MOLONEY'S DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 31, 6 February 1937, Page 21

MOLONEY'S DAY.

BOWLING DEFIED. WELLINGTON BATTING. SOLID ALL THE "WAY. In blazing sunshine Auckland fielded all day and after six hours' batting Wellington were still in possession with seven wickets down for ..107 runs. It was a fine tatting performance, but a big score was anticipated, as the playing conditions were ideal for run-getting, a fast wicket and a day of brilliant sunshine. Auckland stuck to-a hard task well and they were a very tired team at the end of the day's play.

Apart from the importance of the match in the Plnnket Shield competition, there •was an additional interest, as in both teams there are players with the prospect of being one of the lucky thirteen to accompany Page to England.

It was AVellington's good fortune to get first le.iee of the splendid wicket that Mr, Harold Watson had prepared, and as events turned out they made full use of it. Batting Honours. The batting honours of the day went to Moloney, the young Manawatu player, who reached 100 and was batting for over five hours and a quarter before he played over the top of a yorker from Cowie. Last year Moloney played for Xcw Zealand in Auckland against the. M.C.C. team, when he opened the Dominion's innings and was clean bowled without scorin" by Baxter, the Scottish fast bowler. This season he 3ias been batting eo well that his place in the Xew Zealand team to go to lingeffort yesterday showed that he is at the top ot his form. With a straight bat and good defence, Moloney played the bowling on its merits. His best scoring stroke was a crisp off drive, but he played the ball well off his pads and got a lot of runs from a ball deflected on the leg side. Moloney was the sheet anchor for his side and hc'practically wore the bowling out.

Tindill, who opened the Wellington innings with Moloney, was sent back with only nine rune on, but that was the only wicket that Auckland got cheaply. Du Chateau, a left-hander with a neat 77, and then EU, after a shaky start, with ."> score of 51 helped to raise the total to 165.

O'Brien, the Hawke's Bay man, also ccored 51 after a fine batting display that was. marked by a very forceful off drive, and he helped Moloney to get the score to 202 before the fourth wicket fell. Pace Forced. In view of the position, Lamason, the Wellington captain, adopted the right tactics in forcing the pace, and after his dismissal Moloney's great innings came to an end. He was dropped in the slips by Whitelaw off Matheson at 97, but apart from that it was a flawless display and one of the best innings in Plunket Shield cricket scored against Auckland on a home Much interest was shown in the appearance of Donnelly, the young Taratiaki p!aycr who is rated by good critics as land. ■ A left-hander with a good style. lie was decidedly impressive, and lasted just long enough "to give a glimpse of viiry attractive scoring methods. And at the end of the day Gallichan. another Manawatu player, who is beet known for his ability as a left-handed bowler, with Parsloe, held the fort, and

The Wellington batting was marked by solidity and not brilliance against an attack that was steady and not hostile. The Auckland bowling was quite up to expectations, but it was one of those days when the batsmen had literally to be dug out on a wicket that gave no assistance. Auckland Bowling. On actual figures Cowic was the best bowler, with fair pace and good direction throughout, but Jlathcson kept an end going well for long periods with fine length and direction. Vivian angled hard with flight and pace changes, but Garrard, the real bowling hope of the fide, did not cause the Wellington batsmen inucff concern. Spring, Weir, Carson-and Emery were all given a trial with the ball, and if a ninth man had been 'tried out it should have been Marshall, the wicketkeeper, who i.s quite a good bowler. Hut it was as wicket-keeper that Marshall won

the real honours for Auckland. Ho let onlv- one bye go through his hands all day, .-. wonderful performance in a score of -107 runs. Since the retirement of Rowntrec Auckland has experimented with various 'keepers, and Marshall has proved himself a worthy successor to the great player who preceded him. Chances Missed. The Auckland ground fielding was of a high standard all through a gruelling day, with flashes .of real brilliance by Vivian in various positions on the off side. But the-Auckland air work fell below expectations. Out of six catches only two were held. Three of them came Canard's way. A chance in the slips and another at 'fine log might be labelled difficult, but the third was a spooned return when he was bowling.