PLUNKET SHIELD CRICKET

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 156, 30 December 1926, Page 10

PLUNKET SHIELD CRICKET

WELLINGTON BEAT OTAGO

AN ADVANTAGE OF 446 RUNS,

The Otago-Wellington Plunket Shield cricket match was concluded at the Basin Reserve this morning, when the remaining wickets in Otago 's second innings were taken at a cost of 52 runs, leaving Wellington winners of the match by the huge margin of 446 runs. Eight from the start of tu- game on Christmas Day the visitors had been faced with a very stiff proposition, and any prospects of success commenced to fade when the first day's play gave Wellington 149 runs without the loss of a wicket. At one or two stages of tlio game tliere came a ray of hope for the visitors, but the position at stumps yesterday left them in a hopeless position —498 runs in arrears and only four wicketa in hand. Still, they faced the position unflinchingly this morning, but were unequal to holding out against the bowling of Badcock, who took the remaining four wickets at the small cost of 23 runs, and finished up with ihr excellent figures of seven for 59. Green, Otago 'a last man, who formerly played for Manly in Sydney, hit ou'. in. good style in the final stages, and ran up 30 runs before losing his wicket. Blamires, the Otago captain, probably playing his last game on the Basin Reserve, was unfortunate in falling to an lbv/ decision, as he was shaping as a batsman fully alive to the responsibility resting upon his s'.oulders. Both teams leave" for the South this evening, Otago to fulfil their engagement with Auckland at Dunedin, and Wellington to meet Canterbury at Christchurch. THE TINAL STAGES. The not out batsmen were Blamires (2) and Zimmerman (0), and the latter faced the bowling of M'Girr. Two of the Hutt captain's deliveries went right through to the boundary for byes, and from two others each batsman notched a single. Badcock bowled from the northern end, and from his .third delivery the Otago captain improved the score by three. Zimmerman then tipped the next ball into the slips, and was caught by Hollings. 135—7—1. H. C. Alloo filled the vacancy, but was not long at the crease before Blamirea was out to an appeal for Ibw— another wicket to Badcock's account. 138—8—7. Torrance came next, and faced only two brills' from Badcock, tipping the second into the slips for Hollings to make his third catch of the innings. 138—9—0. The last man was Green, who played out the remainder of the over, sending one ball to leg for four. Alloo realised three from a stroke off M'Girr, and Green followed up with a single. Green was playing freely, and with more good strokes brought tiie tc..l to 150. Subsequently he banged a ball from Badcock to leg for another boundary. In M'Girr's next over, from which Alloo scored a single, .roen had a.jiarrow escape from being 'ight at square-leg by Lambert, who made a good attempt to gather in the ? lather,which was nit with force. Green then opened out to Badcock and added two boundaries, while from two big hits to leg off M'Girr he improved the score by seven. Soon afterwards he patted a ball back to Badcock, and the game was, over, Otago's second innings closing for 174, to which total Green had contributed 30. Details:- - WELLINGTON. First Innings 448 Second Innings 379 Grand total 827 OTAGO. First Innings 207 Second Innings. Shepherd, b Badeock 9 Blunt, c Lambert, b Briee 3S Knight, c Hollings, b Badcock .. 19 Ch'erry, b Badcock 11 Dickinson, c Hiddleston, b M'Girr 13 A. W. Alloo, b M' Oirr 19 Blamires, Ibw, b Badcock 7 Zimmerman, c Hollings, b Badcock 1 H. C. Alloo, not out G Torrance, c Hollings, b Badcock .. 0 Green, e and b Badcock 30 Extras 21 Total 174 Grand total 381 Fall of Wickets.—One for 24, two for 72, throe for 82, four for S5, five for 115, sb: for 122, seven *>r 135, eight for 138, nine for 138, ten for 174. BOWLING ANALYSIS. O. M. R. W. Badcock .. 26.6 7 5!) 7 M'Girr .... 19 1 54 2 Briec3 9 2 25 1 Lambert ... 1 — 1 — Hollings 4 — 12 —