OTAGO NEEDS 189 RUNS TO WIN

Press, Volume LXXXV, Issue 25705, 18 January 1949, Page 5

OTAGO NEEDS 189 RUNS TO WIN

CRICKET

Poor Batting Display By Wellington

ANY OF THREE TEAMS MAY WIN PLUNKET SHIELD

(P A.) . DUNEDIN, January 17. With nine wickets in hand Otago needs 189 runs for an outright win in the final Plunket Shield match, which will end at Carisbrook to-day, but to win the shield it must score the runs for fewer than another four wickets. If Otago beats Wellington by a smaller margin than six wickets Canterbury will win the shield on wicket averages. If Otago is beaten outright or if the match is unfinished and Wellington wins on the first innings, Wellington will win the shield. Wellington’s second innings ended this afternoon with the total 200 and at stumps Otago had scored 24 for one wicket. It was a dreary day’s cricket, Wellington batsmen adopting negative tactics against an accurate but scarcely hostile attack. Their lack of enterprise gave Otago a sporting chance of forcing a win.

Top-scorer for Wellington was Rabone, who batted for 201 minutes without giving a chance”in scoring 49. Like other Wellington batsmen, he was not comfortable facing the spin attack, but held the side together when it appeared that a collapse was possible. Ongley played an attractive innings, and was the only one of the earlier batsmen to make any attempt to hit the slow bowlers, this eventually causing his downfall. Mooney again batted well, and was unfortunate to be caught when playing a purely defensive shot to a ball from Overton, which got up sharply. The Wellington tail failed to wag, the last three wickets falling for only three runs.

Slow Bowlers Do Well The outstanding bowler was the slow righthand spinner. Groves, who bowled 28 overs unchanged during the afternoon. He had all the batsmen in difficulties, frequently beating them with a well-disguised googly, and might easily have had better figures than his three for 67. At the other end Robinson bowled an excellent length and kept the batsmen suodued as his figures indicate. So successful were the slow bowlers that the Otago captain, Smith, allowed 37 overs to elapse before he took the new ball to which he was entitled. Conditions were not suitable for swing bowlers, but Walsh and Overton persevered and were rewarded by two wickets each. The Otago fielding was excellent and Mills gave a good display behind the wickets. Hunt and Watt moved along quietly when the Otago second innings opened, and both appeared well set when in the last over of the day Hunt was bowled with a beautiful ball by Reid. Play ended without another Otago batsman going to the wickets.

Fall of wickets: one for none, two for 22, three for 45, four for 108, five for 131, six for 136, seven for 169, eight for 197, nine for 199, 10 for 200. OTAGO First innings .. • .. •• 233 Second Innings Hunt, b Reid .. .. ..13 Watt, not out .. .. ••U Total for one wicket •• 24 BOWLING Reid, one for 2; Cave, none for 11; Cresswell, none for 11.

Scores:— WELLINGTON First innings .. 245 * Second Innings Tindill, b Overton 0 Rabone, c Overton, b Groves . 49 J. Reid, b Walsh 13 Kemp, c Overton, b Smith . Vngley, c and b Groves 15 41 Mooney, c St. John, b Overton 47 Wilson, c Mills, b Robinson Reaney, c Mills, b Groves . 14 Cave, b Walsh 11 Randall, not out 2 Cresswell, run' out 0 Extras .. .. . 7 Total .. . 200 BOWLING O. M R. W. Overton .. .. 22 39 2 Walsh .. .. 18.5 34 2 Smith .. ..13 ■ *. 31 1 Robinson .. ..24 1! 21 1 Groves .. ..33 1( 67 3 St. John .. ..2 1 0