant for most of the day, and a shower during the tea adjournment held up the resumption of play for 12 minutes. The pitch still favoured the batsmen, even though toward the end of the day the Australian bowlers may have been given some assistance.