CRICKET

Evening Star, Issue 16695, 30 March 1918, Page 6

CRICKET

OTAGO v. CANTERBURY. VISITORS BATTING. Whatever the circumstances, the timehonored fixture between Otago and Canterbury always arouses more interest in Otago than any other interprovincial match. The war has interrupted the regular visits between the two provinces, this being the first occasion upon which a. Canterbury team has been seen in Dunedin since the beginning of 1914. It is worthy of note that included in the visitors' eleven is the veteran Tom Reese, who played his first big match here 31 years ago." To-day in the same team with him is his son. "The umpires were Mr D. Smyth and Sir Cecil Moon. The wicket was snft when play started this morning, but Gray (the Canterbury skipper) decided to take first uso of it when lie won the toss from Patrick (who led the local eleven). Blunt and North were the pioneer batsmen, the former playing a maiden from M'Beth. who bowled from the south end. Livingstone's opening over to North was also resnltless. Blunt then opened out, and got the left-hander away twice for 2 ouch, a third brace coming from the last ball. North got Livingstone away for 4, bringing 10 up in eight minutes. Runs began to come freely, mostly from leg striked, and 50 was hoisted _ after 19 'minutes' play. At 31 Hay relieved Livingstone. He,'too, began with a maiden, a by© coming from one which canm <u:ross sharply. The out-Held. was slow. Both left-handers were now howling with a good length, and the rungetting slackened. A couple to Blunt brought up <lO in 25 minutes. Five runs later North played M'Beth tack to the bowler, who took a nice catch low down. 45-1-22. Hay followed, and Blunt welcomed him with a nice off drive for 3 off TT.-iy. Tlie newcomer thon faced his namesake, and w.'i.s clean bowled with a nice ball which, pit-chod on the "blind spot" and took the oft' hail. 48-2-0. The newcomer was D. l"!ecse, jun., nephew of the well-known Canterbury and New Zealand rep. Next over Blunt, who had played a coed, careful innings, was smartly stumped by On]land off M'Beth, and tho board showed 48-3-22. Considering Canterbury's strong batting side, this was a most satisfactory start for Otago. Whitta followed, and opened with a single. After scoring a. couple more (the stroke sending the bail very near Alloo at forward mid-on), Whitta was given out lbw to Hav, tho batsman Appearing to bo surprised at Sir Cecil Moon's decision. 51-4-3. Tho next man was Booth, and he opened with a singlo off Hay. At 57 Reese played forward to an off ball from M'Beth, and drew it into his wicket. 57—5—4. T. W. Reese came in, and was badly missed at cover by Alloo off the second ball from M'Beth. A nice offdrive for 3 by Booth brought up 60 in 70 minutes. Reese dfd not 6hape confidently at M'Beth, but survived the rest of the over. Booth's next scoring stroke was a nice carpet drive"* to the off boundary. Reece also scored 4 'by a good square leg hit off Hay, and another 2 to long leg off M'Beth. At 79 Livingstone came on again, vice Hay, but was inclined to be abort. Booth brought up 80 with a couple past point. Both batsmen were letting off a lot of leg stuff. At 82 Patrick wont on at tho Workshops end in place of M'Beth, Booth scoring a couple to _ third man from the first delivery. The third ball Booth touched, and Hutchison at short stop missed a catch straight into his hands. Reese, who was settling down, got' into doubles with a neat stroke in the slips. Booth niado himself top score with a 4 to leg off Patrick, and with another in the same place brought up 100 in 105 minutes. This brought on a double change, M'Beth and Hay resuming at the opposite ends to thoso at which they started. This brought about the desired separation, M'Beth getting Reese lbw with a ball well up_ on the leg stick. 109—6—17. The visiting skipper (Gray) now came in. His first was a clean hit to the square leg boundary. Soon Afterwards lie gave a chance to tho bowler (Hay), but it was too difficult to hold. Gray, who was laying on the wood, hit a four to long off, but succumbed lbw to Hay in the same over. 122—7—9. Gordon, the newcomer, misjudged Hay's first ball, but it fell short of 'M'Beth' in the slips. He get M'Beth to tho leg fence. Booth was now batting well, and hit Hay twice to the leg fence. Gordon also reached the leg boundary, onco off each bowler. After luncheon Gordon brought up 150 with 4 off M'Beth, who bowled from his original end. After an over by Patrick, Hay took tho ball at the north "end. Gordon played the first ball to forward leg, and .started, Alloo fielded and smartly returned, Gordon being given out. 153 B—l9. Howell came in, and hit Hay's first ball hard and high to mid-cn, where Brinsley held a fine one-handed catch. 153—9—0. Fuller was Inst man, and Booth pulled M'Beth to kg for 4. Fuller lifted Hay to extra cover, and was easily held by Livingstone, the innings closing at live minutes past 2 for 161. Booth played a good, sound innings, taking 100 minutes to get his runs. Scores:— Cantehitcry.—First Innings. H. North c and b M'Beth ..." ... 22 R. C. Blunt st Gsllaud b M'Beth ... 22 J. Hay b Hay 0 D. W." Reese b M'Beth 4 IT. Whitta lbw b Hay 3 R. H. Booth not out 49 T. W. Reese lbw b M'Beth 17 J. Gray lbw b Hay 9 L. Gordon run out 19 W. Howell c Brinsley b Hay 0 A. C. Fuller c Livingstone b Hay ... 3 Extras * ... 13 Total 161 Bowling Analysis.—(M'Beth. 163 balk, 7 maidens, 62 runs, four wickets; Livingstone, 48 ballsj 1 maiden, 23 rvras; Hay, 126 balls, 6 maidens, 49 runs, five wickets'; Patrick, 30 balls, 1 maiden, 14 runs. Patrick bowled one no hall. OTAGO'S FIRST INNINGS. Alloo and Barron opened Otago's innings, Blunt bowling to the latter from tho Workshops end, and getting the third ball nicely to the leg fence. Gordon bowled from tho other end. When the score was 7 Barron made, a poor stroke, but the ball landed safely behind tho wicket. At 2.50 the score was 8 (Barron 5, Alloo 2).