The Cricket Match.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17701, 1 March 1923, Page 6

The Cricket Match.

The matcli which was brought to an end, on. the fifth day, at Lancaster Park yesterday was one of the most interesting of the series since the Plunket Shield competition was initiated in the season of 1906-7. The "glorious/ " uncertainty" of the game yraa never more strongly emphasised than by the remarkable change in Canterbury's prospects that took place between the close of play'on the second and third dfiyß. When stumps were' drawn on Saturday evening Canterbury was 145 tot the bad on its first innings and had lost one wicket for ten. When stumps were drawn on Monday, Canterbury was 165 to the good and stiil had six wicketa to fall, and by Tuesday evening, when Wellington, with seven wickets down, had scored only 161 out of the 288 it required for a win, the match seemed the certainty that it provefl 'to be for Canterbury! It. was unfortunate for Canterbury that the weather yesterePay was hot kinder, for though it is, of coutras, impossible ta say what the remaining: Wellington men might not have done on a dry wicket, the odds .were greatly in favour..of .Canterbury winning by: a substantial margin, and 1 we would all liave preferred to secure no additional advantage—if, indeed, there was any advantage to be gained—from a wet wicket. As it was, it is doubtful whether the condition of the ground was worse for the batsmen, than for the bowlera., Apart frojp a portion of Wellington's innings, the bat- ; ting throughout was of the steady rather than the dashing kind, Canterbury's display was at iio time calculated to arouse the enthusiasm ofl those spectators who can derive no enjoyment from watching cricket unless, boundary hits are being made in every over. But the, partnership of Patrick and: Blunt in Canterbury's second innings was a memorable performance. They made their runs at the very time when these were most needed, and did so against bowling which was as good as any seen during the whole match. Both provinces were well represented, and the bowling and fielding on both sides were on the whole excellent. It is especially oheeritig, in view of the criticism's whioh, not unjustly, were passed upon the state of cricket in this province earlier in the season, to realise that in the .Canterbury eleven which has brought the Plunkefc Shield here, were several young playerai of great promise, upon whoih the province should be able to depend for the defence of the shield in the coming two or three seasons. The season closes with the supporters iof Canterbury cricket in muoh better heart than they were two or three months