BY TEN WICKETS

Evening Star, Issue 19772, 24 January 1928, Page 5

BY TEN WICKETS

WELLINGTON WINS THE SHIELD MATCH With only 42 runs'to make to win and an innings to play, Wellington’s task was an easy one, especially as a shower of rain during the luncheon interval had made the wicket again easy ; d the outfield “ greasy.” Worker and Badcoch were sent in to get the runs, Dickinson bowling from the top end. Worker hit the second ball past point for 2, and the fourth in the same direction for a sin ale. Badcock cover hit the last for 4. Torrance went on at the other end. His first was a short-pitched one, and Worker hit it for 2. Ten was brought up by Badcock cutting Dickinson for 1. Worker then drove him for 2, and played him down the slips for a single. A leg bye finished the over. Worker turned one of Torrance’s nicely to leg or a couple. Singles, and Worker again got Dickinson to fine leg, this time for 4. " dcck also hit him for 4to leg. A maiden to Torrance, and Blunt relieved Dickinson, Badcock pulled him for 2. and played him quietly to leg for a single, bringing 30 up. Badcock got another to the boundary, and then M'Mullan fielded a hot one .splendidly. Douglas replaced Torrance, Worker straight driving him for a single. One or two got up a bit, but Badcock pushed the last to the off for another single. Three singles came from Blunt’s next over, and only one was needed. Worker got Douglas to leg, and tho match was won. Scores:—WELLINGTON. First innings ' 438 Second Innings. Worker not out 15 Badcock not out 22 Extras 5 Total for no wickets ... 48 Grand total 530 Bowling Analysis.—Dickinson, 3 overs, 17 urns; Torrance, 3 overs, 1. maiden, 5 runs; Blunt, 2 overs, 11 runs; Douglas, 2 overs, 4 rims. OTAGO. First innings 155 Second innings ,37.-) Grand total 52!) NOTES AND COUNTS [By Wallaby.] With a depleted team and the conditions all against them on tho second day, Otago had little hope of beating such a formidable combination as that which the Wellington Association scut down this season. Yet, had Otago been able to field our strongest eleven, 1 am pretty certain tho finish would have been fairly close, for with Eastman, Shepherd, and Alloo in, our bowling would have been superior to that of the northerners, while our batting would have been considerably strengthened. On the other hand, Vorrath would not have been included. Bat it is useless thinking over what might have been. What actually happened is that Wellington won by ten wickets, and on tho run of the play were decidedly the superior side. It was an interesting match, despite its one-sided aspect, and there were features iu it that wore creditable to Otago. One ol those was the second innings _ recovery. Time was when a second innings collapse was characteristic of our province; now it is the opposite, and for the fourth time this season our men have topped 300 and beaten their first innings score. DICK INSON ’S CE NTURY. Then there was the success of two young batsmen, Dickinson and Vorrath. The former is improving as a bat but, unfortunately, is losing his bowling form. Yesterday he continued his innings, after losing his partner of Saturday (Knight) without adding anything to the 124 they had put on between them, and his luck clung to him. Three more chances he gave—making five in all—hut in between times his batting was free and attractive. His century should encourage him to get down seriously to practice again and to take advantage of tho advice of the coach, in his innings of 104 he hit only eight 4’s: on the other hand he had thirty-six singles, many of them smartly run. He was 142 minutes at the wickets altogether. Yesterday ho was missed by James (a “choppy” chance) Iwforo ho had added to his overnight score, and twice in the slips by Brice when in the BU's. VORRATH'S CHANCE. Vorrath’s innings was a pleasant surprise. The youngster had not shown any indication of getting very far when on tour, his best score being 18. For this reason lie was omitted from the eleven originally chosen to meet Wellington at Carisbronk. But on Alloo deciding that a holiday in the bush was worth a couple of “ hands,” tho young Albion player regained his place. And once more the uncertainty of cricket was demonstrated, for Vorrath halted with vigor and confidence, and withal correctly, if tho four chances he gave are excepted. To make a hundred thus early in his career will be an incentive for him also to learn all ho can in order to improve his batting.

Yesterday Vorrath went in when six wickets were down for 193 and the bowlers were fresh. Me began in his usual careful .style, and the field closed in mi him until there was scarcely room to swing his bat. But in an over or two these fieldsmen were glad to drop back and to try and save the 4’s which the youngster was hitting with promptitude and dispatcli. Forty of his first G2 runs came from boundaries, and be hit fourteen 4’s altogether. His first 50 went up in a, tide over the half-hour, while his total score was got at the rate of one a minute. Ho lifted them sometimes, certainly, and took risks. Ho was also indebted to Baclcock, Worker, Lowry, and Lamason for missing him. His first chance was when ho was in the thirties, and Baclcock only just got Ids fingers to the ball, which was going high over his head. In tho seventies he was dropped by Worker at deep mid-on, and at 8(J Lowry should have taken him at mid-off. The fieldsman appeared to make too sure of the catch, using only one hand. A still easier chance was that which he gave to Lamason just before reaching S)U. The fieldsman (ususally a sure catch) waited for it in “the country,” but it popped out of his hands and rolled to the boundary. But between times Vorrath made some excellent strokes to fine leg and in front of the wicket, his driving being quite powerful and well timed. His partnership with Dickinson added just 3 runs short of the hundred. TORRANCE HELPS. Another good useful partnership was that between Vorrath and Tor-

ranee for the last wicket. After Dickinson’s departure Elmes was sent back Ibw, and Douglas was out to a catch to take which Lowry had to rush on to the wicket from close mid-off, and then got to it only at the last instant and while in the act of falling. He held it only for a fraction of time, and it appeared to those in the Press box that an appeal, had one been made, might have been given in the batsman’s favor. However, Torrance came in and set himself to keep up his wicket for Vorrath, who still wanted 25 runs for his century, and he accomplished his task, playing some good strokes in the process and adding runs of his own accord. Dick is not one to let the ball just hit the bat, and four 4's were included in his 28. He helped his young partner to add 62 runs and to save the innings defeat. WELLINGTON’S BOWLING. The Wellington bowling was not impressive, all those who came on being 'more or less freely hit. Badcock was tho best of the biinch on the day. All tho bowlers suffered through the bad catching. The fielding generally was not good, for on three or four occasions the ball was overthrown and runs resulted. HUNS KNOCKED OFF. The shower of rain which fell during the luncheon interval was quite unexpected, for the morning had been hot and fine. It had the effect of making Wellington’s easy task of getting 42 runs stib easier. Blunt put on Dickinson and Torrance—two bowlers who had been freely scored off in the first innings—and runs came quickly* Tho required numbers were got in twenty-eight minutes, Badcock and Worker each hatting nicely for his share. DREAM THAT CAME TRUE. A curious coincidence though to those who believe in dreams it will not ho regarded as a coincidence—occurred when Knight was dismissed so promptly in the morning. It appears that Lambert had dreamed the night before that Brice had put Badcock on to howl and that ho had got a wicket with his first ball. He told his dream to the skipper, who acted upon it, with the result that Badcock’s first delivery went off Knight’s bat into the hands of Lambert, who thus assisted in making his own dream come true. OTAGO AVERAGES Following are the Otago averages for the four representative matches played this season : n.vrn Nt;.

Pi rlx m son Inns. Rims. 11.'i N T .G. n IT.S. 104 Ave. 50.50 ftliiiU ... 4 204 n 8.5 51.0(1 Kastman ... 4 180 o m 47.25 Alloo ' (1 20s ft or 44,6(5 M'Mullaii ... a 34.5 ft 121 43.12 fialland ... 8 247 ft 70 30.87 Knight ... ... 8 21H i 82 28.71 Vorrath ... 8 1.52 i 102* 21.65 Tnrran’re ... H SI 3 20 10.20 Cavansigh ... 8 111) ft 25 12.00 Dimes " ... ... 8 04 n 40 11.75 Cherry ... 8 oi ft (55 11.37 Dougins ... ft ;«) 2 12 7.00 E. 8. Wilson ffi*J also balled, * Denoles mil out, liOWUN'G. Ov'rs. M’ns. Runs. A lion 121 24 383 W'fc’ts. Ave. 15 25.53 Kastman 14.1 22 227 12 27.45 Knight 43 5 1U7 6 27.83 Douglas :id n 242 !) 38.00 Torrance ... ... 224 (12 522 12 44.08 Dickinson ... 41 2 172 2 86.00 Dimes 27 :) UK! 1 100.00 131unt 52 5 201 1 201,00