SHIELD CRICKET

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 152, 26 December 1945, Page 6

SHIELD CRICKET

OTAGO'S BIG TASK

MATCH WITH WELLINGTON

The revival of the Plunket Shield cricket competition after the wartime suspension was taken cautiously from a batting point of view in the Welling-ton-Otago match at the Basin Reserve. Although conditions were suited to run-making, there was little really enterprising batting in the day and a half of play up to stumps yesterday, but Wellington's representatives set themselves on a foundation from which to apply the pressure during the remaining days of the match. Wellington's score of 322 gave Otago a hurdle, which was made to look more formidable when the visi'.-rs faced today's play with only 68 runs on the board at a cost of four wickets.

The Wellington total was built largely around a stout defensive effort by Wiren, who demonstrated that his war) service break from local cricket has not lessened his ability to stick. He batted through most of the first day's play, and gave the Otago bowlers a heart-breaking task. Eventually he was .run out after having made 84 runs —a score worth much more than that to the side even if the process of compilation seemed tedious. More runs, of course, were offering, but there were few of the others to take advantage of the work of Wiren in taking the sting put of the bowling during the first five hours of play. A particularly bright spot in Wellington's innings was Baroer's knock, which produced 45 runs. Barber treated the bowling on its merits, and played his shots well. His score included four boundary hits. Rowe, too, batted splendidly once he had settled down, and by the end of the first day he appeared to be well set for a century. The break, however, was his undoing. Still, he went a long way, and his forcefulness kept a keen field busy. He and Barber brightened up Wellington's batting very considerably, and the punch in Rowe's strokes accounted for ten 4's. Buchan, who had come into the side in place of Beard, also displayed a lively bat in giving the innings a bright finishing touch. Otago maintained keenness in the field, with Mills showing up impressively behind the sticks.Wellington had Rice as captain, the change of leadership having been made as the result .of a request by Mooney, who was originally appointed captain. VISITORS' REPLY. Otago's innings was commenced shortly after 4 p.m. yesterday, and the opening pair, Bellamy and Mills, shaped confidently against Hatch and Buchan, who bowled with plenty of snap. Runs were scored at a steady rate mainly by the left-hander, Bellamy, who before going to Otago had made many a good sr.ore for Canterbury. Bellamy placed his shots well for singles and an occasional brace, and eventually he made the first boundary hit of the innings in coverdriving a ball from Hatch to the ropes. Mills was satisfied to keep his end up and picked, out an occasional ball for scoring purposes, though, of course, there were forcing strokes by both batsmen which were made nonproductive by alert fielding With the steady progress them was no sign ot a variation in the attack. Hatch, occasionally bumping, and Buchan maintained pace and length, and neither was expensive. Confidence in the ability of these two to break the partnership was not misplaced. It was in Buchan s eighth over that Mills was bowled, the ball going from his pad to the wicket, and-without any addition to the score I Bellamy's promising innings ended, this batsman being caught behind oil Hatch. Of the total of 34 Bellamy had m The loss of the two opening batsmen in successive overs placed a big responsibility on the next two batsmen, Fraser and Baker (left-hander). From Wellington's point of view the successes were good enough to keep Hatch and Buchan at their work, and these bowlers kept the batsmen fairly quiet. Except for a 3 by Baker the scoring was confined to singles, with Fraser more, on the defensive than his partner. These two batsmen were dismissed before play ended for the day. Rowe, in the slips, caught Baker after having missed a hard chance, and Fraser was bowled, the wickets going to^atch and Buchan respectively. Watt and Roberts were the next batsmen, and they carried _on until at 547 p.m. an appeal against the light was upheld. Roberts had opened with a 4 down the gully, but he did not settle down confidently. Watt showed some smartness between, the wickets. Before the play ended Cave and Allen relieved Hatch and Buchan. whose long-term engagement had been profitable. TODAY'S PLAY. The start of play today was delayed by rain, and it was on a drying wicket that Watt and Roberts resumed Otago s innings. A keen southerly made matters rather unpleasant, but conditions improved as the play progressed. Hatch and Buchan were the opening bowlers of the session, and they commanded respect from the outset. Otago, however, needed runs badly, and the batsmen did not neglect reasonable scoring opportunities. Each succeeded in forcing a ball from Buchan to the boundary, and. with a number of other scoring strokes, the total had been taken to 84 when Roberts failed to survive an appeal by Buchan for lbw. 84—5—14. That did not improve Otago s outlook, . which was made to look worse when Toomey, after making four runs, was well caught in the slips by Buchan off Hatch. Meanwhile, Watt had been shaping well, and, in looking for runs, he moved briskly between the wickets. His scoring strokes included some neat leg glances. It was at 93 that Toomey s wicket fell. , _ ... , • „ The Otago captain, Smith, who is a left-handed bat, faced a difficult position confidently, and, with Watt shaping soundly, the score was taken to the 100 mark without trouble except for an occasional ball lifting from the pitch. A double bowling change followed, Allen and Cave taking up the attacs. Buchan and Hatch had had 28.and. 26 overs respectively during the innings, and half of Buchan's overs had been scoreless. Each bowler had taken three wickets. The change had a quietening effect upon the batsmen, though an occasional run was scored before Smith scored a smartly-run couple in turning a ball from Cave to leg. Watt reached 20 with a cover-drive off Allen, the run being the only one scored from Allen in five overs. The luncheon adjournment was taken with the total at 106 for six wickets— Watt in 20, Smith in 9. Details: — \YEI,UNG'fON\ First Inninps. Ell, st Mills, 1) Roberts \- Wiren, run out *' Duffy, b Hnrwood -l Kice, c Bellamy, b Silver lj Howe, b Silver *~ Barber, run out 4<j Mooney, i: Mills, 1) Silver ;' Cave, st Mills, b Hnrwood ■ lHatdi. b Silver .. » JSurhnn, <•■ Harwood ,1) hmitli ■ il Allen, not out ]» Extras: Byes 8, leg-byes 4 iTotal 3:!'; Fall of Wickets.—One for 17, two for -10. three for 74. four for 13r>. five for 213, six for 235, seven for 261, oigiit for 2(31, nine lor 277, ten for :>2-. Bowling Ann lysis. O. M. H. W. Silver 32 s X:) '' Roberts f< '-M } Freeman .'U •! iS- '• Hnrwood :« S 5(5 - Smith l">-3 5 2ii 1 Fraser 1 — •> ° OTAGO. First Innings. Bellamy, <: Mooney, b Hatch 2-1 Mills, b Buehan 3 Fraser, b Buchan j_i J Baker, c Rowe, b Hatch 9 ■\Va!l, not out ~<j Roberts, lbw, b Buehan 1-1 Toomey, c. Buehan, b Hatch '1 Smith, not out !J Extras: 13 Total for six wickets 100 Umpires: Messrs. Maiden and Dick.