Samoan Prince Humbles Wellington Batting

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31248, 21 December 1966, Page 24

Samoan Prince Humbles Wellington Batting

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON.

A Samoan prince, playing for New Zealand Universities, demol* ished the Wellington team in its first innings at Wellington yesterday. The Plunket Shield holder was all out for 42.

Bowling with fire and hostility off a remarkably short run, the 25-year-old Ata Matatumua, a third* year medical student, took six for 22.

At one stage he had bowled 12 overs, eight of which were maidens, and had taken five for 11.

His accurate fast bowling gave the Universities a great chance to score an outright victory, when Wellington fol-

lowed on 190 runs behind with 193 minutes’ play remaining. There was another steady procession, but the Wellington captain, J. O. Neely, defied the Universities attack for 160 minutes, compiling 64 not out.

At the close Wellington was 129 for nine. The Universities, 163 for four overnight, paid the penalty of forcing the pace off R. E. Redmond and was all out for 232. G. T. Thorne’s 42 in quick time against an accurate attack was the

batting highlight of the day. Wellington’s openers, G. P. Bilby and M. D. Priest, were quickly parted. Matatumua struck in his second over when Bilby played under a hook shot and skied a catch. B. D. Smith, Priest and Redmond lost their wickets to Matatumua before lunch, and 15 minutes after the break, the Samoan took two more wickets in one over. S. J. Edward moved the bail menacingly in the air and was a deadly accurate foil for Matatumua. He took three wickets for seven off 10 overs.

Bilby and Priest were still under pressure when they went, to the crease in Wellington’s second innings. Another spectacular collapse saw Bilby, B. D. Smith, Priest and Redmond all dismissed cheaply. But Neely dug his toes in, obviously determined to see out time, and frustrated all attempts to dislodge him. R. W. Smith stayed for 76 minutes for seven runs, but wickets then fell steadily, leaving J. Moss to partner Neely for the final 10 minutes. Neely cleverly dominated the strike, to steer Wellington to a draw. Universities’ versatile allrounder, C. L. Broad, bowled well in the second session, and took four wickets for 43 off 32 overs.