SHIELD CRICKET Auckland 53 Ahead; Fine Innings By R. M. Harris

Press, Volume C, Issue 29706, 27 December 1961, Page 10

SHIELD CRICKET Auckland 53 Ahead; Fine Innings By R. M. Harris

After a magnificent, exciting start contributed by R. M. Harris, Auckland batted with much more determination than daring on the second day of the Plunket Shield match at Lancaster Park yesterday, and at the close of play led Canter* bury by 53 runs, with two wickets still intact.

Canterbury, 261 for nine wickets at the end of the first day, scored 277, D. L. Gallop taking his score from 78 to 89. Auckland’s score now stands at 330 for eight wickets. Harris batted brilliantly for 55, but it was very ordinary fare after that. The pitch again played very easily, with the batsmen not so frequently embarrassed by the ball keeping low. Auckland had better opportunities of fast scoring than Canterbury had been afforded, but the safety-first policy has taken the side into a position of some promise. The crowd yesterday was in excess of 3000 the gate takings, £371, making a total of £689 for the match so far.

The teams are: — Auckland.—L. A. Clark (captain), M. Dormer, W. R. Playle, R. M. Harris, S. G. Gedye, W. B. Norman, L. A. Green. J. Mclntyre, P. P. W Morris, R. Cunis, R. W. Morgan. Canterbury.—A. R. Mac Gibbon (captain), K. Thomson, A. G. Duckmanton, J. W Kiddey, D L. Gallop, B G. Hadlee, J. H. M. Dawson, G. G Coull, D. Hill, J. E. England. M B. Poore. Harris's innings replied, in bold and imaginative terms, to those who claim there are today no batsmen capable of attacking new-ball bowling Harris, it must be admitted, went to unfamiliar lengths to make his point—such as strong high hits over the offside field. In his one crowded hour, he scored 55, Auckland made 72, and everyone was delighted, save of course the Canterbury bowlers That Canterbury was able, after Harris's departure, to arrest the flow of runs and to contain Auckland to a very moderate scoring rate was to a large extent the business of the batsmen rather than the bowlers They were reluctant to apply pressure to bowling of distinctly moderate quality Several of them made good scores, notably Morgan and Playle, but it seemed that the situation called for more assertive batting. Canterbury had failed in the same way, until Gallop seized the initiative Auckland was seldom really slow, but let slip a fine chance of hammering hot and weary bowlers. To some extent, the Auckland batsmen faced problems similar to those which had beset Canterbury Kiddey is never a bowler to concede runs easily, and they found him hard to get away But Canterbury leaned heavily on Gallop and Poore, both of them bowlers who can be attacked by batsmen who have attack n mind Ponderous Progress

When Auckland reached Canterbury’s score, the innings had been in progress 20 minutes longer More significant. the batsmen had had 24 more overs in which to make runs The rather ponderous progress, with the outfield so fast and the bowling anything but menacing, disappointed the spectators It was hard to see what was being achieved by Auckland's policy, particularly after the first innings lead had been established The only reasonable explanation may be that Clark has determined to stay in as long as possible, to force Canterbury into error Seven hours’ play remain today, and in this limited time Canterbury, if it is to pursue a positive policy, must get Auckland out, score runs quickly, and get Auckland out again. A tall order But a first innings loss should not appeal to Canterbury if there is any prospect of something better: it may be that Clark sees his best chance in persuading Canterbury into indiscretion. Can* . bury s effort to get quick runs, with the last pair in, did not succeed to any significant extent In 25 minutes —which meant 35 minutes from the day's playing time—only 16 were added. Gallop’s fine innings of 89 lasted 130 minutes. Harris, these days a broad, almost majestic figure, suffered the introduction of a couple of maide'n overs from Kiddey and then had nearly all the Canterbury bowlers bowing the knee He hooked strongly, bu took most of his runs from powerful drives, many of them hit high and safe clear of the field When he was 18, he might have been caught off Kiddey had a taller man than Gallop been at cover, but it was a superb display of aggressive batting He faced 13 balls from Dawson, and scored 17 runs from them; he took 22 from 24 balls by Poore, nine off three from Mac Gibbon His tenth boundary took him to his 50 in 57 minutes; it seemed the Canterbury bowling was to be massacred But Kiddey. alone, held firm. He dropped on to his nagging length just too short for the drive, and Harris could not get at him. It was when he tried to drive Kiddey that Harris lost his wicket. easily caught at extra cover by Hadlee. It was a pity that Harris was not content to rule supreme at one end; 11 overs from Dawson Mac Gibbon and Poore at the south end had cost Canterbury 55. while 10 from Kiddey at the north yielded IX Playle Sobdued Then there was a pleasant, if subdued, innings by Playle. who carried on Auckland’s steady progress by helping Morgan to score 84 for the third wicket Playle looks a batsman in every movement He plays beautifully straight, he is graceful, almost elegant.

even in the forward defensive stroke. The pity of it was that he seemed a little too ready to use it. Just occasionally, he moved smoothly into the ball and hit it hard through a gap, and when he did, it was a little lesson in the poetry of motion. Playle is clearly a fine batsman, still inhibited perhaps by some failures earlier in his career. He has everything to make him a fine and punishing player. Morgan is clearly much happier playing pace bowling than spin, particularly when the bowlers keep putting the ball on his legs. At the start of his innings all the Canterbury slow bowlers had him in trouble. Once a wrong-un from Gallop had him straddling the pitch, all pads and pandemonium Duckmanton’s ample flight also deceived him, and it was a pity, from Canterbury’s point of view, that Duckmanton did not bowl to him a little more, or that Poore did not use similar tactics.

Morgan's first 20 runs were quite undistinguished, but later he made the most of the medium-paced bowling, and his timing on the leg side was first-class. Canterbury's insistence on playing to his strength cost a whole harvest of runs. While he and Playle were together on this hot afternoon, there seemed no prospect of a wicket falling. The batsmen seemed so firmly entrenched it would require an Act of Parliament to part them, but the scoring rate was never exciting. Morgan and Playle were together nearly two hours for their 84 runs, and Playle batted 156 minutes for his 59 Morgan, after his period of doubt, fed contentedly on the liberal supply of on-side opportunities, and before he was done he had hit 13 fours in an innings of 155 minutes. He fell finally to an extraordinary effort by Hill, in the slips, who apparently caught the ball and his left ankle at one and the same time Some of the day’s best strokes came from Morris, playing his first shield innings. A cover drive for four off Dawson was magnificent, the stroke being made with the sort of elasticity expected of a Weekes or a Worrell. Then he walked in to drive Dawson for another handsome four; by tea Auckland, with six wickets standing, was only 37 behind. Tn t s e last two hours, 90 runs were made. Clark indulged in his favourite pull stroke, and a powerful one it is, Norman picked up runs, but there was never any suggestion of the batsmen taking toll Canterbury Bowlers Kiddey did a splendid job for Canterbury. He was the only one able to contain Harris, and although there was period when he seemed unable to refrain from giving Morgan's strong on-side strokes full expression, he again bowled determinedly and well towards the end Dawson was disappointing. There was nothing in the pitch for him, but he lacked direction Poore, after being hammer®- by Harris bowled many overs of an amiable good length He invites the drive; he was met with defence. At one period he had nine maiden overs on end. 12 in a succession of 14 overs. His tu-n was almost negligible, but he denied the batsmen easy runs Mac Gibbon started badly but just before and just after tea he bowled with marked hostility and control. It was hard to fit Duckmanton into the scheme of things but Gallop was used expansively He bowled splendidly on an unresponsive pitch, with very few loose balls He was allowed considerable freedom by the unimaginative batting, but his bowling and his batting have already meant much to Canterbury in this match Although he finished with only two wickets. Gallop looked the most formidable Canterbury bowler for most of the day. Four times be defeated batsmen badly, found an inside edge, and watched the ball evade the stumps The fielding was of average quality on the ground with Thomson and Dawson outstanding for their eagerness Thomson's throwing was particularly good But there were some expensive misses in the air. none of them, however, easy chances Gallop missed Harris off Kiddey at 18: England missed Green off Mac Gibbon at 2: Playle was missed by Poore off Duckmanton at 51. Norman by Duckmanton off Gallop. and dark gave Dawson a difficult running eatcb off Kiddey. Canterbury is not out of this game, but it will require a really determined effort to get back into it Auckland,

too, wIH have to have a rather more aggressive approach if it is to make the most of the present sound situation. The umpires are Messrs J. Reece and H. C. Moore. Scores:— CANTERBURY First Innings G. G. Coull, b Cunis .. 0 D. Hill, b Cunis .. ..49 B. G. Hadlee, b Cunis .. 27 M. B. Poore, st Donner, b Green .. ..50 K. Thomson, b Green .. 12 D. L. Gallop, b Norman .. 89 A. G. Duckmanton, b Cunis 0 A. R. Mac Gibbon, c Green, b Norman .. .. 16 J. E. England, lbw. b Norman .. .. 14 J. ’.V. Kiddey. b Norman .. 4 J. H. M. Dawson, not out .. 8 Extras (byes 3, leg-byes 5) .. .. 8 Total .. ..277 Fall of wickets: one for 0, two for 40, three for 126, four for 144. five for 146, six for 146, seven for 174. eight for 228, nine for 240. Bowling O. M. R. W. R. Cunis ..35 9 88 4 W. B. Norman 33.2 8 78 4 L. A. Clark 12 3 43 0 L. A. Green 25 8 60 2 AUCKLAND First Innings R M. Harris, c Hadlee, b Kiddey .. .. 55 S. G. Gedye, b Gallop .. 28 W R. Playle, lbw, b Gallop .. ..59 R W. Morgan, c Hill, b Mac Gibbon .. .. 72 P P. W. Morris, c Kiddey, b Mac Gibbon .. 23 L. A. Green, c Gallop, b Kiddey .. .. 10 W B. Norman, c England, b Kiddey .. .. 24 L A. Clark, lbw, b Kiddey 36 R Cunis. not out .. 7 J Mclntyre, not out .. 2 Extras (byes 7. leg-byes 7) .. ..14 Total for eight wickets 330 Fall of wickets: one for 72, two for 109 three for 193, four for 235. five for 246, six for 265. seven for 320. eight for 323.

Bowling R. W O. M. J H. M. Dawson 8 1 35 0 J. W Kiddey 46 21 79 4 M. B. Poore 26 14 41 0 D. L. Gallop 40 9 90 2 A. R. MacGibbon 19 7 47 2 A. G. Duckmanton 13 6 19 0 D. Hill .. 3 1 5 0