Day Of Stops And Starts

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31590, 30 January 1968, Page 17

Day Of Stops And Starts

(New Zealand Press Association)

HAMILTON. Wellington's first innings on the first day of its Plunket Shield cricket match against Northern Districts at Hamilton yesterday was one of stops and starts. At the end the score was 186 for six wickets.

The match started on time, but the players had been on the field less than an hour when rain, thunder and lightning sent them from the field for 45 minutes.

More rain early in the afternoon delayed the resumption of play after lunch for half an hour. The latter stages, however, were played on a ground bathed in sunshine. The pitch and outfield were slow.

Wellington’s batting was equally jerky. Going in first because the Northern Districts’ captain, H. T. Schuster, decided he would rather field when he won the toss from D. O. Neely, the visitors were slow to start. GRAND CATCH

B. A. G. Murray was soon out to a grand wicket-keeping catch by L. S. Mountain and the other opener, R. E. Redmond, was in somnolent mood. However, there was no somnolence about P. T. Barton, who laid merrily about about him and ran up 48 very attractive runs before trapped lbw by the economical and guileful off-spinner, N. Puna.

Redmond occupied the batting crease passively for 73 minutes before getting off the j mark and be was there another 55 minutes before edging into double figures. His first and only boundary came 10 minutes later when he back cut J. D. Smith for four. Redmond held on for another 20 minutes for a solitary single until he, too. went lbw to Puna.

B. W. Sinclair required more than an hour for double figures, much of this time being occupied by an absorbing battle against Puna’s well-con-

trolled spin, supported by a deep-set field. An off-drive by Sinclair for three off Puna, which brought up 100 in 192 minutes, was one of the few memorable shots in the fourth-wicket partnership, which ended when Sinclair was run out through a brilliant return by Schuster. GAME REVIVED

With several lusty shots and exceptionally well run short singles, Neely brought the game to life in his partnership with B. A. Bolton. This period of play provi ded a more realistic appreciation of the quality of the Northern Districts attack and the scope existing for scoring Puna, whose two for 30 were obtained in 28 overs, remain ed the best bowler, though Smith and J. A. Beuth toiled manfully, and W. P. Brad burn and P. D. Stone struck useful blows. Bolton and Neely looked set to stay until stumps, but both fell in the last 25 minutes. Bolton was well caught by Schuster at slip off Bradburn. Neely, trying to sweep, was bowled round his legs by Stone. WELLINGTON First Innings B. A. G. Murray c Mountain b Beuth 5 R. E. Redmond lbw b Puna IS P. T. Barton lbw b Puna .. 48 B. W. Sinclair run out .. 23 B. A. Bolton c Schuster b Bradburn .. 29 D. O. Neely b Stone .. 44 J. F. Morrison not out .. 8 I. J. Therkleson not out .. 2 Extras (byes 3. leg-byes 5, no-ball 1) 9 Total for six wickets 186 Fall of wickets: One for 9, two for 66, three for 85. four for 116. five for 175, six for 177.

Bowling T . 0 M R W J. A. Beuth .. 19 3 39 J. D. Smith 22 6 48 0 N. Puna 28 15 30 2 J. R. Carson . 2 1 o U. P. Bradburn 15 17 P. D. Stone .. 17 8 24 M. J. Horton .. 8 3 18 0