PLUNKET SHIELD

New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11454, 26 February 1923, Page 4

PLUNKET SHIELD

WELLINGTON’S GOOD SCORE VISITORS’ GOOD POSITION. (Special to "Times.") CHRISTCHURCH, February 24. The weather was (lull and overcast when play was continued this, morning. Had Worker been able to pick up more smartly, Kortlang might have been run out, for ho ran down the pitch after a stroke by' Hiddleston, and he bad to run back again. Hiddleston put on two singles, and Ivortlang ono. at Read’s expense, in the first over of the day. Hiddleston slammed Sandman's first ball round to leg for a single. Kortlang cut him for one, and Hiddleston added two runs by an off-drive. W full toss from Read mot the deserved fate at the hands of Kortlang of being banged to the leg boundary'. SCORING OFF SANDMAN. The batsmen were taking matters quietly. Hiddleston gliding Sandman round without effort and getting a run out of it. Read bowled a maiden. Kortlang scored three off Sandman by driving. Hiddleston showed 'his liking far the leg side by turning Sandman for a single. Ho then drove Read to the fence, cut him for a single, but he did not score at all in .Sandman’s next over. Read was then punched for one Joy Kqvtlang, turned to leg for a run by lUddleston, and driven for another single by Kortlang. Both batsmen liked tho stuff that Sandman pitched on the lef side. Twice Kortlang guided him round for singles, and he and Hiddleston also drove Sandman to the covers for a run apiece. A leg-by© was run, and in the next over Hiddleston,-with wristy action, glanced Bed to leg for one, and Kortlang scored a single. Kortlang, for the second time, kneeled to scoop Sandman round, gaining a run, Gregory brilliantly saving a boundary. BOWLING STILL WEAK. Hiddleston twice drove Sandman for singles, and a leg-bye was run, bringing 100 up. The century had taken 85 minutes to reach. Kortlang got a single ofi Read, and one off Sandman. After Hiddleston had driven Sandman for one, Kortlang again kneeled and scooped. The 'ball went high to fine-leg boundary, and Kortlang got a brace out of it. His next stroke was better—a .beautiful ondrive to the boundary'. Conditions shrieked for a change in the bowling, and Patrick, the Canterbury captain, harkened at last. He put on Newman, the lad from Nelson, yv ho so much resembles Tom Carlton, both in build and in action. Hiddleston cut him for a single. The field was well spread out, for the batsme nwere making tsrokes all ronud the wicket. But Patriot’s direction was good. Cunningham came on to replace Sandman,, who had cost 35 rune. On the previous day, Cunningham foolishly had batted without a glove, and had paid the penalty in an injured finger. For that reason he had not bowled yesterday. HIDDLESTON DISMISSED. Hiddleston banged Cunningham round to leg for four. Then, with a clinker, Cunningham removed Hiddleston’s offstump, and laid out wicket-keeper Bruntan with a smack in the eye. 114—2 —52. Hiddleston had made his runs in 110 minutes. He. had been .quieter to-day, though his strokes left little to be desired! Hjis partnership with Kortlang had realised 106 runs. 9 From a cut. S. Dempster, the newcomer, opened accounts with a single against Cunningham-, and Kortlang notched a run. TRICKS OF THE WICKET. In the morning’s play, Wellington had scored 93 runs in 110 minutes—a slower rate of scoring than pursued yesterday by Canterbury. The wicket had favour, ej the bowlers, rather. The ball kept low a great deal, but occasionally bumped up. Cunningham, who bowled with great length, and accuracy, explaited 1 he possibilities of the rising ball. Kortlang proved disappointing to-day, and he was scratching towards the end. Dempster did not bat this morning in the manner anticipated by 'his reputation. He was scratchy, and except for a late cut, there was nothing finished about his strokes. He gave an unaccepted chance behind the wickets, and he occupied 65 minutes in making 16 runs. The chance 'ho gavo was off Newman, who was making a fair pace off the pitch considering tho wicket was not fast. Collins took half an hour to make six runs. PLAY QUIETENS DOWN. Tho play quietened, thre© successive maidens being bowled, and then a few singles being scored at intervals. “Mr Extras" was now the fastest scorer. Cunningham 'had Kortlang “tied into knots,” and the field' clustered round, hungrily. Thero were more maiden overs, but Extras was still a scorer. Kortlang brought his' score to 50, with a cut, after 110 minutes' bating. Thrcd singles in four overs! Then Cunningham battered Kortlang abont the body with bumping balls —he had found a patch—and finally with another clinker, 'he sen tiered th© stumps. 135—3—53. Cunningham had taken two wickets for 12 runs. There was applause as D. C. Collins came out, and the big Wellington skipper immediately drove Cunningham to the on for a brace. Collins had an enlivening effect, and after a single or so, Dempster, with a fino and late leg cut. sent Cunningham to the fence After Newman 'had bowled seven overs for seven runs, Read took over again. The livening phase then passed, the batsmen being content, most of the time, to play the bowling. A LABORIOUS INNINGS. When Dempster had labouriously compiled 14, he sent a ball back to Read. It was a liot Chance, and the bowler showed extreme regret. Th© hatting was slow, but the score was mounting, helped' by extras. So R. O. Talbot relieved Cunningham, who had bowled 50 overs for 22 runs. Erom the sideline, umpire Lawrence wns enjoined by some experts (P) to "wake up," because o shook 'bis head to two appeals against Collins for lbw. At the luncheon adjournment the score was 156. When play was resumed after lunch, overhead conditions were brighter, though a south-east breeze blew chill. The attendance was very small this morning, but at 2 p.m. fair numbers were arriving. Three singles off the first over by Road set tho score mounting again. Collins sent Cunningham away to tho boundary with a nice cut, and three singles made seven runs for tho over. A few singles, and then a maiden over, were followed by Collins scoring a brace with an uppish stroke to square-leg fl Cunningham. Short mid-wicket strokes were made to produce singles, and the field, began to edge in. Delias!or and the wicket-keeper had several times to mb sore spots when Cunningham was bowling bumpers. COT,LINS RUN OUT. Tho and of a partnership which had

put on GO runs came through ’keeper Brunton catching Dempster behind the wickets, off Newman, who had replaced Cunningham. 191—1 —31. UcGirr was the next man in. Tho field wild agitated as Collins ran out of his crease as though to steal a run. There was more agitation a moment later, but this time front tile batsmen, for Sandman fielded smartly at point, threw in fast to and the Wellington captain was ,out. 247 —5—31. With a six, made by on-driving Newman, W. S. Brice announced that he was in to hat.

McGirr put Cunningham up at point, where Sandman brought off a one-hand-ed catch. 2403 —28. Hutchings came in, and ho was immediately dropped by Brunton, off Cunningham. Without scoring, Hutchings was bowled by Read. 245—7—0. With a beautiful pull, Brice put Read over the embankment. and W. A. Aldersley, next man in, cut Cunningham to tile boumlary twice with successive balls Finally, Brico was caught by Newman, at extra cover, off Read. 270 — B—2o.8 —20. THE CLOSING STAGES. Aldersley livened the play with some nice cuts, and by on-driving Cunningham to the boundary, and W. J. Condliffe, his new partner, scored a few runs with strokes to the leg, mostly off Read. By a cut from Newman, just behind point, Condliffe scored a brace, and the third century was hoisted. Sandman came on, and Condliffe put him into the hands of Cunningham on the on-driv®, but the fieldsman dropped the ball. At the afternoon tea adjournment, taken at 4 p.m., the score was 303 for eight wickets. After tho tea adjournment, at 339, a double change was made, and Blunt beat Condliffe with a slow off break. The partnership had put on 74 runs. 3-12 — 9—39. Henderson was the last man, and the innings closed for 370 after five and three-quarter hours’ batting, by Aldersiey poking Blunt up into tlie slips, Road bringing off a brilliant catch. Canterbury commenced their second innings at 5.50 p.m., and at the call of time had lost one wicket for 10 runs. Scores:— CANTERBURY. First Innings. R. de R. Worker, o Baker, b Hutchings 27 R. Ca Blunt, b Brice 44 R. O. Talbot, b Henderson 25 G. R. Gregory, b McGirr 12 L. E. Brunton, b Brice 3 W. H. Patrick, lbw, b Brice 53 D. McK. Sandman, c Condliffe, b Henderson 6 R. F. J. Powell, lbw, Jj Brice 10 R. Read, c Henderson, b Brice ..., 17 W. Cunningham, b Brice 8 J. Newman, not out 1 Extras 19 Total .( 225

Second Innings. Brunton, run out 8 Cunningham, not ouj 2 Total for one wicket . 10 WELLINGTON. First Innings.

J. S. Hiddleston, b Cunningham 51 W. A. Baker, b Newman 0 B. J. Kortlang, b Cunningham 53 S. Dempster, c Brunton, b Newman ... 31 D. c. Collins, run out 31 H. M. McGirr, c Sandman, b Cunningham i 28 W. S. Brice, c Newman, b Read 20 J. Hutchings, b Read 0 W. A. Aldersley, c Read, b Blunt 48 Condliffe, b Read 39 Henderson, not out 19 Extras 52 Total 370 Bowling analysis—‘Head took three wickets for 98 runs, Newman two for 54, Sandman none for 58, Cunningham three for 73, Talbot none for 6, Patrick none for 15, Blunt one for 4.

BOWLING ANALYSIS. Overs. Mdns. Runs. Wkts. VV. S. Brice ... 2G.6 5 65 6 H. M. JVIeGirr 16 4 34 1 M. Henderson .17 4 49 2 J. Hutchings ... 8 1 27 1 D. C. Collins ... 3 1 6 0 W. Aldersley ... 10 0 25 0