CRICKET

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 87, 11 January 1928, Page 7

CRICKET

PLUNKET SHIELD PROSPECTS

WELLINGTON’S CHANCES BRIGHT

(Notes by "Burwood.”)

Provincial form as revealed in the Plunket Shield matches played so far this season _ points tp the fact that Wellington is the premier cricketing province in the. Dominion. Of course, this' has to be proved yet, but when the smoke of battle dies away it is pretty certain that the handsome shield will remain in Wellington. Several factors contribute to Wellington’s superiority in cricketing strength. In the first place, the area under the jurisdiction of the Wellington Cricket Association is the most thickly populated in the Dominion, embracing, as it does, such populous towns as Wanganui, Palmerston North, New Plymouth, Napier, Masterton, Nelson, and Blenheim. In addition to this, the Wellington Cricket Association has wisely decided to give every cricketer within its wide domain a chance of winning a place in the Wellington representative eleven. Not only is the Town v. Country match played annually, but the parent body has now mapped out a programme whereby a city representative eleven will pay visits each year to country centres. This policy has done much to stimulate interest in the game throughout the province. Not only are the best players in Wellington striving for, the honour of representing the province, but every player in the many country towns is* aware that a place is open to him if he can show he has the ability to win it. If it had not been for the Town v. Country match this year we would not have known that J. S. Taylor, the exAustralian, now acting as coach to the Nelson Cricket Association, is as finished a batsman as the Dominion possesses. The 127 he hit up against the best bowlers the city possesses stamped him as a batsman of class, and it is extremely pleasing to find, that the sole selector (Mr. K. H. Tucker) has chosen him to represent Wellington against Otago in the Plunket Shield match at Dunedin at the end of the present month. In addition to the Nelson professional, other country players who have beep .given a place in the Wellington team for this match are T. C. Lowry and R. de B. Worker (Hawkes Bay, and E. H. L. Bernau (Wanganui). The eleven which Mr. Tucker has chosen for the shield match at Dunedin appears to be the strongest which has ever represented the province. The batting is sound down to the last man, and though tho side still lacks, a fast and slow bowler, at least nine men in the team can take a turn at the crease. * The captain. W. S. Brice, has strengthened the attacK greatly by resorting to slows, and, proved very successful with these in the special match against Otago on Saturday. Brice can spin the ball all right, and have always considered that his slow ball was the most dangerous in his quiver. The advent of Massey immeasur.yably strengthened the attack. He bowled very ably against Otago cn Friday and Saturday in taking five wickets for 56 runs. His swingers so completely nonplused the Otago men that at one stage he had three wickets for 8 runs. With Bernau and' McGirr to do the stock bowling, and Badcock, Lambert, and Brice to supply, the slow medium stuff, runs will take getting against the Wellington team, especially with such an expert as Ken James behind the sticks. The most noticeable improvement about the Wellington team this season is in the fielding department. Fast-moving men like Dempster, Badcock, Foley, Lambert, and Lowry get to anything within, catchable distance, and usually, hang on to it. while the ground fielding and returning to the wickets has improved vastly. It is usually rash to venture into the role of prophet. but ■ viewing the teams dispassionately Wellington should prove too strong for both Otago and Auckland this season. Wellington will meet Otago. at Dunedin on January 20, and will return in time to engage the Auckland eleven at the Basin Deserve on January 27. Hurricane-'Hitting. A striking illustration of the batting strength of the Wellington team this season was afforded at the Basin Reserve on Saturday last in the special match against .Otago. Wellington started their second innings' nineteeh minutes before the lunch, eon adjournment, but so well did Torrance and Alloo bowl that only three' singles "had been scored by the time the interval came. After lunch, the „ Otago pair maintained the upper: hand to such an extent, and were so well supported by Knight that six wickets were down for 79 runs. A Great Stand.

Here the Old Boys’ colt, W. Dustin, joined Badcock, and the pair made a great stand, which redeemed the disaster which had overtaken the side. The-colt played the rock, while the Englishman, who is at his best in a crisis, went boldly for the bowling. He made many powerful off and cover drives, but there was a strong cordon of fieldsmen to the off and brilliant ground fielding saved many runs,.. However, Badcock was not to be denied, and in brilliant fashion ho put on

108 in about as many minutes, without giving the semblance of a chance. In all; he hit two sixers and ten fourers, and gave a delightful display. flow he monopolised the scoring can be imagined when it is stated that ho claimed 108 of the 120 put on for the seventh wicket. Tail Wags Furiously.

By tho time Badcock left, tho bloom had been taken off the Otago bowling. Tile colt, Dustin, went on to reach 45 before being bowled' by Alloo. Tho youngster played a very valuable innings at a critical time. He is clever at off-sido play, and gathered many runs with deft pats through the slips, a shot which he plays to perfection. Stan Brice, tho Wellington captain, then fell upon the tired Otago bowlers, and smote them hip and thigh. The

tall Petone man roused the crowd to enthusiasm by running to his half-century in 28 minutes. He swung the long handle with' determination, sending, the ball out of the enclosure several times, and rattling the leather up against the fence in all directions. Two Dashing Batsmen. When Brice left, caught by Cherry at extra long-off off Douglas for a dashing 69, the board showed nine down for 290. The Otago men naturally imagined that the orgy of scoring had come to an end, but they got the shock of their lives. Through the portal issued the stalwart form of Len Beard, the Hutt trundler, and he and Massey for the next hour gave the spectators as exhilarating a display of rapid scoring as one • could wish to see. Both opened out to the bowling, and rattled the runs on at an amazing pace. Frequent changes of bowling failed to failed to trouble them, and the tens mounted by leaps and bounds. The best part of the dazzling display was that both men played really good cricket. Beard took up Brice’s mantle as hitter, lifting the ball out of the ground five times, while Massey rattled the leather up against the fence with forceful carpet drives on both sides of the wicket. It was not until the pair had added 123 for the last wicket, and carried the score from 290 to 413, that Massey was caught and bowled for G 4. leaving Beard not out with GO to his credit. The innings c’osed for 413, which was a remarkable recovery after six wickets had fallen for 79 runs. A Handy Man.

A. ’Galland, who has been playing for many years for Otago, is one of tlie most useful all-rounders on the side. He played a resolute innings for 70 in the first innings at the Basin Reserve on Saturday. Galland is never affected by the position of the game. If a bowler tosses one up far enough to reach, he will” have a go at it, and he made many powerful strokes on Saturday. In addition to this, Galland rendered signal service with the gloves. In Wellington’s second innings he accounted for the first thiee wickets that fell, neatly catchin" Tattersail, Airey and Lamason, and later he dismissed Reaney in tlie same manner. The Hawke Cup.

Poverty Bay made a spirited bid to wrest the Hawko Cup from Wanganui lajt week. They headed the shieldholders by 44 runs on tho first innings, but Wanganui came to light witli a solid score in the second innings, and eventually retained the shield by 90 runs. Bennett bowled remarkably well in Wanganui’s second innings, but the batsmen got to him in tlie second knock. Kerr, the Technical College lad, who scored so well against Taranaki, put up a good double in getting 42 and 115 against Poverty Bay. Holland was also in form with scores of 30 and 80, while he also bowled well. Poverty Bay did well in their second innings, but the hurdle of 310 in tlie fourth innings of tlie match was a bit too stiff for them. J. Scholium (62 and 51), Robertson , (68), Forster (.56), and Thompson (41) showed good form with tlie bat for tlie challengers, who put up a really good fight. Wanganui’s next battle for the cup will bo against Hawke's Bay, and they will require to have their very best team in the field for this engagement. With batsmen like Lowry, Worker, Shepherd, Reaney, Mitchell and Bcuth on the challenging side, the holders will have to be at their best to prevent tho shield crossing the island.

Good Fighters. The dour Scotchmen of Otago have always been noted as good fighters, and the province is none the worse off folks sprinkling of Irishmen When the Otago team was called upon to make 509 runs to win in the fourth innings of the special match against Wellington at the Basin Reserve on Monday, it looked a forlorn hone. So well did the southerners bat, however, that fifty looked more than once to have a chance of actually winning. Particularly was this the case when Galland and Alloo were together. The pair put on 9t for the fifth wicket, of which Galland claimed GO. again giving a refreshing display of hard hitting.

Alloo was very patient in running to 90, and his sterling innings deserved to be rewarded with, a century.

It was a very fine performance' on Otago's part to hit up 341 in the fourth innings of the match, ami their sterling display here will greatly increase Iho interest taken in .the shield game at Dunedin this month. \\ ilh Blunt, Dickinson, and Shepherd to stiffen the Otago side, they should be a stiff proposition on their own heath.

The Otago team scored over 300 runs in the second innings in the matches against Canterbury, Auckland, and Wellington this season, which proves that they are a solid batting side. Short Runs. W. 8. Brice, the Wellington captain, has’ now achieved the distinction of taking over a hundred wickets in Blanket Shield matches. S. G. Smith, of Auckland, the one-time captain of the Northamptonshire County team, is the only other bowler who has a hundred wickets in shield games to his credit. C. C. Daere (Auckland) and J.-Mc-Millian (Otago) have joined the select band who have scored over a thousand runs in Blanket Shield matches. L. C. Elastman, professional coach

to the Otago Cricket Association, is to untlergo an operation for rupture on his return to Dunedin. It will be remembered that he slipped on the wet pitch while bowling for the Best of New Zealand against New Zealand at the Basin Deserve a couple of months ago, and badly strained himself. It is reported that English umpires will not permit play while rain is falling, and this is a wise rule which might be followed with advantage in this country. A. Alloo, the Otago captain, celebrated his birthday at the Basin Reserve on Monday. He appears to spend his Natal day making runs against Wellington. Yesterday he hit up 90, and fourteen years ago he smacked up a century for Otago against Wellington on his birthday. The Plunket Shield.

The victory' Canterbury scored over Auckland at Eden Park on Monday by 11 runs must have been one of the most exciting finishes in the long series. The issue was trembling, in the balance all the time. This is the way one would like to see all Shield matches finish. It does not matter greatly who wins so long as there is a stirring finish. One-sided battles are most uninterest- * in 8-

This victory gives Canterbury two legs in for the Shield, as they defeated Otago at Christchurch at Christmas time. If Wellington can defeat Otago and Auckland, they will take the Shield, as they have already beaten Canterbury. In tlie event of two associations securing the same number of victories,- possession of the Shield is decided on averages. Tho keenest interest will lie taken in the two matches Wellington have to play this month.