WEBB AGAIN GETS BOWLING HONOURS

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33424, 4 January 1974, Page 16

WEBB AGAIN GETS BOWLING HONOURS

(New Zealand Press Association)

PALMERSTON NORTH.

All honours lay with Otago on the first day of its Plunket Shield match against Central Districts at Fitzherbert Park yesterday. • '

Led by M. G. Webb, the Otago bowlers subdued the Central batsmen, and then the opener, W. D. Blair, with a well-hit 44, put Otago well on the way to a first innings lead.

At stumps, Otago was only 80 runs behind and had eight wickets standing.

Although the pitch played well, none of the Central batsmen were able to get on top of the bowling. G. Edwards was keen to score quickly until he, apparently, got an edge to G. Thomson in the sixth over of the match. DISPUTED DECISION

The Otago wicket-keeper, B. D. Milbum, snapped up a low catch, but there was doubt if Edwards had got an edge, or if Milburn had taken the ball on the bounce. However, the umpire had no hesitation in giving Edwards out.

His fellow opener, D. Morland, and W. Burtt treated every delivery with caution, and they saw the side through to its first 50, achieved in 117 minutes. Morland, who had never been comfortable, was the next to go, bowled by Webb, and so became the first of five victims of the Otago paceman. TAKEN BEHIND

Burtt top-scored for Central with 35, but it seemed that the young Nelson player, R. Pierce, who against Northern Districts

had made a maiden century, was to be the man to send the scoring along. He produced some fine shots off his back foot, but he went to the bowling of G. Powell, when Milbum, standing over the stumps, took a sharp leg-side catch. Every Otago bowler used captured a wicket, but it was Webb who returned the best figures. During the morning his bowling was indifferent, but later he reduced his pace, concentrated on direction, and achieved the desired results.

His five for 60 now gives him 30 wickets for 381 in

Plunket Shield cricket this season.

The scoring rate for Central was 50 in 117 minutes, 100 in 186 minutes, 150 in 271 minutes, and a total of 161 in 287 minutes. By comparison, the Otago batsmen got on with the job, and even though H. C. Sampson went with the score at 39, Blair and R. W. Anderson brought up the first 50 in 52 minutes.

Blair, a mixture of good s c °red his 44 runs off 56 balls. It was A. D. Jordan who took his wicket when Blair played on.

CENTRAL DISTRICTS _ x-j j irst Innings G - Upwards c Milburn b Thomson D. Morland b Webb ’' !! 13 c McKechnie b webb 35 D. Neal c Boock b Powell 1 R Pierce c Milburn b Powell 17 ■■ S c nC t?A c ,? lair b McKechnie 19 R. Schofield b Boock 21 S’ c . Mll bur>. b Webb 10 R. Wylie b Webb .. 10 A. Jordan not cut .. ..12 M. Brown b Webb .. 0 Extras (b 5. Ibs. nbl) .. 11 Total 161 RB F ?, , a°?« ,ckete - 17 » 51. 62 70, 86, 114. 130. 140. 159. Bowling.—Webb. 21 3. 60. 5; P w ™ s 2 n -15, 5. 29, 1;’Powell 20, 6, 46, 2; Boock. 7,1, 12. 1; McKechnie. 4. 1, 3. i. OTAGO nr m innings W. Blair b Jordan 44 H. Sampson c Ellis b Wylie 10 R. Anderson not out ■. •• 14 B. Milburn not out . 4 Extras (b2 ibß. nbl) .. » Total for two wickets 81 Fall of Wickets.—39, 69. Bow'ing.-Jordan. 8. 0. 24. 1; Wyl e. 5. 0, 24, 1; Ellis, 1, 0. 6. I'. Morland, 3. 1. 9. 0; Brow., 1, G *•