Evenly balanced at Eden Park

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33113, 2 January 1973, Page 16

Evenly balanced at Eden Park

(N.Z. Press Association) AUCKLAND.

Lively batting by B. E. Congdon (95) and W. L. Blair (67) for Otago was almost matched by the superb bowling of H. J. Howarth, the Auckland left-arm spinner, as the two teams ended the first day at Eden Park yesterday with honours about even.

Otago, after a dazzling start, was held to 276 in its first innings, and in the last 75 minutes Auckland scored 41 for one.

After gaining first use of an easy-paced pitch, Otago started impressively, and threatened to take charge of the game when Blair and G. M. Turner (34) scored 100 for the first wicket. Blair was in dashing form, crashing two fours in R. E. Sutton’s first over, and the hard-hitting left-hander continued 'to

plague Sutton for the rest of his spell. Turner was more subdued, mainly because he faced most of a tight opening spell by R. S. Cunis, who conceded 10 runs from eight overs. But as the Auckland bowlers were shuffled around, Turner started to attack and raised the 100 stand in the twentyfourth over.

Sutton got Auckland back into the game again by bowling Turner and 10 minutes later having Blair caught, but at lunch Otago was a promising 139 for two from 29 overs. Soon afterwards, R. W. Anderson became the first of Howarth’s five victims.

With Congdon batting superbly and K. O. Campbell in sound form, Otago took the advantage again, only to lose it when Howarth caught Campbell and then dismissed C. R. Dickel, both with the score at 168. Congdon went on in masterful form, being especially severe on G. P. Howarth when he took 18 in one over from the young off-spinner. Congdon found a solid part-

ner in G. D. Alabaster, and with the Auckland attack looking rather thin, they mastered the bowling until Congdon played a loose drive at H. Howarth and was caught at first slip. He batted for 172 minutes, hit 14 fours in his 95, and with Alabaster added 79 in 87 minutes. Howarth bowled from 11.17 a.m. to 4.32 p.m., with figures of 29 overs, 11 maidens, 78 runs and 5 wickets.

The Auckland openers, R. M. Harris and R. E. Redmond started solidly against some tight bowling from B. Andrews and G. Powell, and a crop of boundaries raced the score to 30.

Twenty minutes before the end Dickel came into the attack, gave Harris a four with

a full toss, and then bowled him with the next ball. OTAGO First Innings W. L. Blair c Vivian b Sutton 67 G. M. Turner b Sutton 34 R. W. Anderson c Harris b H. HoWarth 21 B. E. Congdon c Harris b 11. Howarth 95 K. O. Campbell c H. Howarth b G. Howarth 10 C. R Dickel c Jarvis b H. Howarth 0 W. K. Lees c Jarvis b H. Howarth 6 G. D. Alabaster not out 24 G. Powell ' c Gibson b H. Howarth 3 J. A. Cushen run out .. 4 B. Andrews b Cunis 0 Extras (byes 5. leg-byes 2, no-balls 5) .12 Total 276 Fall of wickets: one for 100, two for 113, three for 139, four for 168, five for 168. six for 184. seven for 263, eight for 268, nine for 275. Bowling O. M. R. W. Sutton ..11 1 66 2 Cunis .. 17.5 2 38 1 Harris 2 0 20 0 H. Howarth . 29 11 78 5 Morgan 3 0 23 0 G. Howarth 9 1 39 1 AUCKLAND First Innings R. E. Redmond not out .. 21 R. M. Harris b Dickel . 18 T. W. Jarvis not out . 5 Total for one wicket .. 44 Fall of wicket: one for 35. Bowling. O. M. R w. Andrews 6 1 14 0 Powell . 5 1 17 0 Alabaster .53 29 Dickel 4 1 11 1