CRICKET

Press, Volume LXXV, Issue 22600, 4 January 1939, Page 5

CRICKET

OTAGO IN STRONG POSITION AUCKLAND DISMISSED FOR 373 THIRD DAY’S PLAY IN PLUNKET SHIELD MATCH

tPBSSS ASSOCIATION TELEGHAiI.) DUNEDIN. January 3. There was interesting cricket at Carisbrook to-day in the third day of the Plunket Shield match between Otago and Auckland. Continuing with the score board showing 53 for two wickets in reply to Otago's first innings score of 427, Auckland batted practically all day, and the last wicket fell at 373, 54 runs behind Otago’s total. With only one day’s play left, something extremely unlikely will have to happen if the match is not to result in a win for Otago. There can be no questioning the fact that on the run of play Otago fully deserves its position. Its batsmen built up a winning total by sound cricket, taking the first two days for it. Then the bowlers captured two valuable wickets in the closing stages of the second day. and totday they went on to keep Auckland all the time fighting to avoid a first innings defeat. The cricket throughout the day was most interesting. The scoring was by no means slow, and in patches it was definitely fast. The Auckland batsmen did not allow the situation to force them into dreary defensive batting, and the fieldsmen had a busy day. The rate of scoring and the keenness of the home side in the field were sufficient to keep spectators interested, but there were also two very fine individual performances. S. Sale, a diminutive Aucklander and a son of a former New Zealand representative, was brought into the side after being twelfth man against Canterbury, and he enhanced the family tradition by scoring a splendid 106. He took only 116 minutes for his century, and got his runs with confident and beautifully-timed stroke play. He should have been out twice in his innings, once when he was only four and again when he was 22; but the Otago wicket-keeper. G. H. Mills, who had made a century on the previous day, could not take two relatively easy stumping * chances. The crowd was not sorrv that Sale was able to carry on. however. His was an excellent Innings in every respect. Another individual performance of more than passing merit was that of the Otago medium-paced right-hand bowler, V. G. Leader, who finished the innings with six wickets for 44 runs off 21 overs. He broke a partnership between A. J. Postles and V. J. Scott that was beginning to look dangerous, and for the remainder of the day he worried the visitors more than any other local bowler. His figures would have been even better if one or two chances off him had been taken. A Brilliant Catch Of the other batsmen. Postles played a characteristically dour innings for 51 before Leader bowled him. He was m no hurry for the runs, and his defence was beginning to look impregnable. He and H. Pearson were associated in a valuable partnership, the latter hitting hard on the leg side but not playing quite as sound a game. Scott and H. G. Vivian were both aggressive. Vivian particularly so and it was Leader who dismissed both of’ them. At that stage he had three wickets for 10 runs. The catch which dismissed Vivian was a brilliant lefthanded one by R. Silver, who was fielding at second slip. G L. Weir stayed with Sale until it seemed that Auckland might retrieve its fortunes. They added 93 runs for the seventh wicket and Weir was out in the last over before the tea adjournment. A. M. Matheson helped Sale to add another 60. but when Sale was out Ibw to Leader with the total at 340, any chance that Auckland might have had was gone. The tall-enders were helped by some lazy catching and J. Cowie entertained the crowd with some powerful hitting before he became Leader’s sixth victim. Leader was, of course, outstanding among the Otago bowlers, but D. A. R. Moloney was the unlucky bowler of the day. His right-hand leg spinners had most of the visitors worried, and he deserved more than one wicket. He bowled 37 overs during the day, 14 more than anyone else, and was handicapped by an injury to his left hand. J. Purdue got a valuable wicket early, but could make no impression after, that, and R. Silver bowled only 10 overs in the innings for 42 runs and no wickets. G. J. Robertson and C. J. Elmos both bowled steadily, but did not look particularly dangerous. The ground fielding of the side was keen and good, and the only features to mar its display were missed stumping opportunities and two catches that went astray late in the day. Conditions were almost ideal for batting. The wicket was hard, fast, and true, and gave the pacy bowlers no assistance. The play was watched by a very satisfactory attendance. Scores:— OTAGO First innings .. .. 427 Second Innings K.F. M, Uttley not out .. 1 G. J. Robertson, not out .. .. 9 Extra (bye 1) .. ..1 Total for no wickets .. 11 BOWLING ANALYSIS O. M. H. W. Cowie .. .. 2 - 7 - Weir .. .. 1 - i - AUCKLAND First Innings P. E. Whitelaw, c Mills, b Purdue .. 0 A. J. Postles. b Leader .. .. 51 W. M. Wallace, b Robertson .. 35 H. Pearson, b Purdue .. ..49 V. J. Scott. Ibw. b Leader .. .. 13 H. G. Vivian, c Silver, b Leader .. 14 G. L. Weir, c Mills, b Moloney .. 36 S. Sale Ibw, b Leader .. ~ 106 A. M. Matheson, Ibw, b Leader .. 24 C. K. Jackman, not out .. .. 7 .J. Cowie, b Leader .. ..20 Extras .. .. ..18 Tota l .. .. .. 373 Fall of wickets: One for 0, two for 47, three for 137. four for 157, five for 160, six for 182, seven for 275, eight for 340. nine for 347, 10 for 373. BOWLING ANALYSIS _ _ . O. M. R. W. J. Purdue .. .. 23 4 69 2 R. Silver .. .. 10 2 42 G. J. Robertson ..11 - 36 1 D. A. R. Moloney .. 37 3 120 1 V. J. Leader .. 21.5 4 44 6 C. J. Ehnes .. 12 3 44 - Purdue bowled one wide.