Enduring records

Press, 4 January 1988, Page 14

Enduring records

Individual and team records in first-class cricket matches between Auckland and Canterbury have stood the test of time. Their rivalry extends back to 1873-74, Auckland has won 33 times, Canterbury 32, and 28 games have been drawn. In that inaugural fixture at Hagley Park Canterbury was dismissed for 72, still its lowest total. But Auckland only led by 18 on the first innings and won by just seven runs. Ironically, A. J. Cotterill, of Canterbury, was top scorer in both innings of either side with his double of 20 and 37. Auckland’s record “low” was 13 at home in 1877-78. From 122 deliveries, Auckland — in quest of 122 runs to win — managed five runs and eight extras. W. L. Rees scored two, three teammates collected singles. For Canterbury D. Ashby took five for two and W. Frith three for three; there were two run outs. Eden Park was the venue for the highest totals of the two provinces, in the years of four-day fixtures.

Merv Wallace (211) and Verdun Scott (198) provided the bulk of Auckland’s 693 for nine declared in 1940. Four Canterbury bowlers also scored "centuries” in an innings defeat. Nine years later Canterbury reached 481 for seven declared, largely thanks to Brun Smith (146), Mac Anderson (90 not out), Gordon Leggat (89) and Walter Hadlee (72). That game was most remarkable for Bert Sutcliffe and Don Taylor sharing two double-cen-tury opening partnerships, yet Canterbury took first innings points.

It had been at Eden Park in 1919-20 that S. G. Smith spent 330 minutes rattling on 256 runs to create an Auckland record against Canterbury. Smith offered only one chance and spearheaded Auckland to victory by an innings and 160 runs. Canterbury’s individual best is 176, by L. A. Cuff at Lancaster Park in 189394. He headed off his opening partner, J. D. Lawrence, by nine runs in a stand worth 306. Canterbury eventually had an

innings and 156 runs to spare, W. Robertson doing his bit with a match analysis of 14 wickets for 107 runs. But D. J. Mcßeath, in 1918-19, exceeded that with 15 for 168 against Auckland at Hagley Park. Mcßeath had the first nine wickets in Auckland’s first innings, and should have captured all 10. J. McEwin not only dropped a simple catch from Mcßeath’s bowling, but had the audacity to dismiss that last man. Canterbury won by 192 runs. At Auckland in March, 1892, R. Neill had a first innings analysis of nine for 75 in a four-wicket win over Canterbury. However, the Auckland match figures belong to the most recent recordbreaker, Bob Cunis, at Lancaster Park in December, 1963. Cunis finished with 13 for 85. There was a climax to fit the occasion — Hedley Howarth hit a four from the third ball of Dick Motz’s final over to give Auckland a one-wicket win.