Blair in form

Press, 5 January 1979, Page 18

Blair in form

PA Auckland After a day of tactical manoeuvres, Auckland finished the second day of the Shell Cup cricket match against Otago yesterday at 137 for three wickets, with an over-all lead of 143, and with Otago perhaps hoping for a kindly declaration today.

Auckland gained its lead when in reply to the Auckland first innings of 254 for seven wickets declared Otago scored 248 for five in the 85 overs, with Wayne Blair being bowled in the last over for 99. In the Auckland second innings, Auckland gained a good start. Otago fell back on defensive tactics and was probably happy that the Auckland lead was kent within reasonable bounds. In contrast to its dawdling batting the previous day the Otago batting before lunch

yesterday was much more assertive. The Blair brothers, Wayne and Bruce, came together in a hard-hitting stand of 81 in 68 minutes for the fourth wicket. The accurate Auckland bowlers seemed to lose their grip on the innings at this point. However, the stand was broken when Bruce Blair hit wildly across the line from the off-spinner, John Kasper, and gave an easy catch to cover.

At the end of 65 overs Otago had reached 188 for four wickets, and by lunch, after 74 overs, was 222 for four. The major point of interest thereafter was whether Wayne Blair would get his first century in big cricket. But it was not to be. With the third-to-last-ball, Warren Stott bowled straight and rather quicker, Blair had a big heave to leg, missed and was bowled.