PLUNKET SHIELD Disappointing 170 By Canterbury

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30038, 24 January 1963, Page 14

PLUNKET SHIELD Disappointing 170 By Canterbury

“The Press" Special Service . HAMILTON, January 23. Neither side could claim a decisive advantage at the end of the first day’s play in the Plunket Shield cricket match between Canterbury and Northern Districts at Seddon Park, Hamilton. After making a disappointing 170, Canterbury claimed three Northern Districts wickets for 99 in 163 minutes. The third wicket fell from the third to last ball of the day. At present the advantage may seem to be with Northern Districts but that may be off-set by last use of the pitch on the final day.

The outstanding effort of the day was the hat-trick by the Northern Districts offspinner, G. D. Alabaster, against his oid team. It was the third hat-trick in Northern Districts’ last four matches. The other two were by F. J. Cameron (Otago) at l.amilton a fortnight ago. and R W. Blair (Wellington) ait Wellington lest week. At more than one stage of the Canterbury first innings there were visions of a score in the region of 300. which would have been a fair product for the day’s work under the conditions. The Canterbury players had themselves to blame, although credit had to be given to both off-spin bowlers. Alabaster and N. Puna. The periods during which the stage seemed set for Canterbury to reap a harvest were the second wicket partnership of 69 between G. T. Dowling and B. G. Hadlee, and a ferocious, though brief, onslaught by K. Thomson. Dowling and Hadlee made light of the early loss of B. A. Bolton, who was caught brilliantly at short backwardleg. After spending a little time in surveying the wares of the medium-pace bowlers, D. B. Clarke and D. D. Beard, and finding the pitch contained little to inconvenience batting, Dowling and Hadlee pushed the score along so well that by the end of the first hour the rate had become a run a minute. Dowling Caught When Dowling was caught by P. B. McGregor behind square-leg off Puna, however, the stabilising influence in the Canterbury innings had gone. Dowling was so sure and so technically correct that it seemed as long as he was ait the wicket Northern Districts could be in for trouble. E. C. Petrie’s exceptionally good stumping of Hadlee soon afterwards was another lift for Northern Districts, but then came Thomson. He hit the bowling with plenty of gusto, and the scoreboard ticked merrily along until the luncheon adjournment, when the score was 120 for three wickets. The score was not increased until two wickets had fallen immediately after the adjournment. B. F. Hastings steered a full toss from Puna

to Alabaster at wide mid-on, and when Thomson went to drive Clarke he got a top edge and skied a catch to B. Sutcliffe at deep mid-off. Although the end of the batting was in sight Canterbury still had D. L. Gallop, top scorer in Canterbury’s first innings against Northern Districts at Christchurch last season. Sound in defence, yet not neglecting opportunities for scoring, Gallop was confident. In a misunderstanding he was run out for 14. and six were down for 144. Northern Districts’ progress through the Canterbury tail was accelerated by Alabaster's hat-trick. J. W. Kiddey was caught behind square-leg, R. C. Mott drove hard for a stinging catch ait extra cover, and B. Irving was out lbw. AU that remained were a few batsmanlike shots by J. T. Ward a lucky snick or two by J. H. M. Dawson, and the innings was wound up for a disappointing 170. Slow Scoring A cover drive for four by T. E. Shaw from the last ball of R. C. Motz’s first over in Northern Districts’ first innings was the only scoring shot for five overs. Shaw and W. P. Bradburn were held to a pedestrian rate by Matz and Kiddey, and there was no relaxation of the pressure when Motz left the field after four overs and was replaced by Dawson. Motz, who was suffering from a stomach complaint, returned an hour later, but did not bowl again until the last quarter of an hour. Kiddey nagged persistently, but it was Dawson who gained the wicket of a subdued Bradburn (eight runs in nearly an hour). The second wicket did not fall until the medium-pacers had given way to the off-spin of Irving and the leg-spin of Bolton, and 50 had been posted in 97 minutes. Both spinners found there was turn in the pitch, and Irving was encouraged by the wicket of Dunning. Dunning, a left-bander, chopped down hard on the ball, and Gallop, fielding at gully, caught him magnificently. That was the last wicket until with the fourth ball of his last over of the day, Motz knocked back B. H. Pairaudeau’s middle stump. In the meantime Shaw had gone along steadily to his halfcentury.