A SPECIAL MATCH

Evening Post, Volume 105, Issue 4, 6 January 1928, Page 9

A SPECIAL MATCH

WELLINGTON V. OTAGO LOCAL SIDE BATS Members of the Otago touring team, who recently engaged in matches with the elect of Canterbury'and Auckland, commenced a special three-day fixture with a strong Woilington eleven at the Basin Eo'scrvo to-day. Weather conditions were . ideal,, the wicket was in excellent order, and the outfield was fast. With the Plunket Shield not at stake, the Opportunity was presented for a display, of. .bright cricket, and although neither ■ team was at full strength, the talent was sufficiently good to -hsur-s. an interesting battle for supremacy. Interest was added to the fixture by the appearance of the well-known Essex professional, L. C. Eastman, who is acting as coach to the Otago Association this season. Unfortunately, Eastman is still suffering from the effects of. an injury received in tho match. New Zealand v. The Best, some little time ago, and it will be necessary for him to undergo an operation on his return to Dunedin. Ag a result he is playing under difficulties, but is Otago'has a bare eleven on tour it was' necessary for him' to take his placo on the field. Ho failed to Inst out more than three overs this morning, however, being compelled to retire. Tho teams taking part in the. match arc:— ■„ ■■■-..?' : Otago.—A. W. Alloo (captain), A. Knight, V; G; Cavanagh, J. M'Mullan, A. Gallartd, :L.: <_. Eastman, W. Vorrath, B. Cherry, S. Elves, J. W. Douglas, and R. C. Torrance. Wellington.—W. S. Brice (captain), H. J. Tattersall, W. F. Airey, H. Lambert, H. M, M'Girr, J. £. Lamason, W. Dustin, T. tteaney (Hawkes Bay), F. T. Badcock, H. B. Massey, and L. Beard. ... The umpires 'were Messrs. W. B. Bock and W. Page. Mr. Bock, who is president of the Wellington Umpires' Association,' celebrated his . eightieth birthday yesterday. The fact that he is still able to*_&.• ari" active part as an umpire »in representative ' cricket was the subject of;_aa_y congratulatory-re-ferences at the Basin Eoserve to-day. ■ WELLJKdTON. AT. THE WICKETS. Brice-was-successful with-the toss, and he decided that Wellington should havo first use of the wicket. Airey and Tattersall ..were .sent in to open the innings, the latter-facing Eastmam Four byes came off the first ball and Tattersall placed the,.fourth nicely to.leg.for. a couple. Torrance took up. the attack from the northern end, and three came off tho first over; :In facing Eastman Airey got one past, slips for a single, and this brought 10. up ph the board. Torrance kcjit an excellent length; and one or two of his deliveries had the batsmon puzzled; Airey" ■in particular appearing uncomforfahleionce or'twice. Eastman also requires.' careful watching, and his third-over-was. a maiden, Tattersall contenting himself with patting the ball back. In. Torrance's third over Airey drove the bowler nicely for four. Eastman retired, at this stage, his injury giving him trouble, and. Massey | fielded as substitute. Alloo, the Otago captain, took his placo at the bowling crease, .and, Tattersall pulled his first ball to. the -ropes, following with a single. A&ey^alep helped himself to &■ boundary,: fline "-' coming • ■ off ■ Alloo.'s over. A single to Tattersall off Torrance brought 30 up. Airey improved the score with a shot past th_rs man for three off Alloo, and Tattersall ; drove'..Torrance for four. This brought the total to one short of 40, Airey being 17 and1 Tattersall In facing AlJoo,. Airey edged-the. fifth ball of the fourth Over into slips and Vorrath accepted a catch. 39—r1—17. Lamason filled the breach, and opened with an uEpish .stroke through slips, which brought him a couple of runs. Eastman returned to the field at this stage, and was applauded by the spectators; Tort-rice and Alloo continued to bowl' .ieadily, and an occasional single was all that was.registered forsome little tirHeV' Proceedings were enlivened by a Couple of boundary shots by Lamaion off TO'rrance. These shots brought 5 the'Hbtalto .50 after 46 minutes. Tatteri-ll also opened Ms shoulders, and drove Alloo to the sightscreen, following it up with" a nice shot; to the boundary at square-leg off the same bowler. ■";.". LAMASON AaGBESSIVE. With the^ score. at '62, Eastman replaced Torrance, whose nine overs had cost 26 runs..'Lamason pulled the first ball for.'twp, and then off-drove the professiOnal. to the' ropes. The same batsman Square-cut Alloo to the fence twice, these; "strokes bringing his total to 28, scored in" 19 minutes. Tattersall was nio're. sedate, although moving along ateadily. Facing Eastman, Lamason secured 'two more boundaries, and the Essex professional again retired to the pavilion; -In "Alloo'_ ninth Over Tattersall stepped- out -to a slpW ball, missed, arid' was smartly stumped -by Gajland. 86—2—24. Tattersall had scored four boundary shots. • {histin was next, and saw Lamason dropped "by Knight' off Alloo at midoff. It was a hard chance. With the score at 87 Douglas replaced Eastman (19 runs, off .five overs), and his first over was a, maiden.. Lamason continued to bat attractively, reaching 40 with a boundary through slips off Alloo. ONE HUNDRED UP. More scoring shots by Lamason saw the century appear on the board after 68 minutes, Lamason reaching his half--' century in 44 minutes. Dustin was also shaping with. confidence, but he found difficulty in finding gaps in the field. At 103 Torrance canio on in place of Alloo. Facing Douglas, Lamason went for a square-cut, but-thd stroke was uppish, and M'Mullan took.a smart catch. 108—3 —53... Lamason >ad^ batted very attractively, and his tally of 53 included nine shots to the boundary. Lamason's place was taken by Lambert, who was soon iir'his stride,-pulling Douglas nicely to tho /fence. Ho drovo the same bowler.to the fence at longoff, and followed up with a couple (one from an Overthrow); •' . " When tho total • had reached 125, Elmes replaced Douglas (ono for 25 Off five overs), and a single was the only product Of the over. AUOo came on in place of Torrance (one for 31 off twelve overs). When-he. was seventeen Lambert gave a chance at mid-off off Elmes, but the' fieldsman put the ball on the carpet. It.was: not a difficult chance, but the sun proved troublesome to the fieldsman. The scoring slowed down for a time until Lambert pulled Elmes to tho fencs.at square-leg. This brought him into..tbe twenties. jBTSADY PROGRESS. Dustin scored his -first boundary shot by sending the leather past cover-" point off Alloo, and Lambert pulled the same bowler nicely to tho ropes. Lambert also drove Elmes to the fence, tho .uccossion of boundaries bringing tho total to 150 in just over 100 minutes. At tins stage Knight relieved Alloo'(fWo for 5i off fifteen overs), and" Lambert welcomed ' the change by "pulling him to the' ropes. Torrance 'replaced Elmos (none for 17 off five .vers), but the change had no effect oli- the batsmen, Lambert lifting jferrane'e to the sight-screen. Eons

.continued- to come at a good rate, and at the luncheon adjournment the score was three wickets for 174—Lambert 46, Dustin 24. Lambert continued to bat aggrossiveiy, and ho had a good partner in Badcock, who started off in his usual confident manner. A full toss from Alloo was treated as it deserved by Lambert, who sent it hard to the fehco at longon. Two hundrod was hoisted on the board after 138 minutes. Alloo continued to prove expensive, and Lambert punished him severely, one ball bouncing from the ground clean into Kent terrace. Twelve runs came off one over. - Alloo bowled, from the northern end when play was resumed after lunch, Dustin improving his account by a throe and Lambert by a boundary shot. Torrance bowled from the south, a couple of singles coming off tho bat and four byes. In Alloo's next over Dustin, who had been shaping well, was caught at point by M'Mullan. 189—4—28. Badcock filled, the vacancy, and soon afterwards Lambert reached the fifty mark after as many minutes at the crease. \ '. LAMBERT OUT. At 223 Knight replaced Alloo (two for 81 off 21 overs), and the change proved effective. Lambert, in going for a big hit, just tipped one, and Torrance accepted the catch in the slips. 224—5—79. Lambert had hit fourteen fours, and had given an exhilarating display of batting. M'Girr was next, and opened with a nice shot to fine leg for three. He followed up with a boundary shot -- Torrace. Other Strokes brought him into double figures, ahead -of Badcock, who had six singles to his credit. At 3 o'clock the. score was 237 for five wickets. M'Girr and Badcock made good progress, neither being seriously troubled by the bowling. M'Girr was quickly into the twenties, and Badcock at length broke his string of singles. At 3.15: p.m. Wellington's score was 260 for five wickets—M'Girr (in) 23, Badcock'(in) 18. Details:— WELLINGTON. First Innings. H. J. Tattersall, st Galland, b Alloo 24 W. F. Airey, c Vorrath, b Alloo ... 17 J. Lamason, c M'Mullan, b Douglas 53 W. Dustin, c M'Mullan, b Alloo .. _8 Lambert, c Torrance, b Knight .. 79 Badcock, not out 7 M'Girr, not out 12 Extras 17 Total for five wickets 237