CRICKET

Greymouth Evening Star, 18 February 1941, Page 9

CRICKET

CENTENNIAL CUP MATCH. • [PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.] AUCKLAND, February 17. Auckland is in an excellent position to gain an outright win at the end of the third day’s play in the Centennial Cup cricket match against Wellington, which was continued in fine weather. Wellington had completed its innings for 195 on Saturday, and the home side, with three for 133 in reply, carried on to declare at 417 for nine wickets. Wellington fared even worse in the second innings, and at stumps todav had lost six wickets for 71. Showing a deficit of 151 runs, Wellington, unless rain intervenes, has little prospect of averting an innings defeat.

The game was resumed to-day in bright sunshine with Pritchard (holder of the Winsor memorial cup) opening from the north end to Whitelaw (71) and Scott (31). They started quietly, and after 20 runs had been added, D. S. Wilson replaced Ashenden, who had taken all the wickets so f cl 1* He bowled to an off-field and Scott scored freely off him, getting a brace of threes through the covers. This brought up Scott’s half-century, with Whitelaw then 87.

In the fast bowler’s third over an appeal for leg-before against Scott was disallowed, the ball going to the boundary for four byes. After Pritchard had sent down five overs, Duffy, a slow left-arm bowler, replaced him and began with a maiden. In Wilson’s fourth over, Whitelaw went to 95 with a leg glance to the fence. In the next over Wilson swung one in from the off to which Whitelaw, without addition to his tally, played forward and lost his middle stump. The wicket fell at 189 (Scott 56)', Weir, the captain, being the incomer. Weir opened confidently but after a quiet 10 minutes, he misjudged a curler from Wilson and play it on. 5 193 —1. Cleal came in to leaye the scoring to Scott, who played forceful strokes off both Wilson and Duffy to take the total past 200. At 212 Pritchard took -over again from Wilson and Ashenden went on in place of Duffy. Cleal got a powerful stroke off Ashenden to the boundary and he ran four for another past the bowler. The scoring during the morning had been about a run a minute. Both batsmen were playing confidently, with occasional strokes to the boundary. Cleal played a powerful uppish stroke to silly mid-on, and in attempting to field it, Duffy was struck on the forehead and had to leave the ground. Scores—

WELLINGTON. First innings Second Innings. W. Hepburn, b Weir .. 5 E. G. McLeod, b Burke .. . . 26 P. D. Wilson, b Cleverley .. 0 R. Crawford, b Weir . . • • 0 W. E. Norris, c and b Weir .. .. 5 D. S. Wilson, c Jackman, b Weir 0 N. S. Burnette, not out .. . ■ 23 J. Duffy, not out » Extras 4

Total for six wickets .. 71 Bowling: Weir four for 17, Cleverley one for 14, Burke one for 15, Andrews none for 21. AUCKLAND—First Timings. P. Burgess, b Ashenden .. . ■ 13 P. E. Whitelaw, LD. Wilson .. 95 H. T. Pearson, b Ashenden . . 14 y/. M. Wallace, c Wilson, b Ashenden 1 V. J. Scott, c and bD. Wilson . . 133 G. L. Weir, bD. Wilson . . .. 1 O. C. Cleal, c and bD. Wilson . . 98 C. Burke, b Ashenden . . • • 28 C. K. Jackman, bD. Wilson . . 0 D. C. Cleverley, not out . . .. 16 T. M. Andrews, not out .. ■ • 2 'Extras 1" Total for nine wickets (dec.) 417 Bowling: D. Wilson live lor 86, Ashenden four for 94, Hepburn none for 17, Duffy none for 21, Crawford none for 30, Downes none for 63, Pritchard none for 63. TO-DAY’S PLAY. AUCKLAND, February 18. Wellington hung on desperately, this morning, starting with six down for 71 (and still requiring 151 to avert an innings defeat). The score at lunch was 164 for eight wickets. (N S. H. Burnette c and b Weir 49. J. Duffy not out 53. T. L. Pritchard b Andrews 14. Extras 12). Weir took five wickets for 42.