PLUNKET SHIELD

Evening Star, Issue 20987, 29 December 1931, Page 10

PLUNKET SHIELD

OTAGO 589—BLUNT 338 UNBEATEN CANTERBURY REQUIRES 279 TWO WICKETS FOB 81 AT LUNCH [Per United Press Association.] CHRISTCHURCH. December 29. The Plunket |shield cricket was resumed in bot went her. Otago’s second innings closed for 589, after twentyfive minutes’ play, to-day, with Blunt (still not out) 338. Hawksworth, his partner in the last wicket stand, got his leg in front to a straight one from Merritt. Blunt batted for 320 minutes, and hit forty-one boundaries. Hawksworth batted 106 minutes for 21. Left with 279 runs to get for a win, Hamilton and Kerr opened Canterbury’s second _ innings steadily, and male 20 runs in 20min. Badcock used the leg theory against Kerr, with seven men on .that side. Smith also bowled with a similar object, and this policy kept the batsmen quiet. The bail was bumping occasionally, and Hawksworth (Otago wicketkeeper) received a nasty blow on tho chest once. Hamilton reached 20 when Kerr had made 6. Hamilton then had a life off Badcock, Blunt missing a chance in the slips. Dunning relieved Smith, and Hamilton hit his first for 3. Then Kerr survived a leg-before-wicket appeal. He got into double figures with a 4 off Dunning. The fielding was keen. Then Hamilton fell to Badcock Ibw, tho ball that gob him keeping very low. One wicket for 47. Roberts was restrained. The pitch showed signs of wear, and every ball had to bo watched closely, Tho score rose by singles and 70 appeared after 80 minutes’ play. Kerr sent Elmesto the boundary off a full toss. Dunning then clean bowled Roberts with a swinger that went underneath his bat. 74—2—8. Talbot joined Kerr, and both were very quiet till the lunch adjournment, with the fieldsmen keenly on the alert. Details at the luncheon break, when Canterbury bad lost two wickets for 81: Details: — OTAGO. First innings ... ... 161 —Second Innings.— Cherry c Pago b Cromb ... 13 Badcock c Powell b Cromb ... ... 105 Blunt not out 338 Knight c Hamilton b Burrows ... 9 Priest c Hamilton b Burrows ... 0 Elmes Ibw b Talbot >.. 24 Smith b Burrows ... 15 Dunning Ibw b Burrows 5 Moloney c Pago b Merritt ... : >.. 5 Coupland b Burrows .... 13 Hawksworth Ibw b Merritt 21 Extras ... 41 Total 589 Bowling Analysis.—Cromb, three for 144; Burrows, four for 68; Merritt, two for 143; Talbot, one for 78; Lester, none for 47; Roberts, none for 54; Page, none for 14. CANTERBURY. First innings 472 —Second Innings.— Hamilton Ibw b Badcock ... ... 30 Kerr not out ... 36 Roberts b Dunning ... ... 9 Talbot not out ... ... 1 Extras ... ... ... 5 Total for two wickets 81

GREAT CRICKET SURPRISES

WONDERFUL DAY FOR SPECTATORS BLUNT COMPLETELY COLLARED BOWLING TRIBUTE TO HAWKSWORTH [Special to the ‘ Star.’] CHRISTCHURCH, December 29. In an editorial, the ‘ Press ’ says: Christchurch is lucky in its Christmas season cricket, Last year we saw the Canterbury team snatch an astonishing victory over Auckland in the last few minutes of play; this year, the match between Otago and Canterbury has also produced great cricket, and greater surprises. Thost who went to Lancaster Park yesterday morning probably did so mainly because the weather would have made any sort of cricket worth watching. There seemed to be no issue in the balance, except Otago’s chance of staving off an innings defeat. Badcock’s gay centuiy in the morning put everyone in vastly good humour, but it was the good humour of a crowd that could afford to be generous. The bowling still had an edge, and one century does not make much impression on a first innings lead of over 300, and when, after lunch, the middle batsmen collapsed lamentably, the end seemed to be in sight. Blunt, it is true, was still scoring, and scoring fast, but no one could stay with him. Then the hour brought forth the man, a wicketkeeper with a straight bat; and Blunt went on into history—a century, a double century record for Plunket Shield cricket, a treble century; and when stumps were drawn Hawksworth’s bat was still coming down straight, and Blunt was still bombarding the fence on the boundary. A short while before a double century had been a distant possibility for him. At 6 o’clock there did not seem any reason why he should ever go out at all. It was a vciy wonderful day's cricket, both for its dramatic interest and the_ excellence of the play; so wonderful, indeed, that the issue of the game now seems relatively unimportant The ‘ Times ’ says; While the wicket was dead, and all in favour of tho batsmen, there is no gainsaying tho fact that the Canterbury bowling was completely collared. Badcock went in first, and immediately began to score. Ho is one of the most attractive batsmen in the dominion when he really gets going, and his display yesterday was up to his best. Ho showed all tho strokes, driving with force and accuracy, and gave only one chance, a particularly hot one, when he was in tho twenties. When he reached his century ho went for a hit. and was caught Had ho batted steadily on, tho Otago score might_ have been still larger. Blunt went in just before midday, and treated tho spectators to delightful cricket. When 127 ho was dropped by Talbot off Lester, and later on gave a

stinging chance in the slips, which Hamilton (throwing himself at the ball) just failed to hold With those exceptions his innings was well nigh perfect. There was non© of that tendency to feel for the ball which he showed in the first innings, and his timing and placing were wonderful. His runs were made in 295 minutes—brisk batting all the time. His driving was strong and safe, and his strokes through the slips and on tho on side were masterly. When set, he gave a bright exhibition of pulling, with some big hits off tho slow bowlers. After Hawksworth came in, Blunt showed great skill in sneaking singles at tho end of an over and taking tho lion’s share of tho bowling. His effort was the best he ever put up on Lancaster Park, and that is saying a great deal. He hit no fewer than thirty-eight 4’s. PEERLESS ROGER BLUNT MORE RECORDS TO FAMOUS PLAYER [By Substitute.] Otago’s magnificent second innings recovery in the Plunket Shield match against Canterbury at Christchurch has been described as one of the greatest known to New Zealand cricket, and while most of the honours naturally go to Roger Blunt and F. T. Badcock, there are others deserving of praise for the good stands they made while Blunt was amassing the score. Chief among them was W. Hawksworth, the University wicket keeper, who was associated with Blunt in the prolific last-wicket partnership which added 150 runs before stumps were drawn for the day yesterday with both men unbeaten. Hawksworth is a sound batsman, and last season had an average of 21.00 in Plunket Shield games, his highest score being 27 not out against Auckland after he had put together 17 not out in the first innings. But attention must focus on the phenomenal effort of Blunt, who has added another to his many records in New Zealand cricket. His total of 338 not out surpassed the previous record score for Plunket Shield cricket of 256 put together by S. G. Smith for Auckland against Canterbury at Auckland in the 1919-20 season. Incidentally, it was a record, of course, for matches between Canterbury and Otago, the previous best being Blunt’s own total of 221 against Canterbury at Cairsbrook a few seasons back. It was in that match that Otago made 602 for the loss of eight wickets in the second innings. Blunt’s performance in the present game at Lancaster Park is described as the outstanding of a brilliant career, and that is praise indeed. Its merit is enhanced by the fact that Otago was opposed by a side more than half of whom were New Zealand representatives. and also in view of the herculean task with which the visitors were faced. But Roger Blunt rose to tho occasion, as he has done so often in the past, and his score is the first of 300 over made by a New Zealander in any match in first-class cricket. Blunt has made seven scores of 200 or more in his cricketing career, these being as follows2o4 for Christ’s College against Christchurch Boys’ High School, 1917; 226 for West Christchurch against Riccarton, at Christchurch, in 1923- and 200 m another club game the same season; 216 for New Zealand against Goulburn (Australian tour), 1924- ; 221 for Otago against Canterbury at Dunedin in 1928-29; 225 not out for New Zeaalnd against Gentlemen of England, 1931; 338 not out for Otago against Canterbury at Christchurch, 1931.

Some of Blunt’s outstanding performances are worth considering. In 1922-23 season, while a Canterbury representative, he won the Redpath Cup awarded by the New Zealand Cricket _ Council for the most meritorious batting performance of tho season, and this trophy he again won while playing for Otago in 1926-27. During tho 1923-24 season in Christchurch he put together 1,074 runs in club games, this being the highest aggregate ever made in Christchurch club cricket. It was that season that his score of 266, tho highest of his career until his latest tally, was put together for West Christchurch against Riccarton, and that game witnessed another record by Blunt, who scored 42 runs in an eight-ball over. He hit three successive sixers, played _ the .fourth ball, and scored four more sixers in the over.

Of his seven double-century performances Blunt has scored three in first class cricket, his previous best being 225 not out for New Zealand against the Gentlemen of England on the recent tour, which still stands as the highest score made for New Zealand in a firgt class match. Blunt has frequently gone close to reaching the double century in other games. He made 174 for Canterbury against MacLaren’s M.C.C. team in 1923, and in 1926, against the Melbourne Cricket Club team, scored 187 for New Zealand in the match at Christchurch; while in the match at Wellington against the same team he established another record for a New Zealand batsman in first class cricket by scoring 104 and 103 in the same match. Blunt was the most successful! allrounder of the New Zealand team in England in 1927, and though he did not meet with such success as a bowler on the recent tour was again second on the batting averages, putting together the highest total of the tour. His biggest score for Carisbrook was 187, and among the centuries he has scored for Otago have been 116 against Wellington, 131 not out and 221 against Canterbury. His best bowling performance for Otago was probably his eight for 99 against Auckland last season. Blunt’s first century in big cricket was made for Canterbury in a return match with Wellington in 1919-20, when he got 137 not out.

Blunt has many strokes at his command, but his off driving and late cutting particularly are a treat to watch, and he himself confesses that he likes this late-cut shot, as it brings so many runs.

The highest score made in first class cricket is Don Bradman’s 452 not out for New South Wales against Queensland; while W. H. Ponsford has two scores of over 400 to his credit for Victoria. A. O. MacLaren scored 424 for Lancashire against Somerset.