CRICKET.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20322, 2 February 1928, Page 4

CRICKET.

Bt Sin*.

CARISBEOOK’S LARGE SCORE. Spectators at Carisbrook on Saturday haw Carisbrook knock up the fine score ){ 290 for three wickets against Dunlin. Blunt and Dickinson were in scoring mood, and the men of the Oval club i iad some hard work to do in the field. Blunt was not dismissed until he had compiled 145. He reached the century in his usual bright style, treating each ball as it deserved. While the bowling (Was accurate he took no risks, hut during patches, when the trundling became loose, he hit out in enterprising fashion. When fie had passed the 100 he played away ius if he did not want to stay. He ran up the wicket to Torrance and hit out wildly, giving chances at 120 and 135. ■He finally was bowled at lashing out at b good length ball. He has played much better innings. Blunt's score in club games have been 25, 95. 61, and 145, giving him an average of 81.5. Dickinson scored his second successive hundred by playing a polished innings for 105, not out. In contrast to his usual method of making runs in club games Dickinson appeared all through his innings to be eager to stay. He was restrained at the right time, and treated loose stuff as it deserved, hitting one ball from Torrance into the pavilion. His innings was practically chanceless. Dickinson has played innings of 43, 19, 17, 21. 45, and 105, not out, his average being exactly 60. ’ Smith, a diminutive junior, who parttiered Dickinson for a time, scored slowly, but shaped well. Torrance’s bowling developed more or less into an endurance feat. The veteran sent up 52 overs unchanged. The side was handicapped bv the absence of M‘Gregor, one of its stock bowlers. Claridge, next to Torrance, was the hardest worked bowler. Though he secured only one wicket he showed promising form. ALBION TAIL WAG^’ Taking the field without the services of M’Mullan, Alloo, and Conradi, Grange had to send Albion in to bat. The early men went quickly, but Blair and Binney made a stand, which saved a rot. Even then it seemed that they might be disposed of very cheaply, but the tail wagged to some purpose. Caskie scored S 3, Blamires 53, Barron 71, and MTvor 40 not out, and when stumps were drawn nine wickets had fallen for 322. Barron’s innings was one of the brightest played on the North Ground this season.. He hit lustily at the tired bowling, 44 of his runs coming from boundary hits. Barron is naturally a hard-hitter, and the faster tho bowling (the better he likes it. Blair played a solid knock for his 56, hitting eight fours. Caskie was not impressive, but Blamires was in his best form, playing the best innings of the day. He has had only four innings this season, scoring 75, 19, two r.ot out, and 53. MTvor, who is not usually relied upon as a batsman, found the bowling to his hiking, and scored in lively fashion. He opened his innings with four fours. (When Shepherd began his innings he scored in his best style, but when he seemed likely to make a tidy score fie was caught in the slips. The Grange bowling at the start was good. Galland found a spot and bumped up in disconcerting fashion. All of the trundlers tired, however, and after a shower fell the trundling was far from accurate. ; < THE PLUNKET SHIELD. ' By decisively beating Auckland Wellington secured the Plunket Shield for the season 1927-28, During the match two records were broken. Wellington’s first innings score of 595 was a record for Plunket Shield games, and the partnership of 204 between Lowry and Badcock established a new record, beating that of 180 by N. C. Snedden and C. C. Daero for Auckland against Wellington in the 1922-23 season. Auckland also (registered a fine performance in scoring 458 with the fourth use of the wicket when requiring over 700 to win. Scoring all through the Plunket Shield matches has been high, and shows that the bat is supreme in New Zealand. The Dominion apparently has_ no really great bowler, and though it is claimed that the Wellington team this season is the best that has ever represented the province, it cannot be said that it is outstanding as a bowling side. Wellington previously held the shield on four occasions. In the 1918-1 J season they shared it with Canterbury, and it rested in the capitayl city in 1920-21, 1923-24, and 1925-26. The following table shows the holders fcf the Plunket Shield since it was presented : 1906- Canterbury. 1907- Auckland. 1908- —Auckland. 1909- Auckland. 1910- Canterbury. 1911- —Auckland. 1912- Canterbury. 1915- Canterbury. 1914-15— Canterbury. 1916- No matches played. 1918- — Wellington and Canterbury. 1919- —Auckland. 1920- Wellington 1921- Auckland. 1922- —Canterbury. 1923- —Wellington. 1924- Otago. 1925- —Wellington. 1926- —Auckland. 1927- —Wellington. Eleven centuries have been scored in shield matches this season. They are: J. Newman, 112 not out, Canterbury v. Otago. ' ' , , J. M'Mullan, 131, Otago v. Aucklnad. H. M. M’Girr, 122, Wellington v. Canterbury, H. Foley, 136, Wellington v. Otago. K. C. James, 108, Wellington v. Otago. G. Dickinson, 104, Otago v. Wellington. W. Vorrath, 103 not out, Otago v. Wellington. . , T. C. Lowry, 181, Wellington v. AuckC. James, 108, Wellington v. AuckJa V. l H. Bowley, 120, Auckland v. Wellington. , ... C. C. Dacre, 145, Auckland v. WellingRccord partnership in Plunket Shield Snatches are as follows: — First wicket—2ol by E. Horspool and ’iA. Anthony, for Auckland against Wellington, 1924-25. Second wicket—227, by W. A. Baker end B. J. Kortlang, for Wellington against Otago, 1923-24. . , , Third wicket—222, by S. G. Smith and N. C. Sneddon, for Auckland against Bawke’s Bay,' 1920-21. Fourth wicket—2o4, by T. C. Lowry and F. T. Badcock, for Wellington against Auckland, 1927-28. Fifth wicket—l 97, by C. C. Dacre and C. Allcott, for Auckland against Otago, J9 stxth wicket—lß4, by D. C. Collins and B. M. M'Girr, for Wellington against (Otago. 1923-24. seventh wickets —174, by C. A. SnedHen' and A. Anthony, for Auckland ‘against Canterbury, 1920-21. Ei-dith wicket—ls 4, by K. C. James fend °F. T. Badcock, for Wellington against Canterbury, 1926-27. Ninth wicket—lls, bv E. H. L. Bernau fend K. C. James, for Wellington against Canterbury, 1923-24. Tenth wicket—l3B, by K. C. James ana |W. S. Brice, for Wellington against Otago, 1926-27.

They left on Saturday morning by the second express, and were farewelled by the Otago boys and several of officials of the Otago Boys’ Association. Advantage was taken of the occasion formally to return the Senior shield to the Canterbury boys, the presentation being made witii an appropriate speech by Mr T, O’Shea. In returning thanks, Mr G. A. Biltcliff, the manager of the Canterbury teams, said that a trip to Dunedin was always an enjoyable affair, that the Canterbury boys were always very keen to make this particular trip, and that this visit was for himself and the boys one of the most pleasant experienced, speaking from his own point of view of observation and from what the visiting lads had said to him. One bright Canterbury lad said; “ I’m jolly glad I’ll not be too old to come back the season after next, if I’m picked.” To this one of the Otago boys inhospitably replied: “It’s a jolly good job that some of your giants will be too old. We’ll never get that Senior shield unless wo feed on Canterbury mutton.” The good-fellowship between the boys of the two provinces was very apparent and was expressed in the extremely hearty cheers called for by one of the visitors for the Otago boys and for the Otago Association. Mr Biltcliff said that he was greatly struck by the number of friends the Otago Association appeared to have in the public of Dunedin and the keen desire there was amongst public and private citizens to help the Otago Association on these special occasions, adding, also, that Dunedin had given to his side something to live up to, and that such a fine spirit towards the rising generations was one of which Dunedin should be greatly proud. He wished especially to thank the Y.M.C.A. for giving his teams free use of their excellent baths and gymnasium, the Dunedin tramways authorities, and Mr Sirrimonds and his confreres of the Water street motor rank for meeting the train with their cars and conveying certain boys free of charge to distant billets, and also for placing his car at his disposal during the matches. That kindness was much appreciated both by himself and the Otago Boys’ Association. He wished also to express, on behalf of the boys, their obligation and respect to those who so kindly went to the trouble of affording them such excellent billets. From personal observation when the opposing teams were on the field, it looked all Lombard street to a china orange that the Canterbury hoys would win both matches. The latter appeared giants beside the Otago lads, the physique of the Canterbury juniors equally if not surpassing that of the Otago seniors. On making inquiries concerning this state of affairs, I find that the Canterbury executive has a much wider field to draw from than has Otago, owing to the facts that the Canterbury Association has 33 teams to select fifth, sixth, and seventh grades of the Canterbury Association, holds a series of matches during the holidays, the series being termed the “ knock-out competition,” and also interim matches with teams in the towns outside the city and under the control of Canterbury, sub-associations. Such a system of play- is an excellent one, and enables Canterbury to get its probable players together early, play them in the matches, eliminate weakness, and get the fieldsmen used to their bowlers’ tactics. It will be a struggle and take the Otago Association—still the youngest—some time to reach such a fine system of organisation. In their play, I think, as has been said of some senior players in their, big games here, the Otago boys, in the first stage of the contests, were affected with stage fright. Just as our men did, so did the boys—played better in the second innings. The juniors, who held the junior shield wrested from Canterbury last season, looked like losers by several wickets on the stand they made against the superior bowling of the enemy. With the Canterbury score of 389 to 58, the Canterbury junior captain declared, leaving the whole afternoon, plus a quarter of an hour before lunch, to get the Otago juniors out; but he miscalculated the doggedness of the Scot. Our boys went in to play for a draw and the retention of the shield. They held their ground, having three wickets yet to fall when the umpires called time at five minutes to 6. It was what the Canterbury manager declared it to be, “ an exceedingly meritorious performance.” Though the Otago teams might have don© better, it was obvious that they had benefited greatly by the coaching of Messrs J. M'Phee and L. Cameron, who spent many trying days in preparing the boys for the matches. The thanks of cricketers as a whole are due to Messrs M'Phep and Cameron.