Batting blue almost costs W’ton dearly

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

Batting blue almost costs W’ton dearly

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON. Wellington’s failure to include sufficient players of batting ability’ nearly cost it dearly in its Shell series cricket clash with Canterbury. which started at the Basin Reserve, Wellington, yesterday.

When Wellington’s most! successful batsmen this sea-1 •on, Jeremy Coney, withdrew] with influenza on Thursday, the selectors preferred not to bring in another batsman. However, the lack of wisdom of this decision was exposed in Wellington’s first innings yesterday when the sixth wicket fell at 159. Without Coney, the Wellington batting effectively ended at No. 6, leaving a long tail of five medium-pace bowlers and leg-spinner Toivo Vaikvee.

The chunky Vaikvee, who had come in at No. 7. lasted only two balls, and when the captain, Grahame Bilby, was seventh out at 182, it looked as though Wellington would be fortunate to reach 200. It was left to a bowler in his fifth first-class match. Stew Cater, to rescue Well ington. His hard-hitting innings of ■4O in 82 minutes greatly assisted Wellington to attain the respectable total of 238 all out. Made in 54.1 overs, 238 represented speedy scoring. Wellington getting four batting bonus points, and Canterbury five for bowling. But rain, which had fallen steadily in the pre-lunch session. without driving the players from the ground, ended proceedings for the day at the conclusion of the Wellington innings. In all. 160 minutes were lost. A final decision to halt play was not made until 5.50 p.m. On a wicket where the odd ball was inclined to keep low, the Canterbury captain. Bevan Congdon, fully justified

his decision to ask Wellington to bat first after he had won the toss. At 48 for three, Wellington was in the toils even after a solid innings of 35 by one of the openers. John Morrison. It was then that Bilby and ;Mike Harris were involved 'in a splendid partnership of ’79 in 67 minutes, for the fourth wicket, to arrest the decline. Just when the honours of the morning session looked about to swing Wellington’s way, Harris was out lbw for 45. Great value Bilby’s 65 was of immeasurable value, after he 'had arrived at the wicket at 137 for two. He went on to ■ his fourth 50 of the series, : finally batting for 148 minutes before being bowled by a former Wellington man, Alan Hounsell. While Bilby was at the wicket. Cater did not look : particularly convincing, but Ihe later grew in stature, cracking two fours each off ; the spinners, Doug Bracewell and David Stead.

Cater saw the total through [to 227, before trying to hit .Stead for another boundary. The ball was well hit to deep mid-wicket, where Barry Hadlee had to make a lot of ground to effect a fine running catch. Apart from Hounsell, who bowled with spirit after lunch, and the medium-man,

Richard Hadlee, early on, There was no particular men- ' ace about the Canterbury bowling. The fielding was adequate. WELLINGTON First InnfnPc

First innings G. A. Newdick c Wadsworth b Hounsell 2 J. F. M. Morrison c R. Hadlee b Congdon 35 R. W. Smith c Stead b R. Hadlee 8 G P. Bilby b Hounsell 85 M. J. Harris lbw b D. Hadlee 45 B. D. Smith c B. Hadlee b Hounsell 16 T. Vaikvee c Wadsworth b Hounsell 0 S. B. Cater c B. Hadlee b Stead 40 C. J. Ross c Wadsworth b D Hadlee 6 E. J. Chatfield lbw b D. Hadlee 14 M. J. Coles not out .. 2 Extras 5 Total 238 Fall: 6, 31, 48, 127. 159. 159. 182. 199. 227. 238 Bowling O. M It _ W. R. J. Hadlee 10 2 49 1 A. R. Hounsell 12 1 57 4 B. E. Congdon 10 1 46 1 D. R. Hadlee 13.1 3 36 3 D. W. Bracewell 6 1 22 0 D. W. Stead .. 3 0 23 1