OTAGO BEATS AUCKLAND Brilliant Spin Bowling

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28474, 2 January 1958, Page 11

OTAGO BEATS AUCKLAND Brilliant Spin Bowling

(New Zealand Press Association) DUNEDIN, January 1. A brilliant bowling spell by two New Zealand representative leg spinners, J. C. Alabaster and A. McK. Moir, on the second morning of the Plunket Shield cricket match against Auckland at Carisbrook paved the way for an outright win for Otago by five wickets after the home team had trailed the visitors by 38 runs on the first innings. In little less than an hour the two bowlers took eight Auckland wickets for only 11 runs.

Alabaster finished the innings with six wickets for 40 runs and Moir with four for 14. Continuing the second innings at the overnight score of three runs without loss, the Auckland openers, R. M. Harris and D. L. Perry, took the score comfortably to 35 before Moir was brought into the attack. He trapped Harris leg before with his third ball, a wrong ’un, and that was the beginning of the end for Auckland. The side*was all out soon after lunch for 88 runs—l2B ahead. Otago took 142 minutes to score the 127 needed, and lost five wickets. The Auckland off-spinner J. T. Sparling was the only bowler of the side to have success, taking four wickets for 41 runs, the other batsman being run out. This meant that spinners took 14 of the 15 wickets that fell in the four and a half hours of play yesterday. Moir spun the ball viciously at times, and made the odd one pitched into marks on the wicket made by pace men as they followed through pop disconcertingly. Alabaster, who was brought into the attack sooner than Moir, dropped on a perfect length with his first ball and bowled few loose ones in his 21 overs. He did not turn the ball as sharply as his team mate, but repeatedly beat the

bat and completely tied up all the batsmen

Both bowled at the top of their I form yesterday, and almost all I the Auckland batsmen with ex- ! ception of the tail-enders were i mesmerised by the bowling. K. W Hough and S. Belsham saved the team from being all out before the score was 50. These two, who had come to the rescue in the first innings with a partnership of 23 when runs were needed. added 36 runs for the ninth wicket. . In the second innings. Otago had its share of trouble, too, facing the bowling of Sparling in particular and Hough. Otago began the chase for the runs confidently. scoring relatively freely off the bowling of J. A. Hayes. Once Sparling was brought into the attack to partner Hough, the rate slackened. Scores:— AUCKLAND First Innings .. 181 Second Innings D. L. Perry, c Haig, b Moir .. 28 R. M. Harris, lbw. b Moir .. 13 D. D. Coleman, b Alabaster 0 R. N. Farman, b Moir .. ..0 W. R. Playle, lbw. b Alabaster 4 J. T. Sparling, c and b Alabaster 0 D. D. Taylor, b Alabaster 0 T. S. Hambrook, st Mills, b Alabaster .. •. • • .! K. W. Hough, b Moir .. .. 15 S. Belsham, b Alabaster .. 24 J. A. Hayes, not out .. ? Extra (leg-bye 1) ..1 Total .. ..88 Fall of wickets: One for 35, two for 38. three for 39. four for 44. five for 44, six for 44. seven for 46. eight for 46. nine for 82. 10 for 88.

OTAGO First Innings .. .. 143 Second Innings E. A. Watson. lbw, b Sparling .. 24 J. R. Veitch, b Sparling .. 15 W. S. Haig, run out .. 15 B. Sutcliffe, st Belsham. b Sparling ..11 J. R. Reid, c Playle. b Sparling .. 21 S. N. McGregor, not out .. 24 G. H. Mills, not out .. .. 4 Extras (1 bye. 9 leg byes) .. 10 Total for five wickets .. 127 Fall of wickets: One for 43. two for 46. three for 64, four for 82. five for 113.

Bowling O. M. R. W F J. Cameron .. 12 3 27 0 W F. Frame .. 5 6 0 j. C. Alabaster 21 CJ 40 6 A. McK. Moir .. 14 9 14 4

Bowling O. M. R W J. A. Hayes ..15 0 48 0 K W. Hough .. 18 7 28 0 J. T. Sparling .. 17.3 2 41 4