THE PLUNKET SHIELD.

Evening Star, Issue 20986, 28 December 1931, Page 6

THE PLUNKET SHIELD.

Among the Christmas cricket fixtures are two matches for the Plunket Shield. Otago is playing Canterbury at Christchurch, and Auckland is engaged with Wellington at Wellington. The selectors, in choosing Otago’s representatives, kept in mind the aphorism that “ youth must bo served.” They sent north a young team, realising full well the risks of defeat caused by inexperience in big cricket, but hoping that the tour would develop tho latent talent among tho younger players. It is a good principle to work on, for the natural tendency is to hold fast to men, when their powers are waning, who have done notable service in the past. A reproach hurled at selectors across the Tasman Sea was that it was harder to get out of tho Australian eleven than to get into it.” Otago met a formidable eleven at Christchurch, including five players who were members of tho last New Zealand team that went to England. Among the five were Merritt and Cromb, who bowled so well in the Home Country, and they accounted for six of the wickets in Otago’s first innings. Our total of 161 was certainly disappointing, seeing that fortune provided a batsman’s wicket, but in tho circumstances it was not such aa to cause discouragement, and hasty generalisations about the merits of Otago cricket should be avoided. And, of course, there is tho second innings to come. With such accomplished batsmen as Kerr, Roberts, Hamilton, Talbot, and Pago in the Canterbury team, with others who at times have shown themselves capable rungetters, it seemed inevitable that the homo side would score heavily, particularly as Otago ivas without the services of Dickinson, whoso fast bowling has been of a notably good quality this year. It will be observed that of Canterbury’s total of 472 three members of the team who went to England scored 212 between them, while Roberts, who compiled 77, was only omitted from tho British tour because of tho embarrassment of riches that perplexed the selectors. The crumb of comfort to be found in the statement that the ground fielding of the Otago men was magnificent is offset by the fact that several catches wore dropped, which is a particularly disconcerting experience for a bowler on a batsman’s wicket. In considering our unfavourable position, tho Otago players and supporters can take heart of grace from the fact that three or four years ago, when the Canterbury selectors were experimenting with young players, they had some unfavourable experiences in the interprovincial matches. The game between Wellington and Auckland is at an interesting stage, the position at tho end of the second day’s play being rather in favour of the home side, which is led by tho redoubtable Lowry. Dempster, always reliable, made a useful 40, but tho features of the match so far are tho bowling of Clevorley for Auckland—who gave an illustration of his abilities with the ball in Dunedin last year—and Vivian’s 82 (not out) in Auckland’s second innings. From both of these youthful players great things had been expected, and they are living up to tho hopes reposed in them. It is clear that the experience gained by Vivian on tho English tour is being reflected in bis cricket to-day. The two tours of tho Motherland have justified themselves. They have put New Zealand definitely on tho cricket map; they have greatly improved the standard of our playj. and

by the exemplary conduct of the members of the teams while abroad they justified the confidence placed in them by the Now Zealand Cricketing Association and the cricketing public.