Rodney Lose 7 For 209

Northern Advocate, 24 January 1947, Page 4

Rodney Lose 7 For 209

CRICKET

(Special.) OMAHA, This Day. Perfect conditions prevailed at Omaha today for the opening of the Dargavillc Shield cricket match between Ih.c holders. Rodney, and Whangarci.

Winning the loss, Rodney batted first, and at 2.30 p.m. had lost seven wickets for 200 runs.

The hero of the match from Ihe Whangarei point of view was J. Drake, who bowled unchanged during the two hours of play, sending down 23 overs, eight of which were maidens, and taking all four wickets for 40 runs. The Wyatt brothers, Lon and Ivan, opened attractively for Rodney and put on 43 in slightly less than even time before the younger. Ivan, hit a catcii back to Drake off a ball which cocked up after he had failed to capture the pitch of it. He had hit four fours in his 24 and was at the wicket for 50 minutes.

Noel Vipond was stodgy and did not last long, cocking up a lollypop catch to Palmer at point off another ball which came up sharply. The big hitter, Jack Dunning, tried to hook a good length ball to the boundary and miss-hit it straight into the air. Four wickets were then down for 58 runs and the back of the Rodney batting was virtuallyy broken.

Drake had taken four for 16 off 16 overs at that stage.

DUNNINGS SETTLE DOWN

The Rodney captain, Bill Dunning should have been out with only one more run on the board, a single, to his name. I-Ie snicked a low catch to Jennings at second slip off the steady Jackson, but the chance was not accepted. The veteran then settled down and with his son, Ron, batting splendidly at the other end, the score was exactly doubled at lunch.

Rod Dunning lifted Drake for the only six of the morning with a beautiful on-drive. He also hit six fours with powerful shots between square and fine leg and past cover point. Anything less was severely dealt with by this veteran, while his father at the other end placed a ball carefully to hit 11 singles in his 17 runs.

FIELDING GOOD The Whangarei fielding was first class, the rather difficult catch off W. Dunning being the only chance missed. Jackson was the only other Whangarei bowler besides Drake who commanded respect. He sent down 15 overs for 30 runs. Wilson tried to bowl too fast and after yielding 19 runs from three overs, was taken off. Dunn too, was erratic, his three overs conceding 14 runs. Fcrgusson sent two overs for 12 runs, and was unsuccessful with a very confident appeal for a catch made behind the wicket off .W. Dunning. That was just before the luncheon adjournment. Throughout Ihc morning Drake was getting much lift from the new concrete wicket and this coupled with his accuracy, swing and changes of pace brought him to success.

DRAKE’S FIFTH VICTIM The partnership of R. and W. Dunning realised 84 runs and carried the score to 142. W. Dunning became Drake’s fifth victim when he tried to swing a ball away to leg, missed and was out for 24. He had shown a fancy for this shot and, timing it nicely, had hit three fours and a six. R. Dunning was out soon after to a brilliant piece of fielding by Hook who scooped an on-drive off the ground at mid-on as he raced towards the wicket, and knocked the stumps down with a deadly throw-in from the same under-arm action.

Drake had his first spell after bowling 29 overs and getting five for 64. He was relieved by McLeod who had R. Dunning caught in slips by Wilson off the first really weak shot that the batsman had made.

Dunning played attractive cricket and the run-getting tempo slackened noticeably after his departure. E. Wyatt and Anderson were on the defensive against Drake and Jackson, but Wyatt dispensed loose balls from McLeod to the boundary to bring the 200 up.

Drake came on with the new ball but Wyatt and Anderson were still there at 2.30 when the score was 209 for seven wickets. Scores:—

T.ODNFY First Innings 28 I. Wyatt, c and b Drake .... 24 1 () 30 .1?. Dunning, c Wilron, b McLeod .... 80 18 10 .... () Tola! Cor seven wickets . . . . 203