YESTERDAY AFTERNOON'S PLAY.

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

YESTERDAY AFTERNOON'S PLAY.

Requiring 199 runs to win, Bowley and Mills commenced Auckland's second.innings shortly before three o'clock yesterday afternoon, to the bowling of Henderson and Badcock. It was evident at the start that Wellington's hopes centred in Henderson repeating his first innings' success, and the left-hander started out by exploiting the 'off theory," with four men in slips, a "silly" point, a '"silly" mid-on, and another fieldsman at fine leg. Mills, in particular, however, did not seem greatly inconvenienced by these formidable preparations, and after Bowley had set the ball rolling with a lovely four, Mills started off with a series of clinking leg shots, which quickly took him into double figures. The first half-hour's play produced 36 runs, of which Mills had scored 26, and at this stage Brice made a double change, McGirr replacing Henderson at the northern end, and Brice going on himself in place of Badcock.

The coincidence of the second ball of a first over again held good, Brice getting Mills trapped at the wickets with a tempting leg-break, which the young lefthander snicked into James' hands, the Wellington w T icketkeeper taking a good catch. 38 —1 —27. Mills had rattled up his runs in good style, and the only bad -?ireke he made was the one which brought about his dismissal The next man, Snedden, started off confidently, and the pair sent up the half century after 10 minutes' batting. With the score at 59, however, Snedden touched one from Lambert, who had come on at the top end, and was out to a good catch on the leg side by; James

The barrackers were again furnished with a fruitful topic, of discussion when Henderson wa6 no-balled three times in one over, evidently as a result of overstepping the bowling crease, which had become very indistinctly marked after the long day's play. The game was held up for a few minutes while caretaker Mills, himself one of Auckland's famous old-time players, busied himself with marking out afresh the lines at the wickets.

Bowley was joined by Dacre, who scored five singles and was then bowled by Henderson. 138—5—5,

Allcott filled the vacancy, but had only scored one more run than Dacre when a beauty from Henderson took his middle stump and rattled the bails off. 149—6—6.

Anothony came next, and opened his account with a brace on the leg side, the same shot taking the score past the 150 mark after 153 minutes batting. Bowley was now going great guns, and he took heavy toll of one over from Henderson, who had previously given the coach plenty to think about. Ten runs were credited to Bowley off the over, at the end of which Henderson gave way to McGirr. At the end of tie day's play, Auckland had compiled 167 for six wickets, Bowley 75 and Anthony 5. THE FINAL STAGES. A BRILLIANT FINISH, Requiring 32 runs to win, Bowley and Anthony resumed Auckland's second innings at a quarter past eleven this morning. Badcock opened the attack from the southern end to Anthony, with the field placed close in. A beautiful cover drive off the fourth ball of the over gave Anthony a three, and immediately after. Bowley turned the Wellington coach to leg for a brace. Henderson's first over from the top end was a maiden, but the batsman played his second without difficulty, Bowley making two beautiful cover drives for a brace and a single respectively. Four byes and a single were registered in Badcock's next over, and Auckland now needed 14 runs to win.

With the score at 188, Brice replaced Henderson at the top end, ana therj were memories of the Brice of old when the Welling-ton skipper started rocking them in yards faster than at any previous time he had bowled in the limtch. Bowley, however, appeared to relish the fast stuff, and scored freely off the over. The last ball, however, proved disastrous to Anthony, the veteran having his stumps shattered by a beauty. 194—7—13. Although, he scored only

13, Anthony had played an invaluable innings, his association with Bowley adding 45 runs for the seventh wicket.

Auckland needed five runs to win when Player joined Bowley. A quiet spell followed, the next two overs being maidens. Brice was bowling at a tremendous pace in a last effort to save the day, but Bowley was fully equal to th& occasion. The coach scored a single, followed by a brace, and then made the winning hit with a beautiful square cut off Brice, which rattled the pickets on the far side of the ground, amidst prolonged cheering. Bowley received an ovation oil returning to the pavilion.

Bowley had batted right through from the start of the innings, being at the wickets 205 minutes in all. Although scarcely up to his best form in the early stages of the innings, he played beautiful cricket after tea yesterday, and this morning he was right at the' top of his form, playing all the bowlers with confidence, and scoring with beautifully timed shots all round the wicket. He was especially rtrong on the leg side, f>.nd his square catting and cover driviijcr were a treat to watcn. He bit seven fours. Following are the scores:— WELLINGTON. ;

First Innings 182 Second Innings 323 Bowling .Analysis. O. INI. W. R. C. F. W. Allcott 28.2 9 3 40 E. H. Bowloy ..IS 3 3 70 A. M. Matheson ..28 5 3 01 A. S. Player G 1 1 20 I. W. Cooper .. 1 — — 6 C. C. Dacre .. 2 — — 12 A. Anthony (> 1 — 28 N. C. Snedden 10 I — 37 AUCKLAND. First Innings 307 Second Innings. Bowley, not out 95 J. E. Mills, c James, b Brice 27 X. C. Snedden, c James, b Lambert 7 I. W. Cooper, e and b Lambert .... 12 H. D. Gillespie, Ibw, b Badcock .... 13 C. C. Dacre, b Henderson 5 C. F. W. Allcott, b Badcock 6 Anthony, b Brice 13 Player, not out . . 0 Extras 23 Total for seven wickets 201 BOWLING ANALYSIS: O. M. R. W. Henderson .. 18 3 59 1 Badcock 19 4 36 2 Lambert 4 — IS 2 Brice 12.3 3 33 2 Hiddleston ...... 2 — 7 0 McGirr 7 2 25 0;