Canterbury Starts Badly At Auckland

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30041, 28 January 1963, Page 10

Canterbury Starts Badly At Auckland

"The Press" Special Service

AUCKLAND, January 27. Canterbury was a disappointing and a disappointed side when it could score only 170 runs against Auckland in just over four hours at Eden Park on Saturday.

It was logical that Canterbury should be suffering from some sort of psychological reaction when it began another Plunket Shield match less than 24 hours after it

had failed to win the shield at Hamilton. It was an ideal pitch and Auckland scored 125 for two in a little more than two hours

Except in the case of G T. Dowling, who again played an innings of character, of B. G. Hadlee who battled on through error and adversity U 57, and of a useful innings by B. F. Hastings, the Canterbury men failed to do justice to themselves or the conditions

The ball came through on this pitch at an even height and quickly enough to encourage strokes There was. as it turned out, enough spin to satisfy the spinners and enough grass to keep the ball smooth for the quicker men

But as S G. Gedye and the other Aucklanders showed later tn the day. there were runs for the taking by drive, cut, hook or deflection and the close-cropped outfield aped the ball cm its way. Dowling, who had won the toes, again looked in capital touch against the quicker bowlers. Then, for the third consecutive time, be was out in the thirties. His late lapses have occurred twice against the off-cpin of U. Puna at Hamilton and against the leg-

spin of J. M. Mclntyre Eden Baric.

As at Hamilton, Hadlee was again a puzzle. Sometimes he looked magnificently safe and assured and his driving was a delight At other times, he became baffled by the spinners and t > or three times edges from Mclntyre were as a blot on the general excellence of Auckland’s out-cricket—not turned into catches

To his credit. Hadlee stuck to his guns and the value of his innings was such that he came in at 22 for one and went out at 158 for seven.

Hastings helped Hadlee to s.-ore S 3 for foe third wicket, but ie, too. was not altogether convincing against spin and he became the first ot J T Sparling's five victims.

The rest of the innings, from 100 for three to 170 for ten. was notable for K Thomson's dl-conceived slash a. Mclntyre, for D. L Gallop's fourth run-out of the Shield series, and the swiftness with which Auckland gobbled up the catches offered by the tail One wonders whether Canterbury struck out-cricket like this in earlier matches Almost without exception the Aucklanders w*e swift of foot and strong of asm in the outfield. The catching, apart from Hadlee's several reprieves. was extraordinarily safe and Sporting added lustre to his day with a superb dive for a cetch-and-bowi off J. Ruston.

Sparling bowled well and cleverly and no-one seemed to read Mclntyre well, with his slight changes of turn, flig't and speed. I- short, the bowling and th fielding were much better than the batting. Gedye Assured

From the time Gedye scored 4. 4 and 3 from R. C. Motz's first over he looked magnificently assured. Then he got stuck for half an hour in the high forties at a time when J M. H. Dawson was bowling in-swingers rather well.

Whether or not Mr J. G. Leggat, foe ctadnnan of the New Zealand selectors, who was present, is now of a mind that Gedye might become Dowling’s partner is hard to decide. Gedye Is 32 and. at such an age, might not fit into the test scheme of things. However, at stumps he was 68 not out, many of his runs from the on side and some handsome drives too

So far this season, he has scored 252 rune for six completed innings. Last summer he scored 262 and in 19M-61 scored 334 So he is consisted

W B Norman, in all kinds of trouble against Mota, somehow survived and made

W. R. Playle, enduring something of a famine after his feast of runs last year, played some superlative strokes and then amazed everyone by snicking Motz to J. T. ward in the last over of the day.

Eden Park pitches are better these days. They are also, it seems, lees hard for Motz to the space of 12 overt has already gouged out a forge hole on a Tull length and almost to line with the leg

stump, and Kiddey has made an interesting scrape outside the off-etump at the other end. From these there may be fun and games later in the match. Scores were:

CANTERBURY First Innings G. T. Dowling, c Morris, b Mclntyre .. 33 B. A. Bolton, c Norman b Sutton .. .. 10 B. G. Hadlee c Gedye. b Sperling .. 57 B. F. Hastings c Morris, b „ Sparling .. to K. Thomson, b Mclntyre .. 3 D. Gallop run out .. 3 J. Ruston c and b Sparling 6 J. T. Ward, c Mclntyre, b 1. “ _ b. Sutton .. o R. C. Mota, b Sparling .. 4 J. M. H. Dawson, not out.. 5 Extras .. •

Total .. 170 Fall of wickets: one for 32. hro.for «. three tor too. four for Wl five for 114. six for 137, r ve i« or 158 ei,fht for 158 nin *

AUCKLAND First Innings 3 G. Gedye. not out ~6S w. B. Norman, c Dowling. ~ b Bolton ..to w - M Ote PU - vle c w "< b J- M. Mclntyre, not out ” 0 Total for two wickets 123 for W, Bowling

Baling M. R W R. S. Cunia .. 12 3 20 o R. E. Sutton .. 19 0 38 2 M. McIntyre 31 14 48 2 J. T. Sparling 29.510 54 5 R. W. Morgan 1 1 0 0

M. C. Mote .. 13 M. « R. W tt ' 1 L W. Kiddey .. C 1 M 0 K. Thomson .. 3 ® w B £‘ on ■ 11 X H. Dawson ■ D. Gallop .. 1 0 i • i»’ f l a • 5 0