FIRST CENTURY IN SERIES

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28160, 26 December 1956, Page 8

FIRST CENTURY IN SERIES

VANCE, WELLINGTON, SCORES 109 MATCH AGAINST CENTRAL DISTRICTS (New Zealand Press Association) WANGANUI, December 25. An attractive century, the first in Plunket Shield cricket for the 1956-57 season, two equally attractive half centuries, and a shock bowling session, causing a dramatic collapse, were the features today of the first day of the Wellington-Central Districts game being played at Cook’s Gardens, Wanganui. The century by R. Vance (Wellington) was reached in 108 minutes of confident strokemaking that delighted an unusually big crowd for Christmas Day. Vance was ably assisted by R. T. Barber, who came to light with one of his more attractive innings in scoring 70, and in helping Vance to add 117 runs fo rthe third wiefket consolidated the score. L. S. M. Miller took three boundaries off H. B. Cave’s second over and this set the seal for a grand 50. At 4.52 p.m. Wellington was just over the 230 mark with seven wickets in hand but in the last 68 minutes Wellington lost six wickets for 58 runs. The destroying agents were N. S. Harford and D. D. Beard. Harford had Barber and E. W. Dempster back in the pavilion with successive balls. Beard took two more wickets and Harford another.

The wicket is made for runs and lasting, so hopes of a full decision seem remote. Scores: — WELLINGTON First Innings L. S. M. Miller, c Beard, b Brown .. 50 A. H. Preston, c Colquhoun, b Beard 18 B. W. Sinclair, c and b Jones .. 7 R. A. Vance, c Guy, b Jones .. .. 109 R. T. Barber, b Harford .. ..70 J. E. F. Beck, not out .. ..15 E. W. Dempster, lbw Harford .. 0 L. A. Clark, lbw Harford .. .. 0 R. W. Blair, b Beard .. ..11 W. M. Curtis, c and b Beard .. .. . 0 Extras .. .. ..10 Total for nine wickets .. 290 Bowling: J. F. Jones, 18 overs. 1 maiden, 55 runs. 2 wickets; D. D. Beard, 30.1, 10, 65, 3; H. B. Cave. 21, 6. 67, 0: G. Buist, 4. 0. 13. 0; R. E Brown. 7,2, 32, 1: N. S. Harford, 9,3, 19, 3; K. F. H. Smith, 5,0, 29, 0.