Auckland In Hopeless Position At Eden Park

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29102, 14 January 1960, Page 10

Auckland In Hopeless Position At Eden Park

(New Zeaiana Press Association)

AUCKLAND, January 13. Mediocre batting against the steady Wellington attack left Auckland in a hopeless position at the end of the second day of the Plunket Shield match at Eden Park today. During the day Auckland lost 18 wickets and with each its chances of retaining the shield became dimmer and dimmer.

Auckland was all out in the first innings just before 3 p.jn. for 201, leaving it 191 behind the Wellington total of 392 for nine wickets declared.

By stumps Auckland, following on, had lost eight wickets for 95 runs. It was still 96 runs short of avoiding an innings defeat. Unless there is rain, Auckland has little hope tomorrow. Auckland could offer little excuse for its lamentable batting The pitch was still ideal for batting and the hot weather of Tuesday became cooler and more pleasant for cricket. The Wellington bowling, although admirably steady, was not particularly hostile, and nearly all the Aucklanders contributed much,- by weak strokes or weaker defence, to their own destruction. J. R. Reid, the Wellington and New Zealand captain, who had dominated the first day with his 165. also did much to wreck the Auckland first innings with his clever bowling. He took the second, fourth, fifth and sixth wickets while only 41 runs were scored and he also took the tenth to give him five for 50 from 30.2 overs J. Bray took two of the early wickets and A. H. Preston gathered three quickly with his offspinners late in the innings. The Auckland tail-enders offered their own criticism of the uncertainty of the batsmen in the team. The first six wickets acquired 78 runs, the last four 123 and of these K. W. Hough and A. W. Ritchie both scored 44 in workmanlike fashion. They took very few risks and treated the bowling on its merits. Hough had two or three big hits—one of them a six off Preston, but generally played a sound innings

Worse was to follow in Auckland’s second innings. The openers were removed with only 19 runs scored and after the score had reached 30 the third, fourth and fifth wickets fell at that score. The rest of the recognised batsmen, R. W. Morgan apart, failed and it ivas left to Morgan and Ritchie again to halt the flow of easy wickets. R. E. Reid was especially good in his opening spell and he dismissed D. Taylor and W. B. Norman with successive balls only to see R. N. Farman foil the hattrick.

Morgan batted 106 minutes for his 27 not out and did not give a chance in a solid innings. Scores:—

WELLINGTON First innings, for nine wickets declared .. .. ..39?

AUCKLAND ■Hrst Innings R M. Harris, c McMahon, b Bray .. .. .. 22 W. R. Playle bJ. R. Retd .. 9 J T. Sparling, bJ. R. Reid .. 23 D. Taylor, lbw, b Bray .. 1 W. B. Norman, c Butler, b J. R. Reid 17 R. W. Morgan, st McMahon, b J. R. Reid .. .. 0

R. N Farman, c McMahon, b Preston .. ~ .. 10 K. W. Hough, c J. R. Reid, b Preston .. .. .. 44 C. Renwick, c Butler, b Preston 15 A. W. Ritchie, c Vance, b J. R. Reid .. ~ .. 44 R. E. Sutton, not out .. .. 2 Extras .. ..14 Total * .. .. ..201 Fall of wickets: one for 35, two for 37. three for 42, four for 75. five for 75, six for 78, seven for 118. eight for 149, nine for 156.

Total for eight wickets 95 Fall of wickets: one for 8, two for 19, three for 30, four for 30, five for 30, six for 52, seven for 53, eight

Bowling O. M. R. W. J. Bray 18 9 28 2 R. E. Reid 5 1 18 0 J. R. Reid 30.2 14 50 5 L. Butler, 24 10 47 0 A H Preston .. 11 2 44 3 Second Innings Harris, c Roberts, b R E Reid 10 Playle, c Preston. b R E. Reid 4 Sparling, b Bray 7 D. Taylor, b R E. Reid 8 Morgan, not out 27 Norman, b R E. Reid 0 Farman, c J R. Reid, ’it R. E. Reid 12 Hough, c Miller, b J. ”r. Reid 0 Ritchie, b Bray 14 Renwick, not out 4 Extras 9

for 77. Bowling .O. M. R. W Bray .. 17 10 18 2 R. E. Reid .. 22 7 47 5 J. R. Reid .. 7 1 12 1 Butler .. 2 1 4 0 Preston 4 2 4 0 R A. Vance .. 1 1 0 0