CRICKET Wellington In Strong Position At Dunedin

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30035, 21 January 1963, Page 12

CRICKET Wellington In Strong Position At Dunedin

(New Zealand Preu Association) DUNEDIN, January 20. Wellington ended the second day of its Plunket Shield fixture against Otago at Carisbrook in a commanding position 305 runs ahead and all of the final day left to dismiss a home side it had bundled out cheaply in the first innings. Otago, three down for 49 at die end of the first day’s play, carried its score to a mere 126 runs before the last batsman was dismissed just before lunch on Saturday.

Ahead by 125 run* on the first innings, Wellington batted again and declared at 430 p.m. with eight wicket* down for 196 runs. Few of the batsmen produced anything distinguished against a depleted home attack. In the chase after 322 runs for the outright win, Otago scored 16 in the last 20 minut i of play in good fashion to leave a feeling that Wellington might have more trouble in dismissing the side a second time than it had the first time. For the day's play. In fine weather with a stiff northerly Lreeze across the ground, most of the outstanding incidents were produced by the bowlers.

Operating unchanged in the morning session. B. D. Morrison broke through just when Otago’s overnight batsmen, R. Hendry and L. R. Pearson, were becoming firmly established and went on to finish the innings with the fine analysis of five wickets for 41 runs off 30 overs. He was overdue for a rest from bowling when the Otago pair had made 53 runs in even time, but then had Hendry caught by the wicket-keeper, A. E. Dick, soon after. That was the end of any prospects of a rest for Morrison.

Wellington Booed The only other feature of the morning's play was the hostile reception given by the crowd of about 1500 to the manner in which Wellington gained the last Otago wicket The last Otago batsman was J. Hill, who was still suffering from an injury to his left arm on the first day. A high-kicking, short-pitched delivery from R. W. Blair struck him on the left shoulder again; the Wellington captain, J. R. Reid, and others rushed up while the ball bounced away down the leg side to be fielded by W. J. R. Haskell; R. G. Anderson, the batsman at the other end. had been backing up well d .wn the pitch, and paused when Hill was struck; he failed to regain his ground before Haskell’s return to the bowler’s end hit the wickets. The crowd greeted the fall of the wicket with a prolonged round of booing and repeated it when the Wellington players left the field. From lunch till tea, Wellington consolidated its position, scoring 119 runs in its second innings for the loss of the wickets of the openers, B. W. Sinclair and G. P. Bilby. Sinclair took over the role of opener from B. A. G Murray, who was indisposed. His place was taken by the twelfth man, H. A. Morgan

Otago broke through early, with Sinclair edging a delivery from F. J. Cameron into slips, but lost a chance to take two wickets cheaply when Bilby was dropped in slips soon after by R. A. Holloway off the bowling of Anderson.

Reid and P. T. Barton, who produced another sound, if rather slow innings for him. took Wellington through to a comfortable position before the adjournement although both were pinned down for a considerable period by some good-length bowling

from the medium-pacer, R. I. Dong. J. C. Alabaster, at the other end, was extracting

considerable spin from the pitch without having full control of his length. Good Bowling

Most of the honours in the fi-jal session of play went to Cameron and Anderson. They brought about a sensational break-through in which Barton, .Reid, A. H. Preston, Haskell smd Q. T. McConnell all sent back to the pavilion while .‘he total moved from 12< to only 145. But for some sound batting by Dick after he had weathered a hostile bout from the pace men, Wellington could have lost some of its firm grip on the match. Both bowJers carried a heav, burden, for not only with Hill, the team’s stock bowler, out of the attack, but Alabaster suffered a recurrence of the back injury he suffered a few seasons ago and could not bowl after tea. In this period, too, the Otago fielding was first-class with all returns to the wicket immaculate. For the first time this season, Otago looked like living up to its potential during the whole period between lunch and the end of play for the day. Scores:— WELLINGTON First Innings .. ..251 Second Innings G. P. Bilby, b Long .. 42 B. W. Sinclair, c Hendry, b Cameron .. ~ 5 P. T. Barton, c Pearson, b Anderson .. .. 44 J R. Reid, b Cameron .. 37 A. E. Dick, not out .. 28 A. H. Preston, c McGregor. b Cameron .. .. 1 W. J. R. Haskell, c McGregor, b Anderson .. 1 G. T. McConnell, run out .. 1 R. W. Blair, b Long .. 27 B. D. Morrison, not out .. 0

Extras (6 byes. 4 legbyes) .. •• 10 Total for 8 wkts. dec. 196 Fall of wickets: one for 19. two for 64. three for 124, four for 140. five for 142, six for 143. seven for 145, eight for 196. Bowling O. M. R. W

OTAGO First Innings R. A. Holloway, c Dick, b Morrison .. ... 6 R. I. Long c Haskell, b Blair .. •• 1 R. Hendry, c sub, b Morrison .. .. 15 S. N. McGregor, c Preston, b Haskell .. ..20 L. R. Pearson, c Dick, b Morrison .. ■. 33 L. Watt, lbw. b Haskell .. 2 T. Flaws, b Morrison .. 0 J. C. Alabaster, c Haskell, b Morrison .. 6 F. J. Cameron, lbw, b Blair 5 R. G. Anderson, run out .. 19 J. Hill, not out ... ° Extras (16 byes, 3 leg byes) .. .. 19 Total .. ..126 Fall of wickets: one for 1, two for 9. three for 36, four for 89. five for 91, six for 93. seven for 99. eight for 102. nine for 126. Bowling O. M. R. W

F. J. Cameron 25 5 oo o R. G. Ander- „ son 17 4 40 2 J. C. Alabaster 12 1 47 0 R. I. Long .. 14 2 28 2 L. R. Pearson 2 0 13 0

R. W. Blair 17.1 6 28 2 B. D. Morrison 30 12 41 S W. J. R. Haskell 11 7 7 2 3 R. Reid .. 17 12 21 0 G. T. McCon neU 4 2 10 0 Second Innings Holloway, not out .. 12 Long, not out 4 Total for no wicket .. 16 Bowling o. M. R. W. Blair 4 2 9 0 Haskell 3 1 7 0