OTAGO VICTORIOUS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 46, 24 February 1937, Page 17

OTAGO VICTORIOUS.

PLUNKET SHIELD MATCH. HEREDITARY ENEMY BEATEN. PLUCKY IXXtXGS BY MEXZIES. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) DUX EDI X", Tuesday. The Plunket Shield match between Otago and Canterbury terminated to-day in fine weather, the home team scoring an eight-point win by 66 runs. The first four Canterbury wickets this morning fell fairly cheaply, the score being 181 for seven down. Menzies then came to light with a valuable 61. and Canterbury was able to hold on for half an hour after the lunch adjournment, when the last wicket fell for a. total of 206. Cromb and Paste, the not out men, faced the bowling of Dinning and Ximmo. but Cromb had added only four to his overnight score before being caught behind off Dunning. Bellamy, who had retired the previous day owing to an injury to his knee, came in to bat again, and with Pace he carried the score to 170 before Elmes cleanbowled the latter with a good length ball. So far the batting had been scratchy, and both Page and Bellamy were lucky, as Page was mi«se<l in the slips at 10, and Groves dropped an easy chance from Bellamy when the later was 23. Exeerable ! Otago's fielding on the ground 'was smart enough, but in the air it was execrable. Knight, at second slip, was particularly weak, when he dropped Bellamy, this being the second comparatively easy chance he had missed since the commencement of the game. It is difficult to understand why he was persevered with as a slip field when Chettleburgh was the logical man for the position. Bellamy did not remain long after Page's dismissal. He stepped out to one of Klmes' swingers, and Mills had the bails off in a flash. Still requiring 156 to win. and with six wickets gone, the visitors' prospects of pulling the game out of the fire did not look at all rosy, more especially as i Klmes and Silver were now handling the attack and keeping the batsmen quiet. I Klmes, who was bowling an excellent I length and varying his pace nicely, bagged i his third victim in Sharpe, who went leg - before. ; Menziea and Jackman added 33, and , held the fort until shortly before the ■ luncheon adjournment, when Jackman • was snapped up in the slips by Klmes • off Dunning. Had Otago's fielding been anything like it should have been Mapplebeck would never have lasted until the adjournment, as Uttley missed a ridiculously easy chance ,off him. After the resumption Mapplebeek and Menzies put up a stubborn defence until Menzies, who played a great knock for 61, was skittled by Badcock. Canterbury's last wicket fell at 2.16 p.m., the innings having lasted 285 minutes. This was fortunate for Otago. as heavy min commenced a few minutes after stumps had been drawn. Scores:— OTAGO. First innings 124 Second innings 451 Aggregate 575 CAXTERBURY. First innings 243 Second Innings. Hadlee, c Silver, b Ximmo 25 Kerr, c Knight, b Dunning 7 Bellamy, st Mills, b Elmes 2!) Cromb, c Mills, b Dunning 61 O'Brien, c Uttley, b Ximmo 26 Page, b Elmes 20 Menzies, b Badcock 61 Sharpe, lbw, b Elmes 1 Jackman, c Elmes, b Dunning 1" Mapplebeek, st Milk, b Dunning .... 11 Mulcock, not out 0 Extras 8 Total 266 Aggregate 509 Bowling: Dunning took four wickets for 77, Elmes three for 75, Ximmo two for 35, Badcock one for 11, Silver none for 24, Groves none for 36. HOW THEY FINISHED. OTAGO SECOXD TO AUCKLAXD. By defeating Canterbury outright in the final game of the Plunket Shield series, Otago has placed itself in second position in the scale of points. The final points are now as follows: — Auckland (16) 18 Otago (8) IJJ Canterbury (2) 8 Wellington (18) 6 Figures in parentheses denote last year's points. The system of scoring in Plunket Shield matches is:— Outright win, 8 points; outright loss, 0; win on first innings, 4; loss on first innings, '2; tie on match, 4 each; IDO1 D 0 result after »ix hour*' play, 4 «aca.

In the event of a tie between two or more teams the shield is awarded on averages. Results of games played this season for the trophy: — Wellington (249 and 125 for seven, declared), beat Otago (142 and 127 for seven) on the first innings. Canterbury (280 and 164) beat Auckland (278.1 on the first innings. Auckland (550 for five, declared) secured an outright win against Otago (181 and 194). Canterbury (430 for six. declared) beat Wellington (183 and 104 for three) on the first innings. Auckland (438 and 347 for seven) beat Wellington f445 and 337) outright. Ot.igo 1124 and 4olJ beat Canterburv (243 and 267) outright. Wellington won the Plunket Shield last season, and Canterbury the year before. Auckland having been the holder in its jubilee season, 1933-34.