A FINE" INNINGS

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 6, 8 January 1938, Page 15

A FINE" INNINGS

PLUNKET SHIELD

TWO MORE CENTURIES

AUCKLAND'S DISPLAY

(By Telegraph—Press Association.)

AUCKLAND, This . Day. Auckland, with 422 runs on the board for the loss' of six wickets, resumed their first innings of. the Plunket Shield match against Canterbury this morning; The weather was dull, with a steady breeze which was expected to assist Mulcock's leg theory attack. Matheson (51) took strike to him and after a.maiden over, Scott (53) faced Head and late-cut him to the boundary before the over terminated. Matheson-square-cut Mulcock to the fence, sending 430 up. The batsmen gained confidence from these initial ventures and soon had half a dozen boundaries registered.. At 449 Burtt took over from Head (none for 84), Scott, to whom he bowled, being then 65 and Matheson 66. Scott equalised the scores by a drive to the on. When Scott was 74 the first sensation of the game came. He called for a short run off Burtt. The wicketkeeper, Webb, had to leave his wicket to retrieve the ball, which he threw at the stumps. Had it hit Scott would have been out.

When Matheson was 72 he gave a stumping chance. It was a trifle wide on the off and Webb failed to gather the ball cleanly. The total was then 476. A confident appeal for leg before, by Mcßae against Matheson was not sustained.

A single to each player brought up 478 and there was generous applause as the board showed that the partnership had already added 150. Mcßae, who relieved Mulcock (two for 84), kept runs down, and at 487 Cromb replaced Burtt (one for 141). Mathesdri, with a strong cover drive off Cromb, brought his tally level with his partner's 88 and at the same time sent up 500 -to a generous ovation. At 506 Auckland's seventh wicket ' shield record of 177 had. been,broken. Scott and Matheson were together again at 92. A single off Cromb took Scott to 99« with a stroke that was worth more than-the one. Then a beautiful on drive off Mcßae took him to the goal of his ambition, making him 102. The total was then 520 and Matheson was 95jiexceeding.his 94 not out at Lancaster. Park in 1930. He reached his century when Scott called him for a short single off Cromb, making four centuries in the innings, a New Zealand', record.

'At'ss2 Matheson was caught by Gasson off Cromb and five minutes later, in Cromb's next over, the same fieldsman, on the boundary, caught Scott. The retiring batsmen had .made 112 and 122 respectively. They had added 224, only 41 runs short of the Plunket Shield record for,the seventh wicket. The innings closed just before the lunch hour for a total of 590. CANTERBURY LOSE A WICKET.

Hadlee and Gasson opened the Canterbury Innings to the bowling of Cowie and Matheson. ' Hadlee scored 2 off Cowie's first over, but in Cowie's second over he was clean bowled for, 3. The tptaj was then 10. D,etajlsi— '_'■■_'. .V.'.o".""•" ■■' AUCKLAND. ...V . First Innings. Whitelaw,'fa Crorhb .."............ 108 Fo'stles, c Hadlee; b Mulcock .... 103 Weir's c Mulcock, b Burtt 60 Wallace, run out 13 Carson,1 c Menzies, b' Mulcock .... 4 Pearson, c Webb, b Mcßae M Scott, c Gasson, b Cromb 122 Matheson, c Gasson, b Cromb 112 Burke, not out 1JEdmonds, not out 12 Cowie, c Cromb, b Read 10 Extras 16

Total : Bowling Analysis. O. M. R. Mulcock ...■......' 27 5 84 Read' ........... 33 16 102 Burtt V.......... 30 2 141 Cromb ............ 39- 1 170: McRae 26 5 .77 W. 2 ■ 2 .' 1 3 1