WELLINGTON LEADS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 307, 28 December 1935, Page 15

WELLINGTON LEADS.

FAILURE OF CANTERBURIANS. BLTJNDELL IN FORM AGAIN. JACKMAN'S FIXE KEEPING. (By Telegraph.—l'ress Association.) WELLINGTON, Friday. Erratic-batting by Wellington should have enabled Canterbury to gain a promising position in the first day's play of the Plunket Shield match at the Basin Reserve to-day. However, Canterbury's hatting slumped as well and Wellington received a first innings lead. After M. A. O'Brien (Hawke's Bay) and D. A. R. Moloney (Manawatu) had put on 56 for the first wicket for Wellington, the batting weakened before the slow bowling of Canterbury. Still J. A. R. Blandford played u very creditable knock of 02 and with Lamason added 71 for the sixth wicket. W. E. Merritt, a former New Zealand representative slow bowler, secured five wickets for 72 and I. B. Cromb took four for 53. The visiting bowling was well managed and the field was carefully placed, being varied according to the style of each batsman. C. K. Jack man, the Southern wicketkeeper, dismissed live batsmen.

Against steady bowling well supported in the field, Canterbury never settled down, tbe whole side being out ill just over two hours for 122 runs, 74 behind Wellington. E. D. Blundeh bowled especially well, taking three wickets for 29 and C. Parsloe had three for 35. Wellington lost one wicket for 18 in the second innings. The match will be resumed to-morrow. A Costly Mistake. The Wellington opening batsmen were quiet for a start, but Moloney had a life when Bellamy dropped him when he had scored two. In spite of several changes the score was taken to 5(5 before a separation was effected. O'Brien, who was 30, went shortly after Ibw to Roberts. Ell, who replaced Moloney, had not opened his account when Ward, who followed O'Brien, went Ibw to Merritt at five. The score then was 70 for the loss of four wickets.

Lamason followed, but lost Ward when the latter was five. Rtiinbird was next and added only six before Merritt trapped him and Jackman had the bails off. Blandford joined Lamason and these two took the ■ score to 100 after 10S minutes' play.

After lunch Lamason looked like staying on until going well forward to a ball from Merritt he failed to connect and was easily stumped. Parsloe and Blandford continued confidently, the score mounting steadily until Parsloe was bowled by the Canterbury captain. 109 —7——ll. Newman was next, but did not stay long, lifting a ball from Cromb to give Cobden a neat running catch. Blandford after this tipped a ball from Merritt and was caught behind. The last man was Blundell who, with Griffiths, provided a bright last-wicket partnership which ended when Blundell at 10 was stumped.' Parsloe's Deadly Over". Canterbury's innings opened sensationally, Parsloe, the fast-medium bowler, clean bowling Butterfield in his second over, and with the next, ball skittling -centurylast season against Wellington at Christchurch.

Bellamy, the left-hander, who also scored a century against Wellington last season, and Kerr, who topped, three figures a few days ago against the touring English team, then put on 40. Bellamy played strokes past point, cover and mid-off with grace and also turned short ones well to leg. He hit four fours and three twos before being bowled in the second over after tea by Dlundell. ■ ; Kerr took over half an hour in reaching double figures and was never forcing the bowling for runs, although he hit loose balls with well-placed strokes of power. After battling 70 minutes for 27 he went lbw to Blundell. Cromb was well caught by Blandford behind the wickets off Newman and. Ward took a grand catch at forward short leg to dismiss O'Brien off Blundell. Roberts stayed three-quarters of an hour for 19, and was then snapped up by Blandford off Parsloe. Merritt, trying to drive Newman, miss-hit a ball practically straight up in the air. Both Ell and Ward went for the catch and collided, but Ell held the ball. Cobden, a young player appearing in his first shield game, made 23 brightly with strong hooks and drives and then went for a swing against Griffiths. The innings took .125 minutes for 122. Wellington had to bat apain for 20 minutes. O'Brien again fell lbw, this time to Graham, who opened with Roberts. Merritt and Cromb were soon put on. Cromb and most of the fieldsmen evidently thought he had caught Ell at first slip off Merritt, but the umpire ruled against the appeal. Ell and Molo. ney played out time. Scores: — WELLINGTON.—First Innings. D. A.' R. Moloney, b Cromb ....... 23 M. A. O'Brien, lbw, b Roberts 30 J. Ell, st Jackman, b Cromb i. . 0 S. Ward, lbw, b Merritt 5 J. .R. Lamason, st Jackman b Merritt 28 W. Rainbird, st Jackman. b Merritt 6 J. A. R. Blandford, c Jackman, b Merritt ' 02 C. Parsloe, b Cromb 11 J. A. Newman, c Cobden b Cromb . 0 B. Griffiths, not out 4 E. D. Blundell, st Jackman. b Merritt 16 Extras 5 Total 196 Bowling: Merritt took five wickets for 72/ Cromb four for 53, Roberts one for 34, Bellamy none for 4, Graham none for 28. Second Innings. Moloney, not out V O'Brien, lbw, b Graham 2 Ell, not out 8 Extras •. • • • 1 , Total for one wicket 18 CANTERBURY. —First Innings. L. Butterfield, b Parsloe 0 F. W. Bellamy, b Blundell 26 W. A. Hadlee, b Parsloe 0 J. L. Kerr, lbw, b Blundell. 27 LB. Cromb, c Blandford, b Newman ; / • • i * 5 A. W. Roberts, c Blandford. b Parsloe • 18 F. F. O'Brien, c Ward, b Blundell . 5 A. P. Cobden. b Griffiths 23 W. E. Merritt, c Ell. b Newman 4 C. K. Jackman, not out 0 M. Graham, b Griffiths 1 Extras • ••• 7 Total .. ■• ■■■■ 1 22 Bowling: Blundell took three wickets for 29 runs. Parsloe three for 35, New- | man two for 30, Griffiths two for 21. '