PLUNKET SHIELD CRICKET

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21976, 28 December 1936, Page 5

PLUNKET SHIELD CRICKET

♦ AUCKLAND’S SOUND POSITION VIGOROUS HITTING BY WEIR ROBERTS AND O’BRIEN MAKE FINE STAND Auckland ‘ has a commanding position in the Plunket Shield cricket match against Canterbury, which was continued at Lancaster Park on Saturday. The home side’s first innings closed for 280, and at stumps Auckland had lost five wickets for 257, with H. G Vivian, the visiting captain, unbeaten at 46. That Canterbury could bring the overnight total of 175 up to 280 was due entirely to a brilliant partnership between A. W. Roberts and F. P O’Brien. It was a good exhibition of cautious batting against accurate bowling and keen fielding. Although Roberts made the greater score the honours were not all with him as O’Brien played a waiting Same. ' he is quite unused to. and held his wicket up while Roberts collected runs BS It was another excellent day for cricket, the morning being still ana sunny, but in the afternoon a brisk easterly breeze sprang up and the sky became overcast. The pitch had dried considerably, and Vivian was able to use his faster attack to much better advantage than on the previous day..He himself had a few overs but faded to eet any more wickets, and N McMahon. | on for a short spell, claimed one wicket but a very valuable one, as he bowled O'Brien round his legs in the last over before lunch and broke the A. M. Matheson shared the bowling honours on Saturday. Cowie in particular was bowling with mu-h more venom, and was much harder play than on the previous day.He kept 5 good length, and the ball which dismissed Roberts would have accounted for many better batsmen. W. Carson was given one or two overs, but seldom appeared troublesome. He is the same type of bowler as Cowie, ai though perhaps not quite so fast ana without the same steady .length Matheson bowled consistently duj was rewarded with little success, and the same applies to L. R. Cowie, when he opened from the south end, had three slips, a man in the sully, and two fine legs, one being forward of the slips. Matheson started attacking the leg stump, but when Roberts several times broke through the cordon of men close in, he changed to an off field, very similar to that used by Cowie. , Roberts and O’Brien did not play a bad stroke until they were dismissed. It was hard to recognise in O Bnen the man who made 100 in 127 minutes against Old Boys the previous Saturday. He discarded his breezy style completely, and although he attacked the loose balls whenever they came along he made sure that he kept his drives and cuts along the ground. It was an excellent restrained innings and the crowd realised it and did not taunt him for being so slow to score. At the start he was scoring at the rate ol a Tun every five minutes, while Roberts was taking about a third of that time to make his runs. Roberts was in a restrained mood at the start, but took more liberties with any but very good balls. The crowd was ready to appreciate his shots and clapped loudly as he passed Page* total to become the top scorer for the match. He did not last very much longer, however, before he was bowled by Cowie, by the second ball after lunch. , Canterbury in the Field

The weakness of the Canterbury bowlers was shown up by the visiting batsmen in the way in which they were hit all round the field. E. T. Mulcock started by appearing to beat the opening batsmen. Dunning and P. Whitelaw, but after the former was out G. L. Weir hit Mulcock round the . field, in great style, scoring four boundaries in one over. Mulcock at the start packed a very close leg field, having three fine legs within 12 yards_ of the bat, two short square legs and a silly mid-on. Weir set about breaking up this formation, and with his vigorous hitting it was not long before all but the fine legs had moved back. With Mulcock the offensive is frequently the best defence; leg glides and defensive strokes usually prove fatal in the end. as Whitelaw found to his cost. Roberts was the only bowler to command much respect, and, except when in the later stages his length became a bit erratic, the batsmen had to watch every ball. Graham bowled consistently, maintaining his usual impeccable length most of the time, and trapped Weir with a slower ball. His other wicket was due to a very fine catch by Roberts in the slips. Cromb did not look dangerous at any time, whether bowling fast or slow lobs. Slovenly Fielding Weir’s was a fast and attractive innings, and made up for the slow batting of the others. Whitelaw and Wallace played correct copybook cricket, with the latter scoring considerably the faster of the two, and Vivian also has batted correctly, although at the start he seemed tempted to feel for some of Mulcock’s bowls outside the off stump. Spring has not been comfortable facing Roberts, and the slips have been waiting alertly for a catch which has seemed due at any moment. Hard as was Cromb’s task with the poor supply of bowlers at his command, it was made no easier by the Canterbury fielding, which can best be .described as slovenly. Page and Roberts can be excepted, as these two let nothing past. The others had no anticipation of where a shot was going, and were standing flatfooted when a ball came their way. A glance at the scores makes it seem as if it was one of C. K. Jackman’s worst days behind the stumps, but he did not settle down to take Mulcock’s leg bowling at first, fl and as he was standing up to the wickets for all the bowlers the vagaries of the pitch accounted for about half the byes, he let pass. However, he took two catches in his best style. Vivian, who hurt his foot when stopping a fast shot from Page on the first day, was limping badly in the field, and shortly before lunch left the ground to have it examined by a doctor. He did not field again, but when he came in late in the afternoon he ran to his own strokes.

THE PLAY The Auckland bowlers were making touch more pace from the wicket than on the opening day, and Cowie in particular was bowling with venom. O’Brien and Roberts, the not out batstoen, continued safely and both turned Cowie well to leg. The fast bowler fcad three slips, a man in the gully, a fine leg forward of the slips, and one on the fence. Vivian replaced MatheEon after three overs, and bowled into the wind. Roberts turned his last hall to leg for three. The game was held up near the end of Vivian’s sec- , ond over while Cowie left the field OjUh a bleeding nose. Hook, the

twelfth man, came on as a substitute. Matheson took over at the south end. and bowled to a similar leg field as Cowie had used. Roberts brought up 200 after 263 minutes with a beautiful off drive for three from Matheson, and hooked Vivian to the fence in his next over. He was looking for runs much more than O’Brien, and reached 40 with a single. Matheson changed to an attack on the off stump, having only one man on the on side and five behind the wicket on the off. He changed ends very soon, and bowled to his leg field, but Roberts put him through the covers for two. He reached 50 and brought the total to 220 by cutting Vivian to the fence. In the next over he hooked Vivian to the boundary again. O’Brien’s Patient Work 'The first hour realised 56 runs. O'Brien took more than 70 minutes to add the 14 to bring him to in the time that Roberts made 47. The new ball was not used until Spring relieved Matheson at the north end. The 10U for the partnership was reached when O’Brien cut Spring for a single. Carson, a medium fast bowler, replaced’Cowie, O’Brien hooked the second ball to the boundary and Roberts beaut’fully late cut the last ball to the fence. Vivian, who had been limping about the field, went off. and Hook was again used as a substitute. Matheson took charge of the field and Spring bowled with three men close in on the leg. Carson was bowling almost as fast as Cowie. and beat Roberts in his second over. Roberts became top scorer for the match by turning Cowie to leg for two, and received a great ovation from the crowd. With the last ball before luncli O’Brien tried to turn McMahon to leg and was bowled round his legs. 269—7—49. O'Brien played a sterling innings, shewing great restraint and patience in keeping his end while others were falling and later while Roberts v/as doing the scoring. He had played very safely, but he gave one very hard chance early in his innings. The rartne'rship added 124 runs and put the home team in a much better position. Roberts Dismissed Roberts lost his wicket to the first ball he received after lunch, a beautiful delivery from Cowie taking his off stump. Two left-handers. Graham and Jackman, were in together, and Matheson continued with his fast attack. After a good off drive from Spring, Jackman was bowled by Cowie. 278—9—4. Not long after Dunning took a good catch low down in slips off Matheson to dismiss Graham, and the side was out for | 280. Auckland at the Wickets Roberts started with a packed off field, Cromb, five yards from the bat at mid-on, being the only one on the leg side. He had four, slips, a backward point, and a man in the gully. Mulcock attacked the.leg stump with six men less than 12 yards from the crease on the leg side. Roberts, Oliver, and Mcnzies were behind the stumps, Page and O’Brien were square, and Cromb was at silly mid-on. Graham was at backward point, and the only other man on the off was Kerr deep cover. Roberts was rewarded in his fifth over when Dunning played a defensive stroke and Cromb took a good catch low dewn on the edge or the pitch. 13—1—0. Both bowlers were keeping the batsmen quiet, but Whitelaw reached 10 in a quarter of an hour. Weir took an over or so to settle down, but then set out to hit Mulcock all over the field, and four times in one over drove him to the boundary. , . This was Mulcock’s last over, and then Cromb ctyne on, bowling medium fast It was hardly a change for the better, as Whitelaw took two threes and Weir a three- and a four, making 13 from his first over. It was brilliant, hard-hitting cricket, and it pleased the crowd. Cromb again came in for barracking from the bank, frequently advised to "try underarm Graham Bowls Weir After Roberts had bowled 11 overs for 18 runs, four maidens, and one wicket. Graham was brought on. Once Weir glided him to the leg boundary, and twice drove him hard to the sight screen. The last ball was slower ana shorter. Weir went to hook it out of the ground, misjudged the pace, and was bowled. 89—2 —53. His total was made in 37 minutes and included 1U boundaries. Wallace joined Whitelaw, and Cromb brought Mulccck back again at the north end. Whitelaw brought the 100 up in the last over before tea by snicking Graham to leg for two. It looked like a possible chance, but although Cromb stretched for it, the ball passed outside his hand. The visitors had then been batting for 80 minutes. Roberts and Mulccck continued the attack, but Roberts was pitching them too short. Whitelaw was very careful, but Wallace seemed inclined to follow Weirs lead. Runs care slowlv. however, the batsmen scoring mainly through tnc slips. Mulcock’s First Wicket Whitelaw reached a patient 50 in 115 minutes. Cromb’s determination m persevering with Mulcock was justified when, in his twentieth over. Jackman took a great catch on the leg side to dismiss Whitelaw. 169 3 Vivian straight drove Mulcock for three off the last ball of the over. Wallace's willingness to cut all tne howlers led to his dismissal when Roberts took a great catch in the slips off Graham. th« ball never being more than a foot off the ground. 177—4 46. Two left handers were in when Carson joined Vivian, who had then scored eight. After Mulcock had bowled 24 overs Cromb took over himself. sending down slows round the wicket. Two leg byes were run. and 200 came no in 217 minutes With the total at 203 Ca-sin fell for a well-nitched-up ball from Roberts, and Jackman took his second catch. 205—5—12. , . „ Spring joined Vivian and in Cromb s next over the latter hut him first for four and then lifted him into the east stand for six. The captain kept on bowling his slows to continued barracking fmm the bank, and with the score at 230 Roberts was given the new ball. Graham was allowed one over with it. and then Mulcock was tried again from the north end. Vivian played an overtossed ball from Roberts on to his injured foot, but he ran a quick single soon afterwards. Roberts lost some of his length in these later overs and caused Vivian little trouble. Spring was badly beaten by some which were well pitched up. and the three slips were alert for a catch. Spring and Vivian played out time, and at stumps Auckland were 23 behind the Canterbury total, and had five wickets in hand. Vivian was not out with 46 and Spring had 19. There were 29 extras. The match will be continued at 11, o’clock this morning. The umpires arc. Messrs D. L. Ryan and T. Burgess. Scores: — CANTERBURY First Innings J. L. Kerr. 11121111311111. c Whitelaw, b Vivian .. .. ..17 M. L. Page, 1421411411111121311141211 431141111421421, c Matheson, b Vivian .. .. ..73 C. J. Oliver, 111114242111112214211, c Carson, b Vivian .. .. 35 W. A. Hadlee, c Wallace, b Spring .. 0 F. P. O’Brien. 2121111111131121112111 111121141112211. b McMahon .. 49 I. B. Cromb, 2, c Carson, b Vivian .. 2 R. E. J. Menzies, 1121, c Marshall, b Vivian .. .. .. 5 A. W. Roberts, 1121321114111213111111 341222412141111114111121, b Cowie .. 75 C. K. Jackman, 4, b Cowie .. 4 M. Graham, 11111, c Dunning, b Mgtheson .. .. .. ~.5 E. T. Mulcock, not out .. .. 0 Byes, 21111 .. .. .. 6 Leg-byes, 11111X11 .. . • 8 No ball. 1 1 Total .. - - 280