CENTURY TO SUTCLIFFE

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28470, 27 December 1957, Page 10

CENTURY TO SUTCLIFFE

Shield Game At Dunedin

(New Zealand Piess Association) DUNEDIN, December 26.

Honours Were even at the end of the first day’s play in the Plunket Shield cricket match between Otago and Northern Districts which began at Carisbrook today. On a wicket which contained little life after the first hour of play, Otago declared at afternoon tea with 268 for the loss of seven wickets. In the two hours before stumps Northern Districts were well in the picture with 111 for the loss of two wickets.

The features of the day’s play, during which rain threatened before lunch, only to give way to brilliant sunshine in the afternoon, were an unbeaten 104 by B. Sutcliffe, a lively and polished 45 by the veteran Otago wicketkeeper G. H. Mills, a grand display behind the stumps by E. C. Petrie, and some patches of good bowling by D. B. Clarke, who took four wickets for 67 runs off 29 overs.

Sutcliffe, who batted soundly although he gave a hot chance to leg slip off the bowling of Clarke when he was on 30, was at the wickets for 217 minutes. His century came up in 194 minutes, and he hit 10 4’s and two 6’s. He had not been credited with his second 6 by the umpires and had actually passed his century when the scoreboard showed him on 99 and he was struggling to score the single needed to give him the three figures. Otago was threatened with an indifferent total when the first five wickets fell for 156 runs, but then Mills and Sutcliffe added 95 runs for the sixth wicket before Mills was caught behind off the bowling of Clarke. He had been completely at home to all the bowlers and appeared to be a little unlucky to be given out off a ball which seemed to strike his foot.

Seven bowlers were tried by the Northern Districts’ captain (A. F. Lissette) during the innings but the only two who really attacked the batsmen were Clarke and the left-arm medium pace man W. Duncan.

Good Bowling Duncan caused the initial breakthrough by taking the wickets of J. R. Veitch, who scored a classic 27 runs before being caught behind and S. N. McGregor brilliantly caught at leg ship by G. Tarr, when the total was only 45. Duncan bowled a few loose balls. but he and Clarke seemed to be the only bowlers tried who had a positive approach to their tasks.

Petrie was in top-class form behind the wickets. He caught three batsmen, conceded only four byes, and those off a ball which shot through well wide of the leg‘stump, and kept remarkably well on the leg side.

Otago’s runs were scored in 260 minutes. D. L McDonald and T. E. Shaw opened for Northern Districts and were caused little trouble by Otago’s pace attack of F. J. Cameron and W. D. Frame. Neither bowler attacked the stumps consistently. Cameron was spelled after three overs and the leg-spinner, J. C. Alabaster, was brought into the attack. Unable to extract much spin from the wicket, he flighted the ball well at times, but at others he conceded some gift runs with full tosses on the leg side. He took the wicket of Shaw when the total was 58. scored in even time, the batsman being well stumped by Mills as he was drawn forward to play a defensive shot.

McDonald batted attractively, but was bowled by Moir when he attempted to hook a full toss. He scored 41. M. Langdon and W. Bradbum posted the 100 at 5.35 p.m., but then went into their shells, and only one run was added off the next nine overs. Sutcliffe bowled the last over of the day, and both batsmen relished an over of loose balls after facing some negative bowling in uninspiring fashion. Ten runs came from the over. Scores:—

OTAGO First Innings

E. A. Watson, c Barton, b Clarke 24 J. R. Veitch, c Petrie, b Duncan 27 S N. McGregor, c Tarr, b Dun-

can .. .. 11 B. Sutcliffe, not out .. .. 104 J R. Reid. c Langdon, b Clarke .. .. 33 W. S. Haig, c Petrie, b Duncan 10 G. H. Mills, c Petrie, B Clarke 45 A McK. Moir, c Tarr, b Clarke 8 J. C. Alabaster, not out .. 0 Extras (4 byes, 2 leg-byes) .. 6

Total for seven wickets declared .. .. 268 Fall of wickets.—One for 33, two for 45, three for 91. four for 143 five for 156, six for 251. seven for 263.

NORTHERN DISTRICTS First Innings D. L. Donald, b Moir 41 T. E. Shaw, st Mills, b Alabaster 26 M Langdon, not out ..15 W Bradbum, not out .. .. 16 Extras -(6 byes. 4 leg-byes. 3 no-balls) .. . ..13

Total for two wickets .. 11l Fall of wickets.—One for 58, two for 81.

Bowling _ O M. R. W D B. Clarke ..29 9 67 4 R. H. Barton ..6 1 30 0 W. Duncan .. 18 1 70 3 T. Puna .. 4 0 18 0 A. F. Lissette .. 15 3 40 0 M. Langdon .. 10 5 26 0 W. Bradburn .. 2 0 11 0

Bowling O. M. R. W F. J. Cameron .. 10 5 19 0 W D. Frame 6 0 17 0 J. C. Alabaster 12 i 43 A McK. Moir 9 3 19 2 w S. Haig 7 5 3 0 B .Sutcliffe 1 0 10 0