Wellington in strong role

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33419, 28 December 1973, Page 16

Wellington in strong role

CA’.Z. Press Association) NEW PLYMOUTH. Wellington has its sights firmly set on an outright win over Central Districts in the I’lunket Shield cricket match which will end at Piikekura Park today. It. has all day to get the nine remaining Central wickets and has a lead of 249 runs. It seems most unlikely that the Central batsmen can hold out against the Wellington bowlers, who are in top form and using a pitch that has given them every assistance so far. Yesterday spearheaded by R. O. Collinge and E. Chat-

field, they smashed through Central’s first innings, dismissing the side for 115 off 36 overs, giving Wellington a lead of 139,

Wellington scored 146 for four in its second innings before its captain, B. R. Taylor, declared, and Central, 285 runs behind, lost the wicket of its best batsman, D. H, Payton. in the 42 minutes before stumps.

At the close, Central was 37 for one wicket. It would have been two down had G. P. Bilby accepted the catch offered by the other opener. G. Edwards, with the total at 31. But it was a difficult chance and Bilby did well to get to the ball after running about 30 yards from slip to fine leg.

Edwards, however, after failing to score in his first innings, was in an aggressive i mood, and despite the bowlers’ dominance he was always prepared to hit the ball hard. Edwards, in fact, showed up the Wellington second innings batsmen who, when they should have been chasing runs hard, were tied down by accurate bowling. G. A. Newdick and B. Middleton started brightly, Newdick taking 10 from A. D. Jordan’s! first over. But when Middleton was! out. caught short on an impossible run, Newdick and R. G. Smith found it most difficult to score freely against; the medium-pacers, D. Mor-' land and R. Ellis. They managed only 35’’ runs from 14 overs in the hour before tea. Both Morland and Ellis played an excellent containing role, bowling short of a length and getting enough movement off

the pitch and unpredictable bounce to save the runs. After tea, the batsmen tried to accelerate the scoring but Smith lost his wicket when R. Schofield made an off-side stumping from Morland’s bowling. Taylor made some rapid runs and Newdick reached his half-century in 137 minutes and eventually 64, with seven fours, before he was out. WELLINGTON First innings 254/9 dec. Second innings G. Newdick e Payton . b Jordan 64 B. Middleton run out .. 15 R. Smith std Schofield b Morland . ... ■ • B. Taylor b Jordan ■. 26 G. Bilby not out .. •. 2 I. Therkleson not out .. 3 Extras (l.b. 1, n.b. 1) .'■ 2 Total (4 wc'kts dec.) 146

. Fall of wickets: 29, 108. 130, ’ 141.

Bowling.—Jordan, 11, 1, 40, 2; j Wylie, 8,1, 37, 0; Morland, 14.1 4, 32, 1; Ellis, 7,1, 26, 0; Brown,’ 1,0, 9, 0. CENTRAL DISTRICTS First innings D. Payton c sub (Green) b Collinge .. .. .23 G. Edwards b CoHinge . 0 I. Snook c Biiby h Taylor .. 6 W. Burtt, lbw b Colling® . 1 D. Neal b Collinge .. .4 D. Morland not out .. .. 40 R. Schofield c Vaikvee l> Collinge 4 R. Wylie c Taylor b Vaikvee 11 R. Ellis c Middleton b Chatfield 13 M. Brown b Chatfield . . 1 A. Jordan c McGregor b Chatfield .. 0| Extras (b. .1, Lb. 1, n.b. 8) 10; Total 1151 Fall of wickets: 18, 27, 29, .34.! 38. 43. 71, 107. 115. Bowling.—Collinge, 13, 3. 37, > 5; Tavlor, 11. 2. 43, 1; Vaikvee, 5, 0. 20, 1; Chatfield. 6.5 3, 5. 3. Second innings ' Paxton c Therkleson b Taylor .. 71 Edwards not out .. 22 Burtt not out 6 Extras il.b. 1. n.b. 1) .. 2 Total (for 1 wicket) 37 FaH of wicket: 20. Bowling.—Collinge, 4. 0, 17, 0; Taylor. _4, ___ _ _