THE PLUNKET SHIELD.

Auckland Star, Volume 55, Issue 2, 3 January 1924, Page 7

THE PLUNKET SHIELD.

I OTAGO BATSMEN FAIL. AUCKLAND CHANCE BRIGHT. GOOD LEAD ESTABLISHED. ' There was a much larger attendance of spectators at the Plunket Shield match at Eden Fark yesterday than on the previous day. Both teams were seen at the wicket, Otago failing by 10S runs ■to reach Auckland's first innings score • of 330, chiefly owing to the deadliness of S. G. Smith, the left-handed slow bowler, who got eight wickets for 65 runs. Bright batting by Shepherd (43), Worker (94) and H. Alloo (23), the only batsmen who made any showing, was the feature of the Southerners' innings. Shepherd made his runs particularly crisply, and Worker played first-class cricket, while Alloo specialised in a late pull stroke, which brought him most of his runs. When Auckland started their second innings, and were looking like putting on a good score, Blarmrea came to light as a bowler, and four wickets were down for 120. Otago'a chances then looked much brighter, but when Dacre and Burton got together in the last hour they put on runs in quick style, Dacre giving the brightest Auckland display to date, and when stumps were drawn the home team had 206 runs on, with these two batsmen still there. When the game was resumed to-day the two not out men Dacre and Burton .put on runs smartly, and carried the total to 231 in 20 minutes, when Blamires ' beat and bowled Dacre, who was then shaping for a century. The succeeding cricket was slow, and though the fielding had deteriorated a deal the bowling brought better results, Burton and Gillespie being dismissed by Douglas in quick succession, and seven wickets were down for 259. Thirty runs were put on steadily by McLeod and Allcott, before the latter got leg before, and Wilson saw the score past the third century, but the innings closed just at lunch time for 318, McLeod having played a steady not out innings of 35. YESTERDAYS PJJAY. OTAGO 10S EOS SHORT. When the "Star" went to press yesterday afternoon Worker and Galland were at the wicket in a seventh wicket partnership, with 190 runs on, and the former was within eight of his century. But when 94, after having been at the wicket for two and a half hours, he finished a fine innings with a weak leg stroke to Smith giving Allcott a soft catch at short-leg. With seven wickets down for 192, Torrance and Galland were together, but before the second century was reached Torrance threw away hi~ wicket by having a go at Smith, and Snedden took the inevitable catch. The second century appeared after 170 minutes' play, when Galland and Chadwick were together. Galland at once jumped into aggressive cricket with nice boundary drives to both Wilson and Smith, Chadwick was steady, but made no error in dispatching a full toss from Smith to the boundary, while he also turned, one nicely to leg for three. Then Smith tempted Galland, and he fell, stepping out to a dropping ball, and missing, to be promptly 'stumped by Kowntree. 217—9—19. I The last man was Douglas, and Allcott bowled in place of Wilson. Allcott failed to make any impression on Douglas, and so lost his chance of a wicket in the innings, for the Otago J slow bowler only lasted two balls to , Smith, driving the second one up into Burton's hands at mid-off. The innings closed after three hours' play for 222. Auckland's Second Knock. The opening pair for Auckland's second innings were Snedden and Anthony, while Alloo and Torrance were l the bowlers. Both batsmen got safely I started, Snedden on-driving a boundary off Torrance, Anthony getting Alloo J through the slips for three. They set I a steady scoring pace of a run a minute, I both driving hard for major runs and getting singles at other angles. At 32 Torrance got one past Snedden dangerously near the off peg, and next over Anthony half-volleyed a <?ateli hard and low to Alloo. 32—1—14. Irving was 1 the next man and was almost run out first ball. Snedden gathered in half-a-dozen by nice shots to the fast bowler, and Irving got a leg boundary off Alloo. At 40 Blamires relieved Torrance, and his first ball keeping low went past the wicket for four byes, bringing up 50 for 46 minutes' play! Jumping in to one from Alloo the Auckland skipper lifted the ball for the first six of the match .with a nice en-drive, ami brought the I score to 59 with a straight drive in the ■ same over, the last before the tea adjournment. Three Cheap Wickets. After the tea adjournment Blamires and Douglas took up the attack, and, after Irving had leg-glanced Blamires for four, Douelas got Snedden caught in the slips. G3—2 —31. Snedden had made his 31 brightly in 50 minutes, driving very strongly. Blamiree was inclined to swing to leg, and Irving made prompt capital of the fault by swinging the ball twice to the boundary, and asain for a sinsle. After having smacked a full-pitched one from Douglas past point to the boundary, Irving survived an appeal from Blamires for a catch at the wickets. Smith knocked seven off Douglas on the leg side, and off Blamires (who was noballed in two successive overs) he knocked six. and was then clean bowled by a slow change of pace. 97—3—18. ; When Dacre joined him Irving : brought 100 up by turning Douglas for three. The century had taken 87 minutes. Dacre. who had been losing the bowling for several overs, after having cut his first ball for two. lifted Douglas for four. With 120 up, Irving, j who had been there 73 minutes, was clean bowled by Blamires. Dacre Gets Going. Burton and Dacre were now together, and after the former had been dropped at the wicket first ball of Blamires, the j pair set to work to speed up the scoring. j Dacre was especially free all round the j wicket, and at 13S Alloo took the ball I from Douglas, and for a time runs came , in singles. At 149 Torrance bowled vice ! Blamires, and a hard drive by Dacre for ! a single brought 150 up after 12S j minutes* play. Burton got a single, and Dacre five more from the over, including a classy drive to the hill. With nice shots Dacre got nine off Alloo's next- flnd ar\e{f>A a lo«r Viif 'tni*

four. By leg-hitting Torrance to the fence Dacre reached 52 in 52 minutes, and, after a single, Burton drove a four. Two more singles came off the over— 180 up. The pair had put on 60 in half an hour, and Shepherd now took the ball from Alloo in an effort to break the partnership. Dacre cut a couple and snicked a four to leg, but he did not get fairly on to the new bowler. Douglas had a try at the other end, but five to Burton came off his first. Three came in singles off Shepherd, and when Dacre drove a single off Douglas 200 was up j for 150 minutes' batting. Burton drove a four, and play ceased for the day with the score at 20C for four wickets. TO-DAY'S PLAY. DACRE iirSSES THE CENTURY. The not -out men. Dacre (64) and Burton (32), carried on for Auckland to the bowling of Alloo and Torrance, and Dacre brought 210 up by pulling Alloo to the boundary. In Torrance's first over Dacre (68) put up a low catch just short of second slip. Shepherd replaced Torrance next over, starting with a maiden to Burton, and Blamires took up the bowling from Alloo, to send down a maiden to Dacre. Alloo went on at the other end, and Dacre drove a boundary and lifted a single over mid-on. Burton swept one to the leg boundary, and 223 runs were up. With a nice late shot Dacre forced one from Blamires to the square-leg boundary, and after he had hit a single Burton survived an appeal for leg-before. A petty leg glide off Alloo for two brought Dacre to 80. The following over, however, he was clean bowled by Blaraires. 231—5—81. The i retiring batsman had played the most attractive cricket of the game, and had rattled up his runs in slightly over an hour's batting. A Slow Spell McLeod was the newcomer, and Burton welcomed him by on-driving Alloo for four, but he treated Blamires with respect, and scoring became very slow. In the ensuing twenty minutes only a doz»n runs went on. At 247 Alloo was relieved by Douglas, and after Burton I had cut him for two, the bowler got the wicket, Burton jumping out to hit and being smartly stumped when he failed to connect. 249 —(i— i~. Play brightened with McLeod and Gillespie together, but the partnership was short-lived, Gillespie being beaten by the flight of one from Douglas and clean bowled. 259—T—3. Third Century Passed. Shepherd had a try with the ball; vice Blamires. when Allcott joined McLeod and spread the field, but the batsmen were content to go for singles till 280 was up. Then Allcott hit a four and a two to leg off Alloo, who had replaced Douglas, but next over he was out leg before to Shephsrd. 290—8—19. Wilson promptly drove Alloo for four, but failed to get touch with a number of succeeding balls, but it was he who brought the third century by lifting one from Alloo to the boundary, and he forced another past point for three. Just before lunch Blamires and Douglas took up the attack, and with his sixth ball Douglas clean-bowled Wilson. 317 —9—17. The last man. Rowntree, was dropped by the bowler first ball, but next over was clean-bowled by Blamires, and the innings closed just at lunch time for 318. This leaves Otago a total of 427 runs to make to win. Shepherd and Worker opened Otago's eecond innings to the bowling of Allcott and Wilson. The former set briskly to work to reduce Auckland's long lead, showing fine shots all round the wicket, while Worker's scoring was done almost wholly on the side. They scored freely off Wileon and had 42 on in half an hour, when Smith relieved the fast bowler. The effect was an immediate cheeking of the run-getting. At 2.45 p.m. the scores were: Worker not out 15, Shepherd not out 30, extras 2. Total for no wickets, 47. Scores:— AUCKLAND. First innings 330 Second Innings. Anthony, c and b A. Alloo 14 Snedden, c Blamires, b Douglas 31 Smith, b Blamires 18 Irving, b Blamires 34 Dacre, b Blamires SI Burton, st Chaclwick. b Douglas.... 47 McLeod. not out 33 Gillespie, b Douglas 3 Allcott, lbw. b Shepherd 19 Wilson, b Douglas 17 Rowntree. b Blamires 0 Extras 19 Total 31S

Total 222 Bowling Analysis.—Smith. 14.6 overs, 3 maidens, 05 runs, 8 wickets; AHcott, 11 overs, 2 maidens, 44 runs, no wickets; Wilson, 14 overs, no maidens, 43 runs, 1 wicket; Anthony, (3 overs, no maidens, 35 runs, 1 wicket; Snedden, 4 overs, no maidens, 24 runs, no wickets. NOMADS A V. AUCKLAND B. A two-days" match between the Nomads A and the Auckland B elevens was commenced at Eden Park this morning. Auckland winning the toss opened with Dunning and Taylor, the Southerners' attack being entrusted to Ongley and Woodrosse. Taylor was howled by Ongley after scorins :t. while Klliott went lliw to the samp bowler before breaking his "duck." Blair filled the vacancy. and was just settling down when he was run out after scoring 14. Lonergau was next man in. but was caught by Keeves, off Ongley, afwr adding 11 to the tally. Dunning, who had plnyod patiently for "0. was stumped soon after by Ashworth. The next two wickets went cheaply, but (iarrard hit out aiid knocked m> 20. befor<Onjrley scattered his stumps. The Innings closed" for 119. AUTJCKLAXD B.—First Innings. Dunning, st Ash-worth, b Ongley ?,0 Taylor, h Ongley .°, Elliott. Ibw. b Ongley 0 Lonegan. c Reeves, b Onpley ] 1 Blair, run out 14 Winks, b Woodroofe 1 Xeild. b Woodroofe 1 Garrard, b Ongley 20 Whelan, b Onjrloy 10 Wood, b- Godfrey 17 Dunning, not out 1 Extras 6 Total no BoTTlint analysis: Qnslcy six wickets for 74 runs. Woodroofe two for U4, Godfrey one for a.

Bowling Analysis. O. M. P>. W. AUoo 22 1 94 1 Torrance 9 1 4.'i — Blamires 19.5 r> .i(i 4 Douglas l."> 2 "•"> 4 Shepherd 9 1 29 1 OTAGO—First Innings. Knight, b Wilson S Worker, c Allcott, b Smith 04 Shepherd, st Rowntree. b Smith .. 4,3 Blamires, c- and l> Smith 0 McMullan, Ibw, b Anthony 0 H. Alloo. h Smith 29 A. Alloo, c McLeod, b Smith C Oalland, st Rowntree, b Smith .. 1!) Torrance, c Sneddon, b Smith .. 1 Chad wick, not out 13 Douglas, e Burton, b Smith 0 Extras fe . 9