CRICKET CHAMPIONS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 20, 25 January 1927, Page 8

CRICKET CHAMPIONS.

THE TITLE FOR AUCKLAND. DEFEAT OF WELLINGTON BY THREE WICKETS. BOWLEY GETS 95 NOT OUT. The Plunket Shield final match between Auckland and Wellington terminated at Eden Park this morning with a win foi Auckland by three wickets. Yesterda\ afternoon the home team, requiring 1!. runs to win, took their score to 107 for six wickets, and when stumps we down Bowley, one of the opening batsmen was still there with 75 to hi: credit, while Anthony had just started his innings. This pair made a safe start again to-day, when 32 runs were needed, and, despite the fact that Wellington were lighting every inch of the way, the batsmen were Hot at all troubled. Eventually, when the deficit had been worn down to 11 runs, Brice, the Wellington skipper, resorted to the desperate expedient of going on to bowl, and sending down the fast stuff that made him the terror of batsmen seven or eight years ago. In his second over he bowled Anthony, when only five runs were wanted by Auckland, and Player joined Bowley and held his wicket up for two overs, while Bowley dashed off the runs, finishing with a beautiful square shot to the off boundary at Brice's expense. Bowley had carried his bat through the innings, and taken his total to 95, and he was given an ovation by a crowd of 500 or 000 spectators, to whom the gates had been thrown open without charge. The Shield Overlooked. As is usual at the end of the deciding Plunket Shield match, the crowd waited round for the formal handing over of the shield by the defeated holders to the successful challengers. The populace, however, were disappointed in one phase of the ceremony, for in the bustle of departure for Auckland the Wellingtonians

who thus repeated Rowntree's performance of getting the first two wickets of the second innings.

The incomin batsman was Cooper, who had. scored a couple of singles when the afifcrnoon tea adjournment was taken, a few minutes later, the score at that stage being 62 for two wickets.

Henderson and took up the attack after tea, and Cooper fairly cut loose on Lambert's first over, scoring eight out of the nine runs which came off the over. He had a narrow escape, however, from being caught off a lofty shot into the outfield, which Brice was unable to get to in time. Bowley, who had been rather uncertain when facing Henderson before tea, was now playing the left-hander with more confidence, and in the next over, he got away two lovely shots to leg for a tnree and a two respectively. Lambert's next over brought about Cooper's downfall, the Eden batsman returning a soft one to the bowler. 82—3—12. Barrackers Busy. Gillespie was next man. With the score at 97, Brice tried a double change, he and McGirr replacing Lambert and Henderson respectively. A slight diversion was caused at this stage by Bowley breaking his bat, and making a hurried selection from three others which Snedden out to him. The Auckland coach brought up the first century after 100 minutes batting with a powerful shot for three on the leg side, and scored another trio off Brice in the next over. By this time, the large crowd present had entered into the excitement of the game, and the voice of the barracker commenced to be heard in the land. Brice, who had been the recipient of several minor pleasantries from the "backers," was again humorously interrogated when Lambert nearly had Bowley run out, and the visitors justifiably sent up a shout for a decision on a very close thing. Bowley Reaches Fifty. A beautiful square cut to the fence gave Bowley his half century after 110 minutes' batting, and the score mounted steadily. With the total at 126, however, Gillespie was given out leg before to Badcock with 13 runs to his credit.