PLUNKET SHIELD

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 5, 7 January 1930, Page 11

PLUNKET SHIELD

BRIGHT BATTING DISPLAY

TWO CENTURIES SCORED

(By telegraph.)

(Special to "the Evening Post.")

AUCKLAND, This Day.

The not-out men, Gillespie (43) and Anthony (61), resumed Auckland's first innirfgs in the Plunket Shield match. Singles caihe from the first over from Simmonds, and Cromb then sent a maiden"to Gillespie. Anthony square-cut. Sirampnds for a brace, but Cromb handed down another maiden. A'-bye saw Gillespie face Siminonds, and a single off the- fifth ball-brought 160 on the board.. A single came off a no-ball from Cromb to Gillespie, and Anthony got a single, but the batsmen were playing cautiously and tak-. ing' no. ■unnecessary.: risks. Simmonds and Cromb had been keeping a good length. At 164..Ta1b0t relieved Cromb at the pavilion end,"and off his first ball Gillespie;',drove , past cover ~f or. three, bringing his 'score to .50 in 106 minutes. Air, 169.Elliott relieved .Simmonds. and" the; second ball Gillespie turned to leg for a single. The rate of run-getting was in. marked contrast to the previous afternoon, but this was expected, as the "'Aucklanders recognised that they had an uphill fight. Anthony scored the first boundary of the morning by pulling Talbot to. leg, and brought his score to 73. A single to Anthony off Merritt was followed by Gillespie placing Talbot to the fence. Anthonyl chopped the same bowler past slips -for four. Two to Anthony and a single to Gillespie went down against Merritt, and a nice stroke by Anthony to leg brought his contribution to 80. The scoring rate brightened, Gillespio timing Morritt to a nicety. He found the fence twice in one over from Merritt, and put 200 on the board, his own contribution being 65 and Anthony's 84. This was after 152 minutes' play. Page relieved Talbot, but his first over was fairly expensive, six runs and two byes'coming off it. With Anthony now getting on towards his century and Gillespie doing well, Auckland's prospects brightened considerably. Kuns started to come fast, 50 going on the board in 35 minutes. Gillespio was playing Merritt confidently, and Anthony also was willing to have a go at the slow bowler. One.shot he nearly lifted over the chalk line. With a powerful stroke Anthony pulled Page to the fence and reached his century. The score was then 232. A GEE AT PARTNERSHIP. Merritt retired from the crease and Simmonds took up tho bowling. Gillespie was rapidly getting towards his century, when Cromb returned in place of Page. The, Canterbury skipper had given the batsmen no trouble, and they knocked a three off Cromb. When he was 104 Anthony gave Burns, behind- the wickets, a hard chance off Cromb. ' Frequent .changes in the bowling did not disturb the batsmen. Anthony left his century mark behind, while Gillespie was in the seventies. After 181 minutes 250 showed on the board, the last 50 having been scored in 31 minutes. . Merritt came back once more, this time at the pavilion end, in Cromb's place. A single' off Merritt was followed by a maiden over from Simmonds. Anthony turned Morritt to leg for two, and repeatod the stroke two balls later, and followed with a single. Anthony was getting most of the bowling, with the result that Gillespie's "score hung fire. When 79 he survived an appeal for Ibw by Merritt, and made a single off him, reaching 80; He next turned Simmonds to the fence for four. With a two off Simriipnds : t>il]ospio.. brought the partnership contribution to 200, in 135 minutes—bright; free scoring characterising the display. Gillespio got into the nineties by driving Merritt to the boundary, and with a single he got the bowling from Simmonds. THE -FALL OF ANTHONY. Gillespie gradually worked his score towards tho hundred, and Anthony for tho moment was forgotten. Anthony's brilliant effort was brought to an end when Talbot, who had replaced Simmonds, clean bowled him. Anthony had batted 177 minutes for his 116 runs, and received an ovation. Gillespie was then 96, and the partnership had put on 214. 27.8—3-^ll6. Weir came next. He opened with a singlo and then Gillespie broke the suspense of the crowd by getting Talbot to the boundary, reaching his century amid applause. It was his first century in Shield cricket. Auckland with seven wickets in hand had at this stage 110 to get to he-ad Canterbury's first innings. Just before lunch Gillespie gavo Simmonds a chance in the slips, which was not taken, and two balls later survived a confident appeal by Merritt for a catch behind the wicket. Gillespie put three hundred on the board by turning Merritt to the boundary after 217 minutes' play. Weir quickly ran to double figures. Gillespie went along merrily and passed Anthony's score of 116. Talbot and Cromb were being persevered with, but at 321 Harris came on for the first time to-day. Gillespio drove him through the cover for a woll-iuii three, the only scoring stroke of the over. Harris bowled the last over before lunch, when the score was three wickets for 326. AUCKLAND. First Innings. ' Mills, Ibw, b Merritt 35 Whitelaw, b Merritt 4 Anthony, b Talbot . £ . 116 Gillespie, not out 120 Weir, not out :.......\ . ••• I 6 Extras 27 Total for three wickets 326