Test Hopefuls In Final Shield Game

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30981, 10 February 1966, Page 15

Test Hopefuls In Final Shield Game

IBy R. J. BRITTENDEN]

Although the match is now to decide the runner-up, and not the winner, in the Plunket Shield competition, Otago’s game with Canterbury which begins at Lancaster Park today should not lack interest.

The very fact that the shield has already ! been won by Welling- | ton may make it a more attractive . match. Ths iis the final game in j the 15-match series, with the points at present standing at Wellington 40, Canterbury 26, i Auckland 22, Otago 20, Cen-| tral Districts seven and Northern Districts six. So Otago needs an outright’ victory to win second place.’ OTAGO’S PROGRESS This is the final game in' the last five that Otago has not been sixth or fifth at the! end of the shield season, and) it has been heartening to watch the progress of the team this summer. After a heavy defeat at Wellington in the opening match, Otago had first-innings wins over Auckland, and Northern Districts. Then at Carisbrook, on Tuesday, Otago beat Central Districts, its first outright victory in five years. Otago has earned its victories, and it comes to Christchurch with an interesting team. The batting is led by the Pakistan test player, K. Ibadulla, whose shield aggregate this season exceeds 300. SUCCESSFUL RECORD G. D. Beer will be remembered as a Sydenham and Central Districts batsman and S. N. McGregor has a long record of success in shield games behind him. G. M. Turner, a sort of infant prodigy last season, came of age with his fine double

(against Central Districts—9s and 48 not out. He is a very i stylish young batsman and a (magnificent fieldsman. ! There are three others bats(men in the team—R. Hendry, IR. Jefferson and R. D. Stewart—and it seems that one (of these will be twelfth man. All of them field well. I The bowling begins with the (experienced and skilful F. J. (Cameron, captain of Otago this season, and with the leftarm J. Flaherty. Ibadulla can bowl medium pace or—oc-casionally—leg-breaks, and the | brothers Alabaster, with their 'successes on Tuesday, make a splendid pair of spin ( bowlers. B. D. Milbum will I keep wickets. BULL’S FIRST GAME The Canterbury side is also one of particular interest, with R. M. Gearry playing his first shield game this season,

C. L. Bull making his debut in representative cricket. Canterbury will again depend heavily on its fine pace attack, but this time the batting may look more substantial than it did in the first three games. The captain, B. F. Hastings, has been batting well, M. L. Ryan has become an established shield player and J. W. Burtt made an auspicious beginning at New Plymouth. K. Thomson has been the most consistent player in the side. There are players on both sides who have good claims to places in the New Zealand test team, which will be announced on Sunday. For them the match is of vital importance; but the selectors, as well as the public, will probably hope that they recognise the occasion as a game of cricket.