CRICKET Canterbury’s Large Score In Last Game

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29101, 13 January 1960, Page 12

CRICKET Canterbury’s Large Score In Last Game

With an almost perfect example of how the greatest possible advantage should be taken of conditions which might have been specially designed for batsmen, Canterbury ran up a score of 437 for six wickets against Northern Districts at Lancaster Park yesterday.

With Wellington scoring so heavily against Auckland, Canterbury’s prospects of winning the Plunket Shield are excellent, for if Canterbury can beat Northern Districts outright, Auckland would have to have the maximum points against Wellington, and then against Central Districts.

Canterbury owed nearly everything to a fine opening partnership of 214 between B. A. Bolton and G. T. Dowling, each of whom' scored a century. Their relentless wearing down of bowlers who could find no encouragement in the pitch made it possible for the later batsmen to achieve some extraordinary scoring rates; after tea, 214 runs were made in 117 minutes.

There was an excellent attendance, the gate takings being £364.

The teams are:— Northern Districts.— E. C. Petrie (captain), B. H. Pairaudeau, R. Barbour, A. F. Lissette, N. Puna, J. Turnbull, T. E. Shaw, D. L. Donald, D. J. Gray, R. McPherson, and W. P. Bradburn. Canterbury.—M. E. Chapple (captain), A. R. Mac Gibbon, S. C. Guillen, G. T. Dowling, B. A. Bolton, P. G. Z. Harris, K. Thomson, R. C. Motz, A. F. Rapley, J. T. Ward, and J. W. Kiddey. Petrie must have been very sorry indeed to have lost the toss for the seventh time in Northern Districts' last eight games. It is a long time since Lancaster Park has offered batsmen such comfort, and denied bowlers everything except the next interval There was sufficient pace in it for the batsmen to make strokes, but it was perfectly true, the ball came through at a comfortable regular height, and the spinners could barely move the ball. In such circumstances. Canterbury would have failed had it not made a big score. But all honour to Bolton and Dowling, who played cricket perfectly suited to the occasion, and pacified the defences for the shock troops who fol16wed. Although the pitch gave the batsmen every chance, the bowling and fielding of Northern Districts were of a very high order almost until the end of the day. Semi-Defensive Semi-defensive fields were used almost from the start, and bowling of very good length, supported by keen ground work, required the opening pair to search diligently for runs. Both of them batted beautifully, especially Bolton, who. has a rather wider range of shots than his partner. Bolton plays most of the strokes correctly and attractively, but yesterday he was superb when he cut, and when he played one of his favourite shots, forcing the ball away off his toes to midwicket. The cut made square or finer, was sometimes produced with all the graceful elasticity of a Frank WorrelL Dowling never looks anything but cultured in his batting. Yesterday he was extremely studious and he could perhaps have scored

somewhat faster towards the end of his innings. He makes his strokes beautifully, but as J. T. Sparling did against Canterbury, he fell into a pleasant sort of trance, hitting the ball firmly to fieldsmen for long periods without undue aggregation of profit Indeed it seemed that even the best efforts of those who were to come could not prevent Canterbury being behind the clock at the end of the day. But the later batsmen surpassed themselves in their fiercely aggressive innings. Opening Partnership

The opening partnership was the first for Canterbury in excess of 200 for 11 years; the last was 226, unfinished, by W. A. Hadlee and J. G. Leggat against Otago. It must have been dreadfully depressing for the fieldsmen and bowlers. Play began at 10.30 a.m., and they were confronted with the same batting faces for five hours, save for a period of 40 minutes for lunch and rumination. The effect Bolton and Dowling had on the opposition was. ultimately, quite startling. The scoring rates tell the story clearly. Bolton and Dowling scored their 214 in 260 minutes. Dowling and Harris made 67 in 58; Harris and Thomson 56 in 21; Guillen and Chapple 27 in 12; Guillen and Mac Gibbon 72 in 25.

Canterbury’s first 100 took 147 minutes, the second 103, the third 79, the fourth 48, and the last 10 minutes of the orgy yielded a further 37. Every cricketer likes to see fast scoring, but towards the end of the day it was almost gluttony to watch any longer.

Bolton’s century was his first m representative cricket, and it was flawless He made his runs in 212 minutes, and in the early stages, especially he and Dowling ran with such speed and zest that they added something to a sparkling morning Dowling, scoring at half Bolton’s rate, forced the pace at the end of his innings, particularly with some lofted straight hits He was In 320 minutes for his second first-class century. Harris, playing his first shield

game for three years, made a very useful contribution, and was the first to reach for the batting accelerator. He piayed some fine aggressive strokes, and Thomson came in to a situation made for his particular talents—the score was 281 for two and the bowlers were beginning to notice their feet.

Hacking his way through the bowlers with considerable abandon, Thomson ran up 39 in 27 minutes. He has tremendous power, but his best shot yesterday was one his many admirers might think slightly out of character. It was a flick to fine leg, played off his hip so late, and with such nonchalance, that he might have been one of the Indian princes who gave the game such charm

Chapple very much in form, made a couple of fierce drives, Mac Gibbon cut and thrust rather in the manner of a bloodthirsty pirate emerg-

ing from temporary unemployment, and Guillen, after a few unhappy swishes, such as those made by a nervous golfer before starting a round, produced some of the day’s best stroKes. His square cut. produced like a whip-lash, sent the ball off at a speed which once or twicfe defied the eye. Spectacular Six He hit a six off Shaw, but the one Mac Gibbon took off Barbour was as spectacular as any for years. It climbed into the sky to a vast distance. and when Sir Isaac Newton finally took over it scattered spectators very close to the top of the embankment, half-way along it. This, and many other powerful strokes made by Canterbury batsmen, were hignly-satisfactory for the spectators who this season have seen Canterbury batting leaving diffidence and nervousness behind. But anyone with cricket in him must have given the warmest admiration to Northern Districts, who were faced with an almost hopeless task from the start. The side has no pace bowling, and the spinners' teeth were drawn by the pitch. But they stuck it out courageously. Barbour did not take his first shield wicket until he had conceded 114 runs, but he kept attacking the stumps, and until tea he was very hard to get away. Afterwards, the batsmen could do anything, without giving it much thought, and in fact every wicket which fell during the day was lost to an attacking stroke.

Barbour comminded considerable respect for a long time. Shaw did little bowling ur.’.il near the end. when he had some wickets thrust at him, but he. too. tried hard. Lissette bore the greatest burden, stoically. His length and direction were superb, but the situation got beyond him finally. Puna, unable to spin, resorted often to moving the ball away through the air. and he was steady, as was Turnbull. But in the last dozen overs these bowlers sent down, 116 runs came from the bat: all their earlier efforts went for nought. Fine ’Keeping The fielding was excellent throughout the day; it was a team of triers. And no praise could be too high for Petrie's wicket-keeping. His swift, deft exhibition showed how far ahead he is of other New Zealand 'keepers. It was in keeping with his reputation for sportsmanship that he recalled Mac Gibbon after the batsman had, apparently, been bowled b.v Barbour. Perhaps Petrie was the only one who knew the ball had rebounded from his pads, only inches behind the wicket. With the tide running so strongly against him, it did Petrie credit that he should stick to his creed. The umpires are Messrs U CJohnston and J Reece Scores;— CANTERBURY First Innings B A. Bolton, c Gray, b Lissette 138 G. T. Dowling, c Gray, b Turnbull 107 P G Z. Harris c Lissette, b SDA YV • 40 K Thomson c Turnbull, b Shaw 39 S. C. Guillen, b Barbour .. 43 M. E. Chapple b Shaw . ..19 A R. McGibbon. not out .. 34 Extras (byes 14, leg-byes 3) 17 Total for six wickets .. 437 Fall of wickets; one for 214 (Bolton). two for 281 (Dowling), three for 337 (Harris), four for 338 (Thomson), five for 365 (Chapple), six for 437 (Guillen). Bowling

<J. M. R W R. Barbour 40.3 7 114 1 T E. Shaw 12 4 52 3 A. F. Lissette 51 13 106 1 N Puna 35 7 99 0 J Turnbull 24 7 49 1