PLUNKET SHIELD.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 3, 5 January 1937, Page 8

PLUNKET SHIELD.

RAIN IN SOUTH. NO PLAY THIS MORNING. i TTAH-n LUCK FOR CANTERBURY (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, this day. Steady rain has been falling all morning and there is little possibility of resumption of play in the CanturbnryWellington Plunket Shield match this afternoon. A later message (at 12.52) stated that heavy rain after noon prevented resumption of the game at Cliristchurch, and, although the match had not then been officially abandoned, a fonr-point win for Canterbury seemed assured. This news, although bad luck for Canterbury, is particularly welcome to Aucklanders, for if the game ends as it now seems likely in a first innings win for the South Islanders the game at Eden Park against Wellington in February will decide tho 1936-37 New Zealand championship. Auckland had a certain amout of misfprtune in losing to Canterbury on the initial innings during Christmas week, and there was a possibility that an eight-point victory nv Cantermirv over Wellington might have been followed by another outright success against Otago. That would have made Canterbury's tally of points 20, and have given the southerners the shield irrespective of the Wellington match here next month. Provided the game ends as the scores stood when stumps were drawn last evening the Plunket Shield position will be:— First lings. P. Won. L. W. L. Pts. Auckland 2 1 — — 1 10 (Mnrerbuxj- 2 — — 2 — 8 Wellington 2 — — 1 16 Otago i — I — 1 2 The position of the Christchurch en-1 gagement is that Wellington, with the loss of three good wickets in the second innings, still requires 53 runs to avert an innings defeat. The Plunket Shield points last year were: Wellington 18, Auckland 16, Otago 8, Canterbury 2. Wellington secured the trophy as the result of getting two points for its first innings loss against Auckland, who had an outright victory over Otago and first innings leads against the other two provinces. Canterbury was Dominion champion in the 1933-34 season, Auckland in 193233 (jubilee year), and Otago in 1931-32.