CANTERBURY v. WELLINGTON FINAL Otago loses by 11 runs in exciting finish

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32788, 13 December 1971, Page 28

CANTERBURY v. WELLINGTON FINAL Otago loses by 11 runs in exciting finish

(By

R. T. BRITTENDEN)

Overcoming a batting collapse, a plague of dropped catches, and, in the last half-hour, a losing position, Canterbury scored a fine, 11-run victory over Otago in the New Zealand Motor Corporation $5OOO knock-out competition at Lancaster Park yesterday, and so will meet Wellington in the final at Lancaster Park next Sunday.

The match, watched by a crowd of about 5000 —the gate takings exceeded s2ooo—produced some very good cricket, and some of very moderate quality. But the swift switches of fortune, and the tension of the finish, made it a very rewarding day for the crowd.

Canterbury rather scrambled out of this match. And it was from a most unexpected source that the final thrust was made. Canterbury had only four specialist bowlers, and when the Otago innings had two overs to run, and only 14 runs separated the scores, only A. R. Hounsell, of the attacking force, had not completed his allowance of eight overs. Stead called in Someone had to bowl the thirty-ninth over, and D. W. Stead, in club cricket an occasional and useful leg-spin-ner, was called in to bowl, at medium pace. It seemed an excellent chance for Otago to knock off a large share of the runs needed. But Stead had G. A Powell leg before with the first ball of the over, and then B. Andrews, essaying a hit which would have sent the ball out of the parish, was bowled. G. T. Dowling did very well with his bowling management. Otago had five specialists, and this made it possible for the Canterbury batsmen to be kept under regular pressure. In fact, K. O. Campbell, with a soundly-based reputa-

tion for parsimonious bowling, failed to control his length, and Dowling, the “man of the match” with his splendid 87, hammered him unmercifully. Eight of Dowling’s 11 fours came from Campbell, whose first six overs cost 52. Persistent Powell On the other side of the ledger, Powell performed most ably. Only 15 runs came from his eight overs of medium - pace, short-of-a-length stuff. Dowling played some magnificent strokes, after a spirited spell of fast bowling from M. G. Webb had defeated Stead and M. L. Ryan. It was a very good batting pitch, but Webb struck sparks from it in his first few overs. Apart from Campbell, Otago bowled well, and G. D. Alabaster’s final figures were highly unflattering. It was not easy to pierce the typical limited-over field, sometimes set without a slip, and in a circle close enough, to deny the single if the ball was hit firmly. Canterbury’s batsmen ran very well —although there were two run-outs—and in this held a distinct advantage over Otago, which might have won had the batsmen found full value for their shots.

Dowling, who had nine partners, made some cultured but punishing off-side shots, as well as thumping the ball away profitably to the on. B. G. Hadlee stirred the emotions with a drive for 4 off Campbell which was all elegance and power. C. K. Baker, in his first game for Canterbury, made a very good impression, and he was unlucky to go. He was called to run a leg-bye with the ball a few yards away from him, but Lees darted from behind the wickets and under-armed the ball into the stumps. Powell’s reign of austerity was worth much more than his one wicket Canterbury threw wickets away trying to get back the initiative; from 146 for four, it was 175 all out Andrews was also accurate. ; . ' Turner dismissed Otago, needing something under 4| runs an over, seemed to be in command most of the time. D. G. Trist was expensive, but Hounsell bowled with fierce aggression and struck a tremendous blow by getting G. M. Turner, who had been dropped off him minutes earlier. But Otago proceeded at a smooth, if unexciting pace, and never looked likely to be short of overs. When six overs remained, Otago needed as many as 38, because of a tight little spell by Trist and D. R. Hadlee, and six wickets were down. W. L. Blair, batting down the order because of a muscle injury, hit C. M. Kirk for 4, then had a tremendous hit for 6, thus winning the bottles of champagne for hitting the first—and as it transpired—most sixes.

But when he went in that same over, Otago’s fortunes took a tumble. Alabaster also tried to hit Kirk out of the ground, and then Stead came on at Kirk’s end to complete the job. Before the end, there was considerable evidence of violence. R. W. Anderson, easily Otago’s most impressive batsman, acted as a runner for. Blair, But in making a swift change of direction he, too, injured a muscle and a second substitute was required. Hounsell then knocked off Alabaster’s spectacles with a venomous ball and there were more delays. The match ended little before 6.30 p.m.—and the Otago team had to fly out at 7.55 p.m.