PLUNKET SHIELD

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 30 December 1938, Page 6

PLUNKET SHIELD

WELLINGTON-CANTERBURY MATCH COMMENCED AT CHRISTCHURCH TO-DAY COMMENCED AT CHRISTCHURCH TO-DAY I United Press Associationl CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. There was brilliant sunshine and a cloudless sky for the opening of the Plunket Shield match between Canterbury and Wellington at Lancaster Park. The wicket was in splendid order and the outfield fast when Canterbury decided to bat. Pritchard opened the attack. His fourth ball was slipped behind by Hadlee, Tindall taking a good cacth—one for none—a st*rt similar to that made against Auckland. The position improved after that, possibly on account of a black kitten appearing on the field. Twenty runs were up in quick time, ten runs coming from Pritchard's second over, including two fours to Bellamy, who sent one ball flying over the heads of four anxious slip fieldsmen and another which was a lovely square cut.

In Ashenden’s second over Bellamy punched one hard to the off boundary and Kerr, who had opened confidently, reached double figures with a neat late cut off Pritchard. Both batsmen seemed to relish the bowling and hoisted fifty in half an hour.

With the total at 52 Bellamy paid the penalty for nibbling rising off balls from Ashenden and was well caught by the first slip. Kerr met the same fate just on noon when he snicked a ball from Wilson into the slips, Ell taking an easy catch Three wickets were down for 66. Roberts and Cromb attempted to steady up Canterbury’s rather reckless batting, but Tindill shrewdly put on the left-hander Gallichan and thwarted their plans. The total had reached 91 when Cromb was beaten all the way by one of Gallichan’s spinners. Donpelly began quietly, but had a short life. When he finally leg-glanced a scorcher from Pritchard the wicketkeeper Tindill, revealing lightning anticipation, stepped across to take up a magnificent one-handed catch. Five were down for 104. Roberts reached 20 by sound cricket, but at 26 was dropped in the gully off Wilson. Menzies and Roberts added 26 to the total before Roberts, who had just obtained 50 in 68 minutes, was beaten by a good ball from Ashenden. j CANTERBURY First Innings Scores at lunch: Hadlee, c Tindill, b Pritchard 0 Bellamy, c Gallichan, b Ashenden 29 Kerr, c Ell, b Wilson 24 Roberts, b Ashenden 51 Cromb, b Gallichan 10 Donnelly, c Tindill, b Pritchar 3 Menzies, not out 19 Anderson, not out 2 Extras 3 Total, for six wickets 141