PLUNKET SHIELD WON.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17360, 6 January 1920, Page 6

PLUNKET SHIELD WON.

AUCKLAND BEATS HOLDERS,

. INNINGS AND -160 BUNS.

CANTERBURY'S SECOND VENTURE.

The match" between Canterbury, the holders, and Auckland, challengers, for the Plunket Shield, was concluded at Eden Park yesterday afternoon, when Auckland won by an innings and 160 runs. Rain fell for about half an hour after play commenced, but the game was riot interrupted. The wicket remained good, though the outfield was rather rough.

. Play was resumed at 11.15 a.m., Blunt 9, and McEwen 16, the not out men, continuing their innings, the former facing Smith, who opened from the eastern end. Blunt got hie first ball away to leg for a single, and McEwen scored a brace. The fourth ball he tipped to Hemus in the slips, who missed an easy catch. Snedden, whose average was one for 22, bowled from the other end, and Blunt got him for a single, while McEwen sent his seventh ball past point to the boundary. Smith sent down a maiden to Blunt, and McEwen obtained a single off Snedden. Blunt cut the! last ball of the over finely and it went to the boundary, bringin 40 up. Both batsmen were playing the bowlers carefully, McEwen blocking Smith's deliveries for the most part, and just managing to get a single off the seventh ball. Snedden bowled a maiden, and then Blunt drove Smith to the on boundary for four.. McEwen cut Snedden ! through the slips for a single. At this j stage McEwen was nearly run out. j Blunt sent Snedden's first delivery to the off boundary for four, and then snicked him through the slips for a single,* making the total 50 {or as many minutes' play. Rain commenced to - fall fairly heavily, but the play continued. Smith sent down a maiden over to Blunt, and both batsmen obtained singles from Snedden, McEwen eventually sending one past point to the chalk line, bringing 60 on to the board-McEwen 32; Blunt 25. He repeated the performance almost immediately, and the over concluded. Blunt, hooked Smith to the square leg boundary and on-drove him for four, making the total 70. Coates replaced Snedden and McEwen, hit his fourth ball to leg for a trio. Blupt then drove Coates tp the off for four, and snicked him for a single, making 80. Player relieved Smith, and Blunt booked him to the square leg boundary for three. McEwen got a single, and Blunt drove him past mid-on for two, making six off the over.

The Second Wicket Falls. The rain ceased at this stage, and alter McEwen bad hit Coates for a single. Blunt, with a pretty stroke, found the square leg boundary, bringing 90 up. He hit the following ball for a single, but from the first delivery of Player's next over McEwen was given out leg before: 91-2-39. Thomas followed and p.afyed out a maiden over. The- fielding of the Auckland team was excellent at this period, and it was not till the second ball of Player's next over that an extra was recorded. Player bowled a maiden, and Thomas opened his account with a single of? Coates. Blunt swung the succeeding ball to leg, and Thomas followed with a single. A Tittle later the century appeared, an hour and a-half being occupied in compiling it—fairly slow scoring. i Only one run resulted from Players nest over, and three were scored off Coates. Player bowled another maiden, and three singles were obtained off Coates. Blunt then tried to lift Player's thirl ball tc the boundary, and was clean bowled: 106-3—56. Player's average at this stage was two wickets for seven runs. Reese- followed, and Player completed a maiden over. - Thomas cut Coates' first ball for a single,, and Reese scooped him to leg for a similar amount—the only runs from the- over. Reese got a brace off Player, bringing 110 up. Coates then bowled his first maiden over of the day. Re«e drove Player past Brooke-Smith at for a single, and then Smith relieved Coates at the western end. Reese drove his second ball pact raid-off for a brace, and lifted his third ball on to the rocks at the side of the scoring-board for six, brtrring up 120. The next two balls he lifted for six each to the long-off boundary, making 130, and 20 off the over. Thomas withstood an appeal for a catch at the wicket* by Rowntre* in Player's next over, and then snicked him through the slips for two. j Snedden replaced Smith, and Reese cut him for one. Two balls later Thomas was | clean bowled bv Snedden : 134—4—8. j

Evans was the next batsman, and got two off Snedden. The luncheon adjournment was then taken, the score being 136 for.four wickets.

Reese Dismissed.

On resuming Reese was given out leg before to Player, who bowled the first over : 136—25.

Sandman followed and Smith, who replaced Snedden, bowled & maiden. Evuis cot Player for a single, and Sandman hit him for two and cat him through the elipa for three, reaching the 140 mark. Evans got the last ball of the over away for three, and snicked the second delivery of Smith for two. Sandman also drove Smith past point for four, bringing ISO up after 2i hours' play, i Only a single resulted from Player's next over, and then, after Sandman had scored one, Evans drove Smith to the off for four. In Player's next ever Evans was clean bowled: 159—6—12.

Gray followed, and Sandman brought up 160 with a boundary stroke to long-on. Sandman got Player fir four with a cut through the slips, and then ran a single. The first ball of Smith's next over he lifted to Brooke-Smith at mid-off, who accepted: 169—7-23.

Read filled the vacancy and got a single, bringing 170 up. Gray also lifted him for a single to long-on, and the over concluded. Gray snicked Player through the slips for four and cu« him again through the slips for a similar number. Read then hit Smith to Player at point and the batsman ran for a single. Player returned the ball high, and an excellent chance of running out Gray occurred. However, two for overthrows were obtained. In Smith's next over Gray hit his sixth ball to Dacre at long-off, and he brought off a beautiful catch: 184—8—10.

Brunton was the next batsman, and Player bowled a maiden over. Read got a single off Smith, and then Brunton drove him straight down the field for four. He got the next for two, making the total 190. Player bowled another maiden, and Garrard replaced Smith at the other end. Read gotf the second ball away for two through Snedden, at point, failing to field it. • The next he drove to the long-leg boundary, making six off the over. Player then bowled his third successive maiden. Brunton lifted Garrard to the on for one, and hooked him to square leg for a brace, makin- 200 after three hours' twenty minutes' nlay. Brunton was hitting out at everything. He got a single off the last ball of th e over, but the first ball of Player's next over shifted his off stump. 202—9-13. r The fcast Wicket. Bennett was the last batsman, and he survived an appeal for leg before from the second ball. He then nit Player to, leg for a single, and Read got him for one. In Garrard's next over Bennett drove the ball to the pavilion fence twice in succession, bringing up 210. He also got the same bowler for a single. Player bowled another maiden. Bennett got Garrard for a single, and Read hit him to leg for a like amount, 220 appearing shortly afterwards. Bead hooked Player to the leg boundary for four, and got a single with a similar stroke. Snedden then replaced Garrard and Bennett lifted an easy catch to Brooke-Smith at mid-off, who failed to hold the ball. The same batsman put the next ball up in the centre of th e pitch, and Rowntree, the wicketkeeper, could not quite reach it. A maiden over resulted. • - •

I Read got Player for.* brace in the next over, and this was ' the bn.ly score. Ben« ! nett hit Snedden for one, but the following ( ball Read lifted to Garrard at cover point and the innings was coauslfid for 228 runs at 3.50 p.m. . Scoresi-v f *'j : AUCKLAND. First innings .. ".. \•« ..643 : CANTERBURY. ~- First innings .. ..'.•• 855 ; SECOND INNINGS. i

Total .. .. .. *~ 223 Bowling-Player took five wickets for 45 runs; Snedden," three for 52; Smith, two for 68; Garrard, none for 24; Coates, none for 36.

PRESENTATION OF SHIELD.

TRIBUTE TO S. G. SMITH. At the conclusion of the match Mr. D. Reese, captain of the Canterbury team, presented the Pluaket Shield to Mr. N. 0. Snedden, captain of the Auckland eleven. He complimented the Auckland team on its victory, and paid * high tribute to the play of S. G. Smith. He said he had seen a great deal of cricket, and with the exception of Trumper he had not seen a finer display of batting in New Zealand. He thought-the shield should go round, and. hoped some day Otago would win it. Each of the four centres would then have held the" shield. Since the war cricket had revived in' New Zealand, and he- thought the question of professional coaching should be seriously considered by the various associations. When they had had couches in years gone by the game improved considerably, and even in Auckland the work that A. E. Relf did was still apparent. The Canterbury eleven leave for Wellington this evening, and will play a return match against the Wellington eleven on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. j

HOLDERS OF TEE SHIELD.

FIRST GAME PLAYED IN 1906. Since the inception of the Pluriket Shield matches the following provinces tave held the trophy :— 1906-07 „ ~ Canterbury 1907—08 .. - .. Auckland 1906—09 .. .. Auckland 1909—10 .. .... Auckland 1910—11 .. ' .. Canterbury 1911—12 .. .. Canterbury 1911—12 .. .. Auckland 1912—13 ~ >. Canterbury 1915—14 .. .. Canterbury 1914—15 .. .. Canterbury 1915—16 .. .. Canterbury 1916—18 .. .. Canterbury , 1918—19 .. .. Wellington 191,9—1920 .. .. Canterbury 1920 .. .. .. Auckland

Patrick, b Sneddea .. -> »• A Blunt, b Player .. ..' .. • • ** McEwen, lb*, b Player .. •« •• * Thomas, b Snedden .. •• '_»• ° Reese, lbw, b Hay*' .. • • »• «| Evans, b Player .. •« ?\- •'•• *S Sandman, c Brooke-Smith, b &mitn . . /o Gray, c Dacre, b 8mith . . . • • *♦ ** Read, o Garrard, b Snsdden .. .< . « Brunton, b Player . * • • » • " Bennett, not out . . .« -.• •• i? Extras , » * • • * k • *