SLOW BUT STEADY OTAGO PROGRESS

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31255, 30 December 1966, Page 11

SLOW BUT STEADY OTAGO PROGRESS

(New Zealand Press Association)

DUNEDIN.

Dismissing Wellington for the moderate total of 235 after losing the toss and being handicapped by a wet ball throughout the morning session, Otago was 21 without loss at the end of the first day’s play.

But the progress made by Otago’s batsmen was in direct contrast to their bowlers’ efforts. Wellington sent down 27 overs, the last 11 of them maidens by spinners, in the 65 minutes Otago batted. The pitch was not of any help to the pace bowlers all day, but after lunch it began to take a little sharp spin and lift.

G. P. Bilby and B. A. G. Murray gave Wellington a good start, both handling the fast bowling of R. V. Webster fairly comfortably, but finding F. J. Cameron a more difficult bowler to get away. But Webster was the first to go close to breaking the partnership when Bilby gave a sharp glance to silly midon in the bowler’s sixth over. The first hour produced 38 runs, but soon after Cameron had Bilby caught behind and P. T. Barton was out in the next over to a good running catch at extra cover by Came-

roa off Webster’s bowling. Wellington was then two for 42. This brought B. W. Sinclair to the wickets and he looked like a batsman in good form while going through to make his half-century during the session after lunch. He lost Murray when the score was 52, but with B. A. Bolton added 52 runs before the next wicket fell.

After lunch, J. C. Alabaster and K. Ibadulla bowled unchanged for more than an hour, Ibadulla having the first success when Bolton went to hook a short delivery and pulled the ball on to his wickets.

This brought the Wellington captain, D. O. Neely, and Sinclair together, but not for long. Sinclair, who gave a fairly easy stumping chance off J. C. Alabaster before reaching his 50, was caught at slip off the same bowler soon after. From then on Wellington's innings was carried along by Neely and, in the later stages, by BL A. Morgan. Neely was particularly strong and aggressive with his on-side play and he hit eight fours and a six from strokes played between square leg and mid-wicket Morgan produced a good range of strokes and played them aggressively. He was unbeaten with 39 when the innings ended.

WELLINGTON First Innings G. P. Bilby, c Milburn, b Cameron 19 B. A. G. Murray, c Ibadulla, b Webster 24 P. T. Barton, e Cameron, b Webster 1 B. W. Sinclair, c Ibadulla, b J. Alabaster 50 B. A. Bolton, b Ibadulla .. D. 0. Neely, lbw, b Came20 ron 62 B. E. Redmond, c Webster, b G. Alabaster 9 I. J. Tberkleston, Ibv r, b Cameron 1 H. A. Morgan, not out 39 B. H. Hopkins, run out 3 N. A. Huxford, c Milburn, b Webster 1 Extras (1 bye, 3 byes, 3 no-balls) leg6 Total 235 Fall of wickets: one for 41, two for 42, three for 52, f our for 104, five for 140, six for 105, seven for 170, eight for 213, nine for 217. Bowling O. M. R. W. Webster .. 17.4 1 27 3 Cameron .. 23 4 41 3 Ibadulla ..24 10 J. C. Alabas35 1 ter 30 7 69 1 G. D. Alabaster 12 3 27 1 OTAGO First Innings K. Ibadulla, not out 5 G. D. Beer, not out 13 Extras (2 byes, 1 legbye) 8 Total (for no skt.) 21 Bowling O. M. R. W. Huxford 7 4 5 0 Hopkins 4 2 Redmond .. 7 * 9 3 0 0 Murray 4 3 1 0 Bolton .. 3 5 0 0