Central's Batting Goes In Fits And Starts

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30943, 27 December 1965, Page 12

Central's Batting Goes In Fits And Starts

(Hew Zealand Press Association)

TAURANGA.

Winning the toss and batting on a good pitch, Central Districts scored 191 runs for eight w’ickets on the first day of its Plunket Shield match against Northern Districts at Tauranga on Christmas Day.

Bright sunshine favoured this first shield match to be played at Tauranga and more than 600 spectators watched play, which was confined to the afternoon.

B. E. Congdon and B. L. Hampton, the openers, were handling the bowling of M. Pocock and I. Bailey confidently until Congdon was run out as the result of a smart return by G. Giles. The first wicket fell at 52. Then a combination of accurate bowling and alert fielding gave Northern Districts some quick wickets. Half Out for 70

M. J. F. Shrimpton failed to score, B. L. Hampton was caught at the wicket off T. Puna’s bowling, and V. Pol-

lard and B. W. Yuile were dismissed cheaply. Half the side was out for 70.

However, a patient stand by D. Payton and the captain, M. E. Chapple, provided much needed stability and carried the total to 113 before Payton was l.b.w. to Pocock.

After Chapple was out * - 37, R. Schofield and R. O. Collinge came together with the score 139 for eight and prevented a further breakthrough by Northern Districts.

Both batsmen played some nicely-timed straight drives, and were still together when stumps were drawn—Schofield on 30 and Collinge on 20. Central Districts had made a creditable recovery, but with the pitch playing true the batsmen should have

made better use of the advantage of winning the toss.

The Northern attack, while steady, posed no great threat. But the bowlers were aided by good all-round work in the field and Puna, with four wickets for 36, had the most cause to be thankful. Scores:

CENTRAL DISTRICTS First Innings B. E. Congdon, run out .. 30 B. L. Hampton, c Petrie, b Puna -24 M. J. F. Shrimpton, c Sutcliffe, b Kennedy 0 V. Pollard, c Bailey, b Puna 5 B. W. Yuile, c Pocock, b Puna ..4 D. Payton, lbw, b Pocock .. 22 M. E. Chapple, c Giles, b Puna .. 37 1. R. Hampton, b Bailey .. 11 R. Schofield, not out .. 30 R. O. Collinge, not out .. 20 Extras .. ~ 8

Total (for eight wickets) 191

Fall of wickets: one for 52, two for 52, three for 54, four for 58, five for 70, six for 113, seven for 137, eight for 139. Bowling

0. M. R. W. Pocock .. 17 2 50 1 Bailey .. 24 15 38 1 Dunning 1 0 4 0 Kennedy .. 26 11 55 1 Puna .. 33.3 14 36 4 Bradburn 1 1 0 0