AUCKLAND'S WIN.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 9, 11 January 1934, Page 17

AUCKLAND'S WIN.

f PLUNKET SHIELD HONOURS, AN ITNINTERESTING FINISH NO ATTEMPT TO RETRIEVE. The Plunket Shield match. between Auckland and Canterbury came to a rather uninteresting end late yesterday afternoon at Eden Park. The visiting team, defeated by 153 runs on the first innings, was content to acknowledge that defeat, complete its second innings, and then abandon the game three-quarters of ■ an hour before the time for drawing ■ stumps. Canterbury gave a tnucli better display of batting in its second innings, and at . the aiternoon tea adjournment had wiped •off Auckland's lead and put 166 on the board in addition. Their captain, Page, after a forceful display was dismissed at this stage, Canterbury then having six wickete down for 318. When the players left the field for tea, with approximately two hours remaining for play, it was considered that Canterbury would be satisfied with the position, and send Auckland in to bat again. This would have sustained interest in the match, and at least left the concluding stage in that atmosphere typical of the glorious uncertainty of cricket. The Possibilities. The situation evoked lively conjecture, Auckland in its first innings had rattled 'on 82 runs in under an hour's play, and 166 in two hours was not beyond their possibilities. They could attempt to turn a first innings win into outright victory, ,or, what was more likely, consolidate their position by playing out time without taking undue risk of losing the advantage. Canterbury, on the other hand, had nothing at stake except the honour of scoring its sole two .points in the competition for a first innings defeat, having lost outright to both Otago and Wellington. There was another aspect, however, the possibility 'of Auckland losing wickets quickly and having to fight for time to 6ave _ the day. Here was a theoretical position full of piquancy, but it was not allowed to develop. Canterbury continued to bat, and, with the result no longer in doubt, the spectators perforce had to take what entertainment was offered them. And it was drab, to say the least. In a listless period of an hour and a quarter the remainder of the team added 70 runs, and when Garrard separated the last pair ■with an lbw decision the match was abandoned at 5.10 p.m. / ; Bellamy's Century. Bellamy, the left-hander who opened for Canterbury, placed his name again on the list of century-makers in Plunket Shield cricket, and his 124 was the reward of a patient innings. He was at the wicket for 226 minutes. Bellamy, however, was much less stodgy than in his first innings. He showed a disposition to use his feet more to the slow bowlers, and he exploited his strong off (driving effectively. Anything loose on the leg side, and there was far too much of it with the field placed for the off theory bowling, he punished severely. Page, like Cromb, attacked the bowling, and showed a return to his true batting form in compiling 32. Hadlee (55) was another batsman to really impress, and V; this colt used' his feet with confidence, and looks like developing into a forcing bat. Bowling Honours.. Garrard took the bowling honours for Auckland, and his performance of six , wickets for 93 was a meritorious one, and evidences that he is one of the best of the spin bowlers in the. Dominion. He varied 5: bis length and pace well when the bats- »* KUJn.weot up the pitch to him, and those y who ' preferred to play back were always in difficulties. Hope, for instance, who stone-walled in his first venture, proved •? the fallacy of this method of playing the ■■ slow stuff, and snicked the second ball he received into the 'keepeer's bands. Auckland's fielding was patchy, the t worst feature being the erratic returns. Edmonds was called upon to manoeuvre all round the wicket to retrieve them, !. and was not well backed up. Behind the stumps his performance was far from a first class one, and hia inability to take the ball cleanly saw catches and stumping opportunities too often missed. Scores:— CANTERBURY. First innings 252 Second Innings. Kerr, c Whitelaw, b Matheson 23 Cronib,'b Garrard 41 Bellat. y, -b Garrard 124 . Hadlee, st _ Edmonds, b Garrard .... 55 Page, c Vivian, b Matheson ........ 32 Smith, c Wallace, b Vivian 25 Lester, b Matheson 12 Riley, b Garrard a. 16 Hone, c Edmonds, b Garraard ...... 0 Stringer, lbw, b Garrard 25 Burns, not out 11 Extras ............. 24 Total ................... .... 388 i BOWLING.

AUCKLAND. : pTirst innings 405 SKEW ZEAUJWD CHAMPIONS h AUCKLAND WINS SHIELD. As a result of scoring four points for a win on the first innings against Canterbury, the- Auckland cricket representatives have become champions of New Zealand for this season. The points to date are:—Auckland 20, Otago (1932-3 holders of Plunket Shield) 8, Wellington 8, Canterbury 2. Wellington and Otago will meet on February 16 at Dunedin, but an outright win for either team cannot affect the position. Canterbury's trfo points this season were gained by a loss on the first innings against Auckland. Holders of the Plunket Shield since its award to Canterbury as champion province of New Zealand in 1906-7 season:— 1906-07—Canterbury. 1907-08—Auckland. 1908-09—Auckland.' 1909-10—Auckland. ' • 1910-11—Canterbuiy. • 1911-12—Auckland. 1912-13—Canterbury. 1913-14—Canterbury. 1914-15—Canterbury. » 1916-18—No matches. 1918-19—Wellington-Canterbury. 1919-20—Auckland. 1920-21—Wellington. 1921-22—Auckland. 1922-23—Canterbury. 1923-24—Wellington. 1924-25—Otago. 1925-26—Wellington. , 1926-27—Auckland. 1927-28—Wellington. 1928-29—Auckland. 1929-30 —Wellington. 1930-31—Canterbury. , 1931-32—Wellington. 1932-33—Otago. 1933-34—Auckland. THE AVERAGES. Auckland. BATTING.

Canterbury. ■ BATTING.

.Not out. wSfi^ n ? y s c r, ntury above scored at Wellington. lie also made 121 at Eden lark yesterday. BOWLING.

In. N.O. H.S. Total. Av. H. G. Vivian, .. 5 - 64 263 52.60 D. K. Garrard . 5 2 67* 154 51.33 P. B. Whitelaw 5 - 77 239 47.80 6. Ii. Weir ... 5 - 101 194 38.80 R. H. Cleave .. 5 1 77* 141 35.25 3. E. Mills .... 3 - 46 87 29.00 W. M. Wallace . 5 - 57 124 24.80 A. J. Pogtles ..3 - 40 96 19.20 R. G. Bush?.. 5-37 85 17.00 t>. B. Edmonds 5 1 28 50 12.50 A. M. Matheson 5 - IS 27 5.40 D. C. Cieveriey 2 X 2* & • 8.00•Wot cut. I

O. M. R. W. : • Garrard 29.5 1 93 6 Matkeson 40 7 101 3 Vivian a) 3 59 1 Postles 11 1 29' — -Weir ........... 14 2 35 — Bush .. 20 3 , 47 —

BOWLING. a If xr Kuns. Wkts. At. A. M. Matlicson .. 368 1!) 19.37 (?• g- Clcverley .. 10(> 5 21.20 ir" 7T lr - rard ••• "10 14 22.14 if n' l iv ', aa 201 9 22.33 R. <x. Bush l!) S S 24.75 a" t - 117 2 5S.50 A. J. Postlcs .... 29 o

,r. ,,, T> . I] J- N.O. U.S. Total. At. T' Iy « - 132 333 55.50 J. Ij. Kerr ... (i _ 174 272 45.33 \v » Cro u b n" H ~ 74 218 36 - 33 T • T.-V <> - 55 179 29 S3 h ° 1 C7 * la0 - 4 - 00 H. O. Smith .. b _ 33 12 i 20.16 M. h. Page ..0 - 32 113 18.83 p L^ r •• ? - tn 112 is.60 v w W 8 " i - 09 17.25 »• T» Eoberts 2 - IS 33 16.50 » w C rr lluS • • 0 4 11* 28 14.00 K. W. IIopc .. G 1 21> 03 12.601

a w u j. Huns. Wkts. Av. «• }y- T R ° bert3 • • • n 5 15.40 b. G. Lester 217 o 24.11 h ," lle ,y ' 415 14 20.64 K. W. ll°pe 582 .10 38.20 T r/V ' S ' U1 . th •••• 170 * 42.00 i- Cronib ai4 7 44.S5 w V' Bellum y • . . • o — M. Li. Page 41) o