CRICKET

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 26945, 22 January 1953, Page 8

CRICKET

PLUNKET SHIELD POINTS OTAGO’S STRONG POSITION Otago is now leading in the Plunket Shield cricket competition with 24 points. Auckland, with 16_points, can draw level if it beats Central Districts outright in the ■last game. In that event the winning of the shield would depend on the wicket averages of the two teams. These are calculated by finding the average number of runs tor each wicket that has fallen scored by a team, and subtracting from it the average number of runs for each wicket scored against it. Otago has a plus average of 5.02 runs a wicket, and Auckland’s average so far is only .59, so that in a match in which all wickets fell Auckland would have to beat Central Districts by more than 350 runs to win the shield. The table of points is now as follows: Ist

PERFORMANCE OF WICKETS ' PROBABLE REASON FOR L*OW BOUNCE Wickets prepared in exactly the same way at Lancaster Park for the Plunket Shield matches between Canterbury and Otago and Canterbury and Central Dis- 1 tricts gave a very different playing performance. Reporting to the Victory Park Board last evening on behalf of the grounds committee, Mr W. J. V. Hamilton said that this had given rise to a very interesting observation. He recalled that concern had been felt about first-class wickets. The wicket for the Otago match had been located as far west as possible off the main mound, which had been created by continual topdressing. It had proved to be one of the best wickets played on for some time. B. Sutcliffe had said that the bounces on the wicket had been fair both to batsmen and bowlers. For the Central Districts’ match, the wicket had been moved to the east on top of the mound. The further the game had gone the lower the bounce had got. said Mr Hamilton. ’’This points to the fact that this mound is largely responsible for the trouble. The bowlers are not getting the bounce when they bowl on the high area.” Mr Hamilton said that this area was five inches over the level of the rest of the football ground. He suggested that after the football season the mound should be graded off. “I think it may help to solve our first-class wicket problem.” To Mr W. Dailey the chairman. (Mr D. A. Colville) said that the wicket itself was level, but the rise started at the stumps, so that the bowler’s back leg was five inches below the level of the wicket. Mr Dailey: It looks as though the topdressing is wrong. Mr Hamilton: It is expensive stuff, and it is not taken back.

8pt. 4®t. Inn. win win loss loss Pts Otago .. 3 0 0 1 24 Auckland .. 2 0 0 1 16 Wellington .. 1 0 1 1 10 Central Districts 0 2 0 1 8 Canterbury .. 0 0 1 2 2