Auckland’s bowlers face stiff task

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33425, 5 January 1974, Page 30

Auckland’s bowlers face stiff task

(New Zealand Press Association)

AUCKLAND.

Auckland, chasing an outright win if it is to stay in the race for the Plunket Shield, will be looking for some quick wickets—and a change of luck—when its match against Wellington resumes at Eden Park today.

In many ways Auckland got off to a handsome start yesterday, with the gaining of five performance points for batting. M. G. Burgess, for the first time this season, won the toss, T. W. Jarvis and J. D. Riley laid the foundation for a good total, and Burgess was able to declare 50 minutes before stumps and put the pressure on Wellington.

Tight attack But in other ways it did its chances little good. In the early stages, some economical bowling by R. O. CoHinge and, in particular, B. R. Taylor, who was getting the ball at times to come back sharply from outside the off stump, kept the run-rate down. After 20 overs there were only 57 runs on the board for the loss of Riley’s wicket, ; caught by I. T. Therkleson from the bowling of E. S. Chatfield. Chatfield, who replaced Taylor, was switched to the other end, and almost immediately had Riley’s wicket. G. P. Howarth and Jarvis steered Auckland- quietly through to lunch, at 93 for one, and soon after Jarvis reached his 50, in 183 minutes.

Again Chatfield was

brought on in place of Collinge and immediately he started worrying the batsmen. Jarvis skied the ball over the slips’ heads and then, with the total at 134, Howarth was well caught by B. D. Smith in the gully. Burgess came in, the scoring rate picked up, and then came the first of Auckland’s disasters. Jarvis, on 81, pushed the ball in front of the wicket on the leg side and took off for a run. Burgess made his ground but G. P. Bilby, fielding at midwicket, ran in, scooped up the ball, and ran out Jarvis. With A. E. Parsons joining Burgess, the scoring became faster — but then ended abruptly. Burgess brought up the second 100, took 13 runs off an over from B. D. Smith, and he and Parsons added 67 runs in only 38 minutes for the fourth wicket. Burgess run out The stand was broken with the score at 244 when Parsons, facing Taylor, was hit on the pads. The ball ballooned away to B. Cederwall at short mid-off and Parsons, on the back foot, showed no further interest in it.

However, Burgess had backed up at full pace, and with Parsons standing his ground, both batsmen found themselves at the one end. Cederwall casually trotted in to run the unlucky Burgess out. After tea, Parsons produced the shot of the day. He got on to a delivery from Smith and lifted him back over his head on to the top of the sightscreen.

That was about the end of Auckland’s exuberance. Taylor took the new ball soon after and Collinge and Chatfield pinned the batsmen down. Wickets also began to fall until Burgess declared the innings. Sensational over G. A. Newdlck and R. G. Smith got Wellington away to an encouraging start by picking up 18 runs from the first two overs, but then the bowling tightened considerably and runs became the exception rather than the rule. G. P. Howarth’s over—-the last of the day—was the

most dramatic of them all. He had fieldsmen clustered all round Smith; from two balls there were appeals for catches, which were, for Auckland, frustratingly turned down.

All except Smith, and the umpire, were convinced Howarth collected a caught-and-bowled. So annoyed was Burgess that he threw his cap across the pitch. AUCKLAND First innings T. W. Jarvis run out . . 81 J. D. Riley c 'Therkleson b Chatfield 31 G. P. Howarth c B. Smith b . Chatfield 31 M. G. Burgess run out .. 55 A. E. Parsons c R. Smith b Chatfield 40 J. R. Carson c Chatfield b Collinge 19 R. W. Morgan lbw b Collinge 10 R. A. Dykes not out .. 3 Extras (b. 4. l.b. 16, n.b. 4) .. .. .. 24 Total (7 wekts dec.) 296 i Fall of wickets: 55, 134, 187. 244. 270, 289, 2.96. Bowling.—Collinge. 18, 3, 52, 2; Taylor. 16. 3. 49. 0; Chatfield, 19. 3, 68. 3: McGregor, 4. 0. 16, 0; B. Smith, 17, 3. 62, 0; Vaikvee, 4,0, 25, 0. WELLINGTON First innings G. A. Newdlck not out .. 16 R. W. Smith not out 6 Extras (l.b. 1, n.b. 3) 4 Total (for no wicket) 26 Bowling.—Cunis, 4 2,6, 0; Hounsell, 2, 0. 16. 0; H. Howarth, 2,2, 0. 0; G. Howarth, 1,1, 0, 0.