HOLDER ON TOP

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31862, 14 December 1968, Page 15

HOLDER ON TOP

Hawke Cup Defence

(N.Z. Press Association) • ; NAPIER. Hawke’s Bay was well: placed at the end of the first j day of its Hawke Cup defence, i North Otago batted first and was dismissed for 164, the! veteran, A. Berry, scoring 771 in 198 minutes. But for Berry’s innings,: which included nine fours/ the North Otago batsmen j were subdued throughout by the bowling. Hawke’s Bay had scored 120 j for the loss of only two; wickets, the openers, P. I Coutts (20) and L. Jones (33) i setting the tempo for quick l scoring and D. Selby following their example with a fast;! 41 not out. | Hawke’s Bay’s opening bowlers, J. Howell and D. Beuth, the Central Districts; new-ball attack, had North; Otago Well contained in the; opening period. ' North Otago had four! wickets down for less than 50 but Berry, holding a steady balance between patient de-1 fence and punishing anyl loose delivery, enable the side to make a partial recovery. The spinners, D. Dine, B. Furlong and Jones, accounted for the tail-enders on a pitch which gave the batsmen very little assistance and, as Hawke’s Bay showed, was full of runs. Beuth took 3 for 54 and; Dine 3 for 56.