Auckland’s Fieldsmen Aid Otago Recovery

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30641, 6 January 1965, Page 11

Auckland’s Fieldsmen Aid Otago Recovery

(New Zealand Press Association)

AUCKLAND, January 5.

Dropping at least nine genuine chances during the day, Auckland literally let the Plunket Shield match against Otago slip through its fingers at Eden Park today.

Auckland, favoured to win outright when it scored 358 for six wickets declared, found to its mortification that by stumps Otago had fought back to be 290 for nine.

Three Otago batsmen stood out—K. Ibadulla (53) and R. L. Murdoch (50), who added 91 for the first wicket, and L. R. Pearson (81), who hit out strongly late in the innings during an 84-run stand with J. C. Alabaster for the eighth wicket. The Auckland catching, outstanding in its earlier games, was shocking today and J. D. Behrent, alone, dropped four chances. Several Players 111 J. T. Sparling declared the Auckland innings closed at the overnight score of 358 for six. This was a boon to Otago, for it would have had difficulty in fielding 11 fit men.

G. D. Alabaster remained in bed suffering from tonsilitis, J. C. Alabaster and the twelfth man, G. Anderson, had stomach disorders, and G. Milburn, the wicketkeeper. was suffering from a strained thigh muscle, a

bruised shoulder and asthma. Almost from the start Auckland ran into trouble with its catching. Murdoch was dropped at five by Behrent at second slip and Ibadulla, at two, had a similar life. Both Dropped Again Slowly Murdoch and Ibadulla began extracting runs from the easy pitch, but they ran into difficulty against the slow bowling of Sparling and J. M. Mclntyre. Again both batsmen had lives against Sparling, and they went safely to lunch at 90.

Immediately after lunch P. B. McGregor, an occasional bowler of leg breaks, had Murdoch caught at first slip. Ibadulla and R. Hendry look good for runs, and Ibadulla edged past 50 in 190 minutes. However, at 132 Ibadulla was late calling for a second run and Hendry was run out. Forthright Hitting Ibadulla was next to go, well caught by Morgan at cover, S. N. McGregor went at 155 and G. Turner at 172. Immediately after tea Auckland removed G. D. Alabaster and P. H. Barton, and Otago. 183 for seven, was still 26 short of the follow-on. Several forthright blows by L. R. Pearson and J. C. Alabaster averted this crisis and as the Auckland bowlers, exasperated by the dropped catches and the heat, wilted, Pearson began to hit out. He played some magnificent strokes for 81, with two sixes on the leg-side and nine other boundaries. AUCKLAND First Innings, 358 for six declared OTAGO First Innings K. Ibadulla, c Morgan, b Milliner . 53 R. L. Murdoch, c Jarvis, b McGregor .. 50 R. Hendry, run out .. 18 S. N. McGregor, b Morgan 15 L. R. Pearson, c Mclntyre, b Morgan .11 G. M. Turner, c Gedye, b Morgan ..2 G. D. Alabaster, run out .. 2 P. H. Barton, b Sparling .. 0 1. C. Alabaster, not out .. 43 F. J. Cameron, c Morgan, b Cunts ..2 B. D. Milburn, not out .. 0 Extras (byes 1, leg-byes 15, no-balls 8) ..2* Total (for 9 wickets) 290 Fall of wickets: One for 91, two for 132, three for 142, four for 155, five for 172, six for 180, seven for 183, eight for 207, nine for 284.

Spinner Takes Six Wickets (N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) AHMEDABAD, January 5. S. Jayasinghe, Ceylon’s offbreak bowler, routed India on the third day of the third unofficial cricket test yesterday. He took six wickets for 38 runs in 17.4 overs to dismiss India, 51 for three overnight, for 189. At the close, Ceylon was 144 for seven. Tomorrow is the last day of this rainruined match.

Hole-In-One.—B. W. Lawrence holed in one at the 170-yard eighth hole at Waitikiri during the club's New Year tournament. He used a No. 6 iron.

Bowling 0. M. R. W. Cunls .. 32 9 60 1 Milliner .. 25 11 39 1 McIntyre .. 27 14 36 0 Sparling .. 27 8 65 1 Morgan .. 21 6 49 3 McGregor 9 3 17 1