Howarth spearheads Northern fight-back

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33728, 28 December 1974, Page 28

Howarth spearheads Northern fight-back

(N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON. Led by the personal example of its captain, Geoff Howarth, Northern Districts battled bravely at the Basin Reserve yesterday and edged itself back into its Plunket Shield match against Wellington.

Howarth contributed a crisply-struck 71 and Northern was 132 for two in its second innings at stumps, just 10 runs ahead of Wellington’s first innings total of 314 for five declared

But with eight wickets intact, and the pitch remaining ideal for batting, Northern must now have an excellent chance of setting Wellington a formidable second innings chase when the match ends today.

The Wellington captain, Grahame Bilby, surprised by applying the declaration at 314. However, the game really was drifting to such a stage where Bilby had little option. He had to give Northern some sort of incentive. On this pitch, too, Northern would probably have had little difficulty playing out time if that was all that was left for it in the game. - Commanding role In its second innings, Northern did not lose a wicket until after 85 minutes when Rod Fulton, who had not been happy against the new-ball attack of Ewen Chatfield and Mike Coles, went leg before to Stewart Cater. But Howarth was a much more commanding figure, going through to his halfcentury in 114 minutes, from

87 ball?, and then to 71 in 138 minutes, from 120 balls. At this point he looked to have the Wellington attack at his mercy, but he hit rashly at Coles and gave Bruce Smith a catch at deep mid-on. Catches dropped Wellington, and the hardworking Coles in particular, was somewhat unlucky not to have had more than two wickets by stumps. Both Mike Shrimpton and Geoff Taylor were beaten frequently and each was dropped off Coles. In the Wellington first innings, Robert Smith and John Morrison carried their opening partnership through to 182 before Smith fell four short of what would have been a deserved century. Both found themselves mud better contained by a more accurate Northern attack, particularly from the young left-arm spinner, Cliff Dickeson. Smith was locked in the 90s for more than half an hour before spooning a comfortable catch back to Howarth. Morrison, too, had a series of misadventures as he approached his century. He went from 93 to 99 with a six off Dickeson, the ball going out of Alan Housell’s reach at backward square. And, at 99, a daring run with Bilby for a leg-bye all but ended in his being run out. Fourth century Morrison’s century, Ls fourth in first-class cricket, and his third in shield cricket, finally came after 245 minutes and from 199 balls. His innings ended, in the first over after lunch. He hit 13 fours and a rix, and now must be a strong candidate for the tests later in the season against England. Smith, in for 87 minutes yesterday, batted 221 minutes in all, and hit 14 fours. The rest of the Wellington batting was mainly distinguished by the breezy approach of Bilby (26 in 54 minutes) and Bruce Smith (31 in 46 minutes). But overall Northern could feel satisfied it was able to restrict Wellington to five batting performance points.