SCHOOLS’ MATCH

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25677, 14 December 1948, Page 6

SCHOOLS’ MATCH

CRICKET

CHRIST’S COLLEGE PLAYS OTAGO B.H.S.

Otago Boys’ High School finished the first day of its annual cricket match against Christ’s College in a sound position, but it might well have been better had the batsmen shown more initiative against bowling which was well below< the standard expected of secondary school cricket. Christ's College, batting first on a good wicket, made a bad start but the later batsmen effected a good recovery and the total reached 191. Otago had three hours’ batting before stumps, and in that time scored 144 for five wickets.

R. I. Long gave Otago a good start by dismissing two Christ’s College batsmen cheaply and after that wickets fell regularly. With six down for 72, Christ’s College was in a poor position, but S. L. Hale, with the assistance of some of the later batsmen, fought back and the final score was much bettter than had seemed possible earlier. Hale started uncertainly, and just before lunch had a number of very narrow escapes, but in the afternoon he played much more confidently, and used a powerful cover drive very well indeed. With J. G. Lester, who played some pretty shots, he added 48 for the seventh wicket, and both J. L. Allan and G. A. Northcote showed welcome enterprise. The eighth wicket partnership realised 33, and the next 32—solid contributions from batsmen so low in the list. Hale was ninth out, after an invaluable innings for 50.

The Otago medium paced bowlers were steady, but rarely formidable. Long, in the morning used a good inswinger and sometimes spun the ball back from the off, but C. S. Christie, a leg spinner, in spite of some erratic overs, looked most likely to take wickets. Another spin bowler in A. J. Blakely was used little, but showed real promise. The fielding was sound.

The Otago batsmen began slowly and treated very' mediocre bowling with far too much respect. The captain, J. A. Robertson, played soundly for his 24, and was just beginning to quicken the pace a little when he went out. Each partnership was broken just when it seemed likely to become a decisive one, and sometimes the ball did not deserve to take a wicket. The fifth wicket fell at 107, but in the closing stages Christie and L. G. Williams showed .a disposition to hit the many loose balls sent to them, and they added a usfeul 37 in quick time. The Christ’s College bowlers were not helped by the extremely rapid changes made. Nine bowlers were used, nearly all of them before the score was 80, and they seemed to usuaHy in spells of two or three overs, which gave them little chance to settle down. Hale and Beadel were very steady. The match will be continued to-day. The umpires are Messrs W. W. Dunkley and L. A. Butterfield.

HAWKE’S BAY BEATEN ELIMINATION MATCH AT GISBORNE (P.A.) GISBORNE. December 13. Poverty Bay had a surprise win over Hawke's Bay in the Hawke Cup challenge elimination match this afternoon by a margin of three wickets. Faced with a deficit of 195 runs with eight wickets to fall at the opening of the final day's play, Poverty Bay’s prospects did not look bright until R. Barbour and P. H. Dow made an aggressive stand. The batsmen took 20 runs off two overs before lunch, and on resumption knocked up 97 in 55 minutes. Barbour’s 75 included seven fours. Poverty Bay scored 299 for seven. Scores:— Hawke’s Bay, first innings 154. Second innings, 258. Poverty Bay, first innings 114. Second innings, 299 for seven wickets (Martin 58, Wells 19. Sharp 26, Blane 22, R. Barbour not out 75, Dow hot out 41: A. Jensen two for 93, T. P. Reaney two for 61, H. Henderson one for 41, H. E. Reaney one for 25, A. Dean one for 22. WELLINGTON SHIELD TEAM (P.A.) WELLINGTON. December 13. J. A. Ongley will captain the Wellington Plunket Shield team in matches against Auckland and Canterbury at the Basin Reserve at Christmas and New Year. The sole selector (Mr H. Duncan) has announced the following side:—J. A. Ongley (captain), E. W. Tindill, G. Rabone, J. Reid. R. J. Kemp. F. L. H. Mooney, D. S. Wilson, T. P. L. Reaney. R. McK. Murray, H. B. Cave. A. E. Cresswell. Twelfth man: R. T. Barber. UMPIRES FOR PLUNKET SHIELD GAMES (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Dec. 13. The following umpires have been appointed for the Plunket Shield cricket matches at the Basin Reserve, Wellington. during the Christmas and New Year holidays:—Auckland v. Wellington (Christmas). Messrs M F. Pengelly and J. McLellan: Canterbury v Wellington (New Year) Messrs T. W. Dick and K. Scott.

CHRIST’S COLLEGE First Innings D. W. Crowe, c Williams, b Long G. C. P. Beadel, c Ashby, b Long 23 M. M. Andrews, b Long A. J. O. Whyte, c Roffe, b Christie 18 O. A. Hutchinson, b Blakely 14 S. L. Hale, c Roffe. b Christie 50 J. E. Coates, run out . 2 J. G. Lester, c Ashby, b Robertsbn 12 J. L. Allan, c Blakely, b Christie 24 G. A. Northcote, not out 21 N. Q. .Wright,-b Long Extras (byes 20, leg byes 4) *. 24 Total 191 BOWLING O. M. R. W. J. A. Robertson . 17 5 44 R. I. Long 20.2 4 51 a A. J. Blakely 7 1 17 1 C. S. Christie . 13 0 50 3 L. Williams . 6 4 5 0 OTAGO B.H.S. First Innings G. Aim, b Wright 14 R. I Long, c Whyte, b Andrews . 14 D. Malloch, std Whyte, b Wright 8 J. A. Robertson, lbw, b Northcote 24 C. Porter, lbw, b Beadel 21 C. S. Christie, not out 24 L. G. Williams, not out 29 Extras (byes 5, leg byes 4, no-ball 1) . 10 Total for five wickets 144 BOWLING O. M. R. W. S. L. Hale . 14 5 27 0 M. M. Andrews . 8 5 12 O. A. Hutchinson 8 1 14 0 D. W. Crowe . 6 3 0 G. C. P. Beadel . 7 2 8 1 N. Q. Wright . 14 1 31 2 J. G. Lester . 6 1 21 0 G. A. Northcote . 1 0 5 J. A. Allan 2 0 12 0