DUNEDIN MATCH

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 29, 4 February 1939, Page 7

DUNEDIN MATCH

UTTLEY REACHES 50

HONOURS TO CANTERBURY

(By Telegraph—Press Association.)

DUNEDIN, February 3. The Plunket Shield cricket match between Otago and Canterbury opened at Carisbrook today in bright sunshine and on a fast wicket and ground. There was a light north-easterly, to temper the heat. Otago won the toss and made a disappointing start, three good wickets falling cheaply, A. R. Knight

(6), G. J. Robertson (5), and D. A. R. Moloney (7) "each . falling to the medium-paced bowler E. Mblcook.

Five wickets were down for 110, but th': captain, V. G. Cavanagh (89), Uttley (50), Elmes (39), and Silver (37) retrieved the position to a considerable extent, the last wicket falling for 266. Canterbury opened their innings with J. L. Kerr and F.W. Bellamy, and had made 83 at stumps without loss. .

The honours of the first day certainly went to the visitors. Canterbury have a chance of winning the Plunket Shield this season, but it is dependent on an eight-point win against Otago. Then, if Wellington beat.Auckland, or hold them to a first innings win only, the Shield would come south again. OLD PLAYER'S PASSING. A thoughtful action early in the afternoon was the stoppage of play for a minute or two while players stood in silence as a mark of respect to the memory of the late' James Clark-Baker, a former Otago and New Zealand representative, whose funeral took place today. There were npt many high lights in today's play. Mulcock, who has made a specialty of the leg theory; was a destructive- agent early in the day, getting rid of Knight, Robertson, and Moloney in quick succession, and at that stage had three v wickets for 12 runs. Bowling to a packed leg field, and with the breeze to suit him, he was swinging the ball disconcertingly, and the batsmen appeared unable or without sufficient enterprise to play him confidently in front of, the wicket. He was the mainstay of the Canterbury attack, bowling 37 overs in long spells for five wickets and 97 runs. Those five wickets incidentally were the best in the side. . : ■ K. F. M. Uttley and C. J. Elmes looked like staging a recovery for the fourth wicket, both batting well before lunch, but Elmes was Out immediately play was resumed, and another wicket followed without addition to the score. UTTLEY RUN OUT. Cavanagh at once adopted more aggressive tactics, and it was bad luck for Otago when Uttley was run out when responding to a call for a sharp single. His 50 was a good innings, and after his first 30 runs he was beginning to hit the ball with some power, and go for his strokes confidently. T. C. Fraser stayed with Cavanagh for a while, and then unexpected support was provided by R. Silver, the pace bowler of the side. He and Cavanagh added 64 runs for the ninth wicket, both scoring freely from both ends. . 7 . . ' Cavanagh was playing dashing | cricket by this time and a century ap-| peared a cricket certainty till, with| his total 89, he was given out.lbw to Mulcock. He^had been fortunate m that an easy chance was missed when he was only 12, another slightly more difficult when he was 28, and a very difficult o^e when he was 58. Apart from these blemishes he played his very best cricket irf the compilation of his biggest score in Plunket Shield cricket. It was a worthy captain's

innings. ) X ... Silver wafc the last man out with a well made 37 to his credit. It was not a long-handle innings either, his | strokes being well produced and forceful. KEEN FIELDING. Apart from Mulcock's swingers, bowled to' a steady length, Canterbury's attack was by no means impressive. The fielding was very keen and the ground work good, M. P. Donnelly being applauded frequently for his activity and sharp • returns. The display of the Canterbury opening pair, Kerr and Bellamy, was most hopeful for the visitors. Neither appeared greatly troubled " by the ; Otago bowling, though there was a fair variety in the time available, and. in the last thirty minutes of. the day they seemed quite., satisfied .to peg along quietly and take no chance of losing a wicket. Kerr showed a. return to his best form,-i making his strokes with beautiful crispness and ease. He was 48 at stumps, Bellamy having scored a quiet 28 in the same time. , . This start of 83 runs without loss is the best given to the Canterbury side so far this season, and if these two get off the mark again tomorrow some attractive batting can be expected. .■'■•' Otago's work in the field was not as snappy as that of the visitors, though there were no chances to be missed. Details: — OTAGO. First Innings. Uttley, run out • ••» 50 Knight, b Mulcock ...» 6 Robertson, c Webb, b Mulcock « 5 Moloney, c Bellamy, b Mulcock .. 7 Elmes, c and b Mulcock 39 Leader, c Webb, b Davis 1 Cavanagh. lbw, b Mulcock ...... 89 Mills, c Kerr, b Newton ........ 0 Fraser, lbw, b Cromb 20 Silver, c Mulcock, b Davis ...... 37 Lemin, not out V": ? Extras (leg byes 2, no balls 2) 4 Total V"- 266 Fall of Wickets.—One for 17, two for 23, three for 32, four for 96, five for 97, six for 131, seven for 131, eight for 176, nine for 250, ten for 266.

BOWLING ANALYSIS. O. \ M. R. W lulcock ...... 31 7 97 5 )avis 20.2 3 75 2 rewton ......* 14 2 49 1 !romb 8. 1 34 1 iellamy 1 . — • 7 • —» Davis bowled three no-balls.

CANTERBURY. - . First Innings. bCerr, not out . ..,48 3ellamy, not out ..... 28 Extras (bye 1, leg byes 5, nb ball 1) • 7 Total for no wickets ........«. 83 BOWLING ANALYSIS. O. M. R. W Silver 9 2 29 — iifemin ........ 4 1 15 — Robertson .... 5 1 14 — L.eader 5 1 7 . — Moloney 4 — ; 11 -— . Lemin bowled one no-ball.