PLUNKET SHIELD

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 307, 28 December 1929, Page 5

PLUNKET SHIELD

MATCH AT WELLINGTON. IDEAL CONDITIONS. HOME TEAM ON GOOD WICKET ONE FOR SEVENTY-THREE. (By Telegraph.—Special to " Star.") WELLINGTON", this day. The representatives of Canterbury and Wellington commenced the first match in this season's Plunket Shield series at the Basin Reserve to-dav, the conditions at starting time being ideal. The Wellington captain (Lowrv) won the toss from Page, the visitors' captain. This gave the local side the first use of a good wicket, and the manner in- which the opening batsmen shaped at the outset .gave prospects of an excellent account meing run up by Wellington. Canterbury took the field at 11.4 and Dempster faced Croiub, a medium-paced right-hander, who opened the attack from the north end. The first delivery was a no ball, and Dempster tapped one past the slips for a single. Lowry followed up with a similar shot for two, and then a single. Sinunonfls, another right-hander, was .the bowler from the south end, and had the batsmen playing him 'cautiously, a leg bye only being scored off the over. Lowry placed Cromb past point for two. In the next over Dempster let Simmonds' off balls go by, but brought 10 up with a nice three to fine leg, after the same number of minutes' play. Lowry placed Cromb nicely for two and a single. Both batsmen were playing confidently, but quietly. Their strokes were mostly behind the wicket. Cromb bowled four no balls in his third over, in which Lowry banged one to the square leg fence, bringing his score to 12, with Dempster 7. The 20 took 15 minutes. Simmonds was keeping the better length of two trundling. Dempster reached • double figures ■ with his first boundary off Cromb, and in Simmonds' next over square cut one to the boundary. TL,re were 24 runs hit off Cromb's first four overs, and he was replaced by the slow bowler, Merritt. With this change matters were not so brisk, a single coming from Merritt's first over,-and nothing being realised from Simmonds'-next over. In stepping out to the slow bowler just afterwards, Lowry gave the Canterbury wicket-keeper (Burns) a chance of stumping him, but it was not accepted. One of Merritt's deliveries'was a no ball. The batsmen again moved briskly several good scoring shots, including a splendid hit for four to leg off Merritt. The halfcentury was reached after 29 minutes' play. Dempster reached 30 with an excellent late cut off Merritt. Some splendid,forcing shots were made by Lowry in facing Simmonds, but good fielding cut them short until the Wellington captain drove the ball through to the ropes, this four carrying his score over the 20 mark. The total was 58 when Dempster, who had made 31. retired owing to an injury to one of his fingers, the same misfortune that he had in the match with the M.C.C. team. James joined Lowry, and started his account by pulling the ball from Merritt to leg for a single. Lowry gave the score a bigger lift in sending a delivery from Simmonds through the "gully" to the fence, and in Merritt's next over a splendid drive by James through cover also yielded four runs. The total was 70 when Lester took over from Simmonds, whose nine overs, three of which were maidens, cost 23 runs. The change had no disturbing effect upongthe batsmen, but in Merritt's next over a separation was brought about. There was aunanimous appeal for a catch behind the wickets, and it was upheld. Lowry was out. The Wellington captain had played well, compiling 28, his score including three boundary hits. 73—1—28. Lamason filled the vacancy, and after James had improved the score by three runs the newcomer credited Lester with a maiden over. The Merritt-Lester attack was proving to be much better than that of the Simmonds-Cromb combination, and run-getting slowed down somewhat.