PLUNKET SHIELD.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 305, 26 December 1928, Page 13

PLUNKET SHIELD.

AUCKLAND AT THE WICKET.

GAME AGAINST CANTERBURY.

204 FOR FIVE

ALLCOTT'S SPARKLING DISPLAY.

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.)

CHRISTCHURCH, Tuesday

The weather for the Plunket Shield match between Auckland and Canterbury, which commenced at Lancaster Park this afternoon, was fine at the start but light rain set in shortly after the commencement of play. Auckland batted first and occupied the crease all day, scoring 264 for the loss of five wickets. Allcott played a sparkling innings for 69, while Gillespie was in his best form and was <>5 not out at stumps. Whitelaw, the colt of the team, soon shook off his nervousness and batted nicely. A feature of the play was the fine bowling of Newman, who sent down 23 overs for 43 runs and bagged two wickets. His length was excellent.

Auckland won the toss and Bow ley and Mills oj>ened the innings to the bowling of Read and Cunningham. Both batsmen commenced confidently with singles. Mills then scoring the first boundary of the match by hitting a full toss from Cunningham to the fence. The score had reached 15 in 10 minutes when Read clean bowled Mill 6 with a ball well up, to which the batsman played back. 15—1—7. Bowley Missed. Joined by Postles, Bowley, with splendid placements, reached doubles. He had a let-off in Read's next over in the slips, where Hamilton jumped and stopped the chance,, but the fieldsman collided with Page in an effort to regain the ball. Bowley showed his appreciation of the let-off by square-cutting Cunningham to the fence and reaching 20 in as many minutes' play.

In Read's following over the coach again snicked a swinging delivery into the slips, but this time the ball went along the ground. Bowley was now batting attractively and sent Read for two fours and a single, reaching the thirties, and bringing the total to 40. '

Merritt then relieved Cunningham, his over producing four runs. Postles meantime had been batting steadily, and scored his first four by gliding Read to fine leg. Fifty went up in 32 minutes, Read then giving way >.o Newman.

Postles reached doubles after being at the wickets for 25 minutes, but Bowley had been receiving more of the bowling. Newman and Merritt soon found their length and the rate of scoring slackened. Bowley sent the slo»v bowler nicely to the leg boundary.

Bowley reached the forties in ."50 minutes, Newman having slackened his scoring rate. The Canterbury coach had sent down four overs for seven runs. In Newman's next over Bowley attempted

to hit a ball to leg and was bowled off his pads. The Auckland coach had given a bright display and was warmly applauded by the spectators. He hit four boundaries. 74 —2—40. Postles Misshits a Full Toss. Postles brought

his score into the twenties by swinging Merritt round to leg, but in the slow bowler's next over the batsman misshit a full toss and was easily caught by Newman at mid-on. 78—3—21.

Weir and Allcott were now associated, the Auckland captain opening his account with a brace off Merritt. Weir, who followed Bowley, had so far failed to score off Newman, who was bowling with an excellent length. Allcott drove a full toss of Merritt's straight to the fence, and Weir opened his score with a single off Newman: The Auckland captain played a similar shot in Merritt's next over. Newman had now bowled nine overs, five of them maidens.

Allcott ran into the twenties' with four boundary shots off Merritt, and the first hundred went up after 78 minutes' play. The Auckland captain was not troubled by the Canterbury slow bowler, and in the next over hit him for three fours and a single, Weir also scoring a single, making 14 off the over.

Cunningham came back in place of Merritt when the total was 117, the retiring bowler having taken one wicket at a cost of 53 runs. With his score at 36 Allcott snicked Cunningham for a lucky four through the slips.

Read took over from Newman at the other end. The Canterbury coach had bowled 11 overs for nine runs. Weir was batting soundly and reached doubles in 26 minutes, he having taken most of the attack from Newman.

Allcott was missed by Hamilton off Cunningham at second slip when he had added another single. The score at the tea adjournment was 140 for three wickets. (Allcott 47 •*ot out, Weir 13 not out). Rain. Fairly heavy rain fell after the adjournment and the umpires held a consultation, but decided to play on. The ball was difficult to hold and Weir twice sent Cunningham to the leg boundary. Allcott reached 50 after being in for as many minutes. Newman immediately relieved Cunningham, and the Canterbury coach clean bowled Weir in his second over, the batsman making no attempt to play an off ball which broke in and took the off stump. The partnership had yielded 81 runs, loft—4—27.

Allcott and Gillespie carried the total to 187 when Page, who had taken the ball for the Urtt time, clean bowjed Allcott. The Auckland captain made his runs in 88 minutes and hit eleven fours. 187—5—69.

Whitelaw joined Gillespie, and the second . century appeared after 260 mlnues' batting. Just after he reached his half-century Gillespie jumped out to Merritt and missed the ball, but Burns failed to avail himself of the stumping chance. Gillespie and Whitelaw were batting well when stumps were drawn.

The Scores. Following are details of the scores: — AUCKLAND.—First Innings. J. E. Mills, b Eead 7 E. H. Bowley, b Newman 40 A. J. Postles, c Newman, b Merritt 21 G. L. Weir, b Newman 27 0. F. Allcott, b Page 69 H. D. Gillespie, not out ....1....... 65 P. E. Whitelaw, not out .......... 21 Extras 14 Total for five wickets ......... 264 Bowling Analysis. —Read took one wicket for 73 runs, Cunningham none for 36, Merritt one for 75, Newman two for 41, Page one for 25.