REPRESENTATIVE CRICKET.

Auckland Star, Volume LI, Issue 4, 5 January 1920, Page 7

REPRESENTATIVE CRICKET.

PIUNKET SHIELD MATCH. CANTERBURY V. AUCKLAND. I LOCAL ELEVEN WELL AHEAD. The Plunket Shield cricket match, Canterbury v. Auckland, was continued on Eden .Park on Saturday afternoon, ',vhen Auckland completed their innings for 613 rune, and the visiting eleven, after compiling 255 in their first strike, /went in again and lost one wicket for 30 runs before stumps were drawn for the day. Among the spectators was the .'Prime Minister. The pfay continues to-day. When the "Star" went to press on Saturday afternoon, Smith and Anthony were at the wickets, and the Auckland total was 4GO for five wickets, of which Smith had scored 168 and Anthony IC. ■After this there was a short spell of slow run-getting. Sandman put down a maiden and Thomas lost the maiden by a four that Smith knocked off him. A single apiece came to the batsmen ofT Sandman's next, only a single off Thomas again, and then the next two eights aggregated a couple of singles apiece. Anthony was playing some good strokes, but was having difficulty in getting the ball away. Smith drove Thomas' last straight over the bowler's head to the fence, and Anthony playing forward to Sandman, got away a good low drive, that brought him only a single. Smith followed this up by driving Sandman high to the hillside for six, and next ball he only half-smothered and it spun straight up, but was out of reach of Brunton behind the wickets. FTVE HUNDRED RUNS. All this brought the score very near to half a thousand, and a pair of singles, a three and a four all to Anthony, made up the 500, of which Smith had contributed 188 and his present partner 31. ! At 502 Evans displaced Sandman at the. bowling crease, and his first ball, driven hard by Smitn, gave him a hard sort of a chance, uut. the speeding leather only burned his finger-tips and ■went on to the boundary. A single, and then Coates struck out, mis-timing a little, but the ball rose and fell clear of the fieldsmen, and ran over to the grandstand fence. SMITH'S DOUBLE CENTURY. Smith had been taking an occasional four and a heap of singles and doubles, and now a high drive to the stand fence completed hie second century, and even the Prime Minister, who had come when the score was just touching the 500 mark, joined in the applause. Almost immediately after this Smith had a real life. He drove Thomas equare out to point, a hot one right into the hands of Read, but the Canterbury man dropped it. The batsman signalled this le't-otf by another clear drive that'hit the ground just inside the line. 1 Patrick went on at 530, and soon after Anthony got well on to Read, ondriving him for four. McEwin replaced him a couple of overs later, Anthony reaching his half-century with a chop for a single. Scoring- was still slow, and both batsmen were cautious. Nothing but singles—half a dozen of them— came off Patrick. The latter gave place to Sandman, to whom Anthony suddenly opened out, sending what looked like a sixer over to the stand, The 'ball, however, dtopped juet outside the palings. ANTHONY OUT. At 553 Blunt, the ninth Canterbury bowler, was given a turn with the ball, Smith turning liim back for three. Reese went on at the other end, and scoring remained slow until Anthony was caught at the wickets by Brunton, off Blunt. 569—6—63. When play resumed, Garrard joined Smith, and opened his score by hooking one from Thomas away round to the leg line. When faced with Blunt he cut two fours to the back, bringing up 584 and making the innings a record in Plunket Shield cricket. Next he drove the bowler hard for a single, and Smith got in a long drive for the same off Thomas, and again off Blunt. Garrard sliced Blunt for a couple, but next over he was caught behind off Thomas. 590—7—15. Rountree succeeded him, and after breaking his duck with a single by a hook to leg off Thomas, was caught behind off the first ball of Blunts next over 591—8—1. Joined by Player, Smith drove Blunt hard for two, his new partner having put on a single. He repeated the stroke a couple of overs later, and glided one to leg for a single. This brought COO on to the board. Nothing but singles came along for some minutes, until Player worked off a particularly good late cut for four. Next over Smith, who was 233, drove one hard back to Thomas, who dTopped it. As if to celebrate this new "life" he got off a hard carpet drive to the boundary before the over ended. McEwin now relieved Blunt, and Player sent him high over the slips for a single. Smith on-drove Thomas for four and sliced him for a double and a single. Player added one more, and then turned Thomas back to leg, a rather uppish stroke. Two balls later he worked a big drive over thq bowler's head, and was nearly caught just inside the line. This stroke made three. Smith now put in a couple of fine strong boundary drives, and brought himself to 256, thus individually beating Canterbury's total. ALL OUT FOR 643. Sandman relieved Thomas, and Player skied his first ball, Brunton taking it easily. 642 —9—15. _ Coates came in and made a long eingle. Next ball Smith sent back r to Sandman, and a memorable innings ended. 643—10—256. Smith was heartily cheered as he returned to the pavilion. VISITORS' SECOND STRIKE. Canterbury etarted their second inning 3 at 5.35, having 35 minutes left for play. Patrick and Blunt, as before, were the first .batemen, and Coates and Snedden took up the bowling. Coates Bent down a maiden to Patrick. Three singles came, and then PatricK, after squarecutting Snedden smartly for four, played the next ball on to his* wicket and went out. 7—l—s. •McEwin, the next batsman, began at once, pulling Snedden across for three. Coates' next was a maiden, as was Snedden's, when his turn came again. At length McEwin made a short single off Coates, and next over he sent a fast one past cover to the line, adding another four balls after. This brought 20 up for 25 minutes' play. Blunt drove two" and a single off Coates. Both batemen drove singles to Snedden, Blunt making his by knocking the ball up to ,leg. Nobody reached it. He pulled! Coates square across for a couple. Mc-i Ewin pulled Snedden to the iback fence for four. Time arrived with the total at ,30 for one wicket. . I