Central Suffered From Losing Toss

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31881, 8 January 1969, Page 13

Central Suffered From Losing Toss

i New Zealand Press Association)

PALMERSTON NORTH. Two factors outside the control of any team—the weather and the toss of a coin—proved disastrous for Central Districts on the first day of its Plunket Shield

match against Auckland yesterday.

With four minutes of the day’s play remaining, Central was all out for only 152 runs, and it faced the prospect of a pitch likely to be dried out and the return of fine weather for Auckland’s innings today.

Auckland, which now has a splendid chance of at least taking first innings points, must be thankful it won the toss.

Steady rain overnight and showers in the morning delayed the start until 1.30 p.m. J. T. Sparling called correctly and put Central in to bat—and this certainly proved a wise move. In the third over, R. S. Cunis bowled P. J. Coutts as the batsman went for a leg glance. The ball cut back on Coutts and Central had lost its first wicket with only one run on the board.

B. E. Congdon started scratchily and appeared to spoon a ball from R. E. Sutton to R. W. Morgan just behind square leg. What looked like a safely-held catch was not to be, but the umpire (Mr C. Calkin) had to confer with his partner before ruling Congdon not out.

However, Auckland *nd Morgan soon hgd their revenge. Cunis got one to rise and Morgan held the catch at leg slip as the ball came off the top. of Congdon’s bat. Central was two down for the meagre total of 10. M. L. Ryan was the next victim of Cunis. He tried to evade a sharply-rising ball which hit the handle of his bat. H. J. Howarth, diving forward from silly mid-off, took a good catch, and Central’s slide continued, with three down for 18. Pollard Leg-before M. J. Shrimpton never looked happy at any stage and was finally bowled by Cunis for only four runs after having been at the wicket for 40 minutes. V. Pollard, in the meantime, had looked to be in fine form but immediately after the tea break Sutton had him leg-before. B. W. Yuile joined K. J. Wadsworth and began to use his feet well to Sutton. Wadsworth made a poor start but produced some good strokes for 14 runs before being bowled by Howarth. It was left to R. M. Schofield and Yuile to give Central’s scoreboard a much more respectable appearance. When Schofield fell to Cunis after he popped up the simplest of [catches to Sparling, the pair [had added 49 runs for the [seventh wicket.

Yuile’s was a fine innings and when Cunis came on for l his second spell he treated; the fast bowler with disdain, taking 10 runs off one of his pvers. In scoring 37*. Yuile was at the wicket for 91 minutes, and although his total only included three fours he collect many twos on the wet and holding outfield.

Tail-end Kuns Yuile’s contribtuion apart, life came to the Central innings when A. B. Jordan and J. H. Howell were together for the last wicket. They added only 28 but these might well prove vital. However, it' was the manner in which they went about their tasks that delighted the crowd. Cunis was brought back on to try to break the partnership, and this he did with a fine caught and bowled to finish with six wickets for 60 runs.

CENTRAL DISTRICTS First Innings P. J. Coutts b Cunis . 1 M. L. Ryan c Howarth b Cunis 13 B. E. Congdon c Morgan b Cunis 2 M. J. Shrimpton b Cunis .. 4 V. Pollard lbw b Sutton . 18 K. J. Wadsworth b Howarth 14 B. W. Yuile c Jarvis b Sutton 37 R. M. Schofield c Sparling b Cunis .20 B. Andrews b Howarth 3 J. H. Howell c and b Cunis 16: A. B. Jordon not out .. 12 Extras (wides 1, byes 2, leg-byes 2, no-balls 7) 12 Total 152 Fall of wickets: one for one, two for 10, three for 18, four for 31, five for 58, six for 60. seven for 109, eight for 124, nine for 124. BOWLING

0. M. R. W. R. S. Cunis IS.2 2 « R. E. Sutton IS 4 46 H. Howarth 1« 3 34 2