Northern hammered in record-making day

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34047, 10 January 1976, Page 36

Northern hammered in record-making day

(New Zealand Press Association)

DUNEDIN.

Only the Dunedin weather or a defiant rearguard action of heroic dimensions can save Northern Districts from outright defeat when its Shell series cricket match against Otago ends at Carisbrook today.

But rain seemed the stronger of the two possibilities last night. It began to fall soon after stumps were drawn and the outlook for today is not bright.

Certainly, there was little about the Northern Districts batting yesterday to suggest it will survive seven hours on a pitch most responsive to •pin. The honours yesterday belonged almost entirely to Otago. Northern, resuming at 13 without loss in chase of Otago’s 319 for eight wickets declared, succumbed to the well-flighted off-spin bowling of Peter Petherick to be all out for 172. made in 252 minutes from 71.4 overs. Otago advanced its lead

rfrom 147 to 316 in the remaining 182 minutes, with the captain, Glenn Turner, playing an innings of superb quality to be unbeaten on 80. Dominance He has now scored 733 runs for Otago this season at an average of 91.62, and such was his dominance yesterday that he seemed to be merely toying with the Northern bowlers and fieldsmen. When he reached 51, he passed the Plunket Shield record aggregate for a season of 703, which he himself set last summer. With fine support from Robert Anderson (29) and Henrv Sampson, who played his 'most authoritative innings of the season to be unbeaten on 51 at the close, Otago reached the healthy score of 168 for two. Sampson and Turner added 109 for the third wicket in only 91 minutes. There were few distinguishing features to Northern’s innings, after left-handed openers John Wright and Rod Fulton began the day by taking runs from Petherick at a merry clip. Full tOSS Wright lofted a full toss from Petherick on to the roof of the main stand and the Northern batsmen, at this stage, held few of the inhibitions that plagued them later in the innings. Then Wright, seeking to on-drive, struck the ball back to Petherick, and Northern was one for 47. It soon became two for 55 when Andy Roberts, who lifted Petherick on to the terraces for six from his first ball, was caught

behind going for a fullblooded drive. Fulton was next out when Turner, running back from slip, took a fine catch with his outstretched left hand. Fulton had batted most competently for his 25, and looked unhappy to be given out. The captain, John Parker, was Northern’s most accomplished batsman, and he played his spinners well until a ball from Petherick popped on him, caught his bat high up, and he was easily caught, his 29 took only 47 minutes. Brian Dunning struck some typically lusty leg-side blows to move to 32 before lan Rutherford, running from mid-off, took a well-judged catch at extra cover.

OTAGO First Innings (for 8 wkts dec.) 319 Second innings I. A. Rutherford b Collinge 0 G. M. Turner not out 80 R W. Anderson lbw b Dickeson 29 H. C. Sampson not out 51 Extras 8 Total (for 2 wickets) .. 168 Fall of wickets: 9. 59. Bowling O. M. R. W. R. O. Collinge 8 1 24 1 R. S. Cunis . . 14 9 79 0 C. W Dickeson 14 9 57 1 J. M. Parker . . 110 0 NORTHERN DISTRICTS First innings J. G. Wright c and b Petherick 20 R. VV. Fulton c Turner b Petherick 25 A D. G. Roberts c Lees b Petherick 6 J. M. Parker c Thomson b Petherick 29 B. Dunning c Rutherford b Petherick 32 D. P. R. Lloyd c Thomson b Petherick 27 M. J E. Wright b Petherick 6 C. E. Kuggeleija c Lees b D. E. C. McKechnie 8 R. O Collinge c Sampson b Petherick 2 C. W. Dickeson c Rutherford b Petherick .. • 7 R. S Cunis not out .. 0 Extras 10 Total 172 Fall of wickets: 45, 55. 3?, 124, 152. 153. 155. 170. Bowling O. M. R. W. G. B. Thomson 7 2 9 0 B. J. McKechnie 2 0 7 0 P J. Petherick 35 10 93 9 D. E. C. McKechnie 14.4 4 35 1 L. G. McAlevey 16 9 17 0