PLUNKET SHIELD

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 20, 25 January 1927, Page 12

PLUNKET SHIELD

MORE SENSATIONS

END IN SIGHT

(By Telegraph —Press Association.)

AUCKLAND, 24th January. The great cricket match drew towards its concluding stages to-day, when Wellington struggled to obtain the upper hand over Auckland in the final game of the season for the Plunket Shield. The wicket was beginning to shown signs of wear. Wellington's second innings score 'reached 323, leaving Auckland 199. to get to win. Lowry stayed long enough to top his century, and his dismissal was followed shortly afterwards' by a partnership between Badcock and M'Girr' which realised 68 runs. Badcock batted beautifully for 77. The wicket got steadily worse as play progressed,, and after a bright opening six of Auckland's. batsmen went fairly cheaply. However, Bowley played beautifully for 75 not out, and with four wickets still in hand the home team requires 32 runs for victory. Shortly after resumption, Lowry raised the first individual century of the match ! by playing Allcott to the off for a single but then he lost James, who snicked one from Matheson—he had previously been edging slightly those on the off—and -Rowntree took his'-fifth catch of the match. Runs came slowly but steadily Bowley came.on to tempt the batsmen with his slow break, and a separation was instantly effected. Lowry could not remain patient in the face of an overpitched one. He hit gut and Anthony at deep mid-on terminated a fine innings with a well-judged catch. The total reached 228,. and then Matheson, who had been bowling for seventy minutes, was given his first rest. Sneddon was the hew bowler; and although he got an occasional one past M'Girr, neither he nor Allcott troubled the batsmen much. After several bowling changes, Bowley again came on,, and M'Girr played his third back to the bowler, who took a fine catch. Badcock continued to bat stylishly, and he soon passed the halfcentury. An injury to Rowntree caused a slight break in the play, a balHrom Matheson catching the wicket-keeper on the throat. The score was taken to 300 just before the.luncheon adjournment. Badcock jumped right into, form on resumption, but Lambert was manifestly not at home in playing the waiting game. In. AHcott's third over a change in pace completely deceived the batsman, and he was clean bowled. .At this stage Allcott was dangerous, keeping a perfect length,-mak-ing pace off the wickets, and breaking at times.

UNDESERVED WICKET.

Matheson was faced with confidence by both Badcock and Hollings; however he brought off the separation with a ball that did not deserve to take a wicker Hollings tried to hook it to .leg, skied it, and Player held the catch. It was the twelfth ball of an over, of fourteen, the umpire having lost count for the second time in the match. Player went on at Mathespn's end, and _Badcock played one to leg. Matheson dived and took the catch. ■ . i

Brice and Henderson could not repe.it their performance o£ the previous innings Henderson ,only played a few balls, and then Allcott knocked his middle stump back with one that came back from his leg—a beautiful'ball. '

AUCKLAND'S GOOD OPENING.i

Once again a good : opening was made for Auckland by Bowley and Mills. Both played;freely. Henderson was not nearly as deadly as on Saturday. A double change was tried, and proved successful. Mills was playing confidently, but Brice trapped him into playing gentle at a ball going away to leg. He just tipped it, and James held an easy catch. The scoring slackened when Sneddon joined Bowley. Brice tried the policy of? rapid changes, bringing on Henderson' for a while and then relieving him with Lambert.. The new bowler was successful, for Sneddon fell into the same trap that dismissed Mills. He tried to glance a ball going, away to leg, and gave James another catch. ■■..., •

Cooper and Bowley played soundly until the tea adjournment was taken. Some half volleys from Lambert met with scant courtesy from Cooper. - On resumption Cooper showed a powerful ■■ -off-drive, and placed the ball well; however, he tried to force the pace too much, and did not quite get the pitch of a ball from Lambert and was caught. Scoring slackened down while Gillespie played himself in. Then Bowley brightened up to M'Girr, scoring with, a powerful on drive, while his partner forced the same bowler to the leg boundary. With the total at 126, Gillespie was out to a half-hearted Ibw appeal off Badcock.

DACRE GOES EARLY.

The next man was Dacre, but once again he refrained from going for the bowling, and, .instead, played some neat shots to leg. Then Auckland's hopes fell, for Dacre was bowled off his pads, and, with five wickets in hand, 61: runs were needed for victory. The excitement was intense. Badcock placed his leg field close in to Bowley. The batsman would not be trapped, but made the field move out when he drove one hard to the on boundary, perilously close to Worker, who was standing a yard or so from the batsman. Then Allcott was bowled by Badcock. With ,50 still needed, Wellington still had a fighting chance, and'bowlers and fieldsmen were keyed up to try and pull the game out of the fire, but Bowley and Anthony were equally keen, meeting anything on the wicket with the'full face

of the bat, while Bowley took any opportuuity of scoring that presented itself., He was covering Henderson beautifully, and using that fine shot past point to anything up outside the off. The pair were still together playing beautiful sound cricket when stumps were drawn for the day with six .wickets down for 167.

Details:—

WELLINGTON, First innings 183 Second Innings. Hiddleston, c Rowntree, b Allcott -.. 2 Worker, c Rowntree, b Matheson .. : 1 Kortlang, Ibw, b Bowley 58 Lowry, c Anthony, b Bowley '. 110 James, c Rowntree, b Matheson .... 6 M'Girr, c and b Bowley . ]' 41 Badcock, c Matheson, b Player .... 77 Lambert, b Allcott .]• 7 Hollings, c Player, b Matheson . '.'.'.'. 1 Brice, not out _..._ q Henderson, b Allcott !..!} 1 Extras .'...... ...'.'. 19 Total 323 Bowling Analysis. „, .. 0/ M- W- £• Allcott „... 28.2 9 3 40 Bowley \.; 18 3 3 70 . Matheson .... 28 5 3 91 Player 6 1 1 20 Cooper ..- 1 0 0 6 Dacre ........ 2 0 0 6Anthony 6 1.0 28 Sneddon 10 1 0 37 AUCKLAND. First innings •••/............ 303 Second Innings. Bowley, not out j 5 Mills, c James, b Brice !!:!.'!!!!!!''" 27 Sneddon, c James, b Lambert !!!!!" 7 Cooper, c and b Lambert ..'...!!!!"'" ]2 Gillespie, lbw, b Badcock ....!!!!""'" 13 Dacre, b Henderson .. .'..!"'." 5 Allcott, b Badcock !.!!!!!!!'" G Anthony, not out ...."!!!!""!"" .5 Extras ••••••..."!"!!!!!!] 17 Total for v six wickets .. a ..... 167