REPRESENTATIVE CRICKET.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 307, 28 December 1922, Page 4

REPRESENTATIVE CRICKET.

The Wellington eleven deserved its | in the Plunket Shield match, and no one will grudge them the trophy, possession of which for the season, however, depends upon the result of other matches. It was a remarkable game, occupying four days and providing an aggregate of runs, 1554, which if it is not a record for the series must be very near one. "Wisden" records only ten higher aggregates in first-class cricket. It was a very interesting struggle right through, and Auckland died gamely. To get well over 300 in a fourth innings is a noteworthy feat. The bat was the master of the ball, and while the scoring was a credit to New , Zealand batsmanship, it also reemphasised the weakness of New Zealand bowling. The Auckland attack was not formidable, and while the Wellington, bowling was scored off freely it seems to have been better in quality all round. Wellington are clearly a strong side, and their prospects of holding the Shield look j good. While Wellington was required to put forth all its strength to beat Auckland, the English team was beating Canterbury easily. Canterbury seems to be a good deal below the side it was some, years ago, though it possesses in Blunt one of the first two or three batsmen in the Dominion. In the light of the Auckland-Wellington match, the selection of the New Zealand team to meet the Englishmen seems to be rather less than perfect. Dacre's omission was probably justified at the time, but since then he has made 213 runs in two representative innings, added to which he is a first-class field. Wellington would seem to be under-represented in the side. The selectors, however, had a more than usually difficult task, and we have no desire to join the ranks of those critics who always seem ready to pursue such judges with brickbats. It should be a strong enough side to extend I our visitors.