PLUNKET SHIELD CRICKET

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26040, 2 January 1946, Page 6

PLUNKET SHIELD CRICKET

OTAGO v. AUCKLAND HOME SIDE'S BIG TOTAL W. A. HADLEE SCORES 157 The representative cricket match between Otago and Auckland, the first Plunket Shield match to be played in Dunedin for six years, was begun at Carisbr-ook on Monday afternoon and was continued yesterday. Unusual public interest has been aroused in the match. The attendance on the first day was about 700, and yesterday about 1500 were present. On both days the crowd was treated to a batting performance not often given by an Otago team, the side scoring 383 runs. At stumps yesterday, Auckland had lost no wickets for 30 runs. The outstanding performances were the innings of 157 by the Otago batsman, W. A. Hadlee, who scored his fourth successive century, and the bowling for Auckland of J. Cowie, who took four for 77, and incidentally obtained his hundredth wicket in Plunket Shield matches. Play on Monday did not begin until 2 o'clock in the afternoon as the wicket was found to be unfit for play in the morning. It was not so much the pitch itself as the surrounding turf that was in a wet condition, and when a second inspection was made at 1.30 the captains L. D. Smith (Otago) and M. W. Wallace (Auckland) considered the wicket sufficiently dry to make a start half an hour later. It was really surprising that any play could take place at all after the succession of wet days which allowed the groundsman (Mr A. Ross) little or no opportunity to prepare a suitable wicket. By taking advantage of every suitable period, early morning included, however, Mr Ross was able to provide a strip of turf which proved to be sound and easy for the batsmen. Fine Partnership

The Otago captain won the toss, and his side had first use of the wicket. Hadlee and F. W. Bellamy opening the innings. Bellamy had scored only 3 and the total was at 8 when he was snapped up by J. Cowie in the slips off R. W. G. Emery. G. H. Mills then joined Hadlee in a partnership which lasted 165 minutes, during which time they added 159 runs to the score. Both batsmen played soundly, taking few risks, and gradually laying the foundation for what proved to be a good score. Hadlee at the outset was in no hurry to get runs from the steady bowling of D. C. Cleverley and Emery, who carried on the attack for the first hour. The ex-Canterbury player, who has scored so well and so consistently this season, played soundly and coolly, and as the afternoon wore on he put great power into his strokes, which were invariably well-timed and well-placed. He took 55 minutes to reach double figures, after which his scoring pace improved, his half-century coming in 117 minutes. Fourth Successive Century

Just prior to this, with his score at 46, Hadlee gave a sharp chance to Cleverley in the slips off Cowie. He went on to compile his fourth successive century for the season before stumps were drawn. His runs were obtained all round the wicket, but his favourite shot was on either side of point. He also showed that on a wicket that did not assist the ball to make pace he could employ the hook shot with effect, and off two short balls from Cowie he landed the ball well over the pickets for a 6, also getting a third 6 in the same direction pff C. Burke. Seven 4’s were included in his day’s total, two of these being run out. At the end of the afternoon he had 118 to his credit and was batting as soundly as ever. At 111, however, he had a second “life,” L. Kent dropping him behind the wickets off Cowie while standing well 'back. Hadlee reached his 100 in 186 minutes. Mills deserves every praise for his stand with Hadlee, the Old Boys player emulating his partner in soundness for the greater part of his innings and refraining from taking undue risks. As is usual with him, he obtained most of his 61 runs from on-side shots, but he also scored with some well-played strokes to third man. This long and

profitable partnership was not broken until 5.25, when Mills, in attempting a drive, put his leg in front to Cowie and was out l.b.w. Two wickets were down for 167. Mills hit two 4’s and five 3's, and in the ordinary way more than one of the latter would have been worth a boundary. Indeed, Otago’s score would have been considerably larger had the turf been drier and faster. Mills gave two difficult chances, off Cleverley when he had made a single and again off Cowie v 24. Before time was up, T. C. Fraser, who had succeeded Mills, was caught by Pearson close in at mid-on off Cowie without scoring. Three wickets were down for 175 when L. A. Watt came in. and he played out time with Hadlee, the score at stumps being 191 for three wickets, Watt being 3 not out. Yesterday’s Play When play was resumed at 11 o’clock yesterday a wicket again fell quickly, Watt being clean bowled by Cleverley without adding to his overnight score, and four wickets were down for 196. When A. W. Roberts joined Hadlee another useful partnership was established, with Hadlee doing most of the run-getting after a rather uncertain start. He gave his third chance m the first over of the day from Cleveriey, being missed close in at mid-on by Emery after he had scored an additional six runs. He was batting nicely, however, when with his total at 157 he was taken in the long field by Cleal off Kerr on one of the rare occasions on which he lifted the ball. His innings lasted 294 minutes, and included three 6’s and twelve 4’s. Five wickets had fallen for 241. Following Hadlee’s dismissal the rate of scoring and quality of the batting generally showed a falling away, both Roberts and Smith, who became associated, playing a defensive game. Each took well over the hour to obtain their first 10 runs, but while the batting might have been quiet, it was satisfactory from the Otago point of view to know (that the wickets were not falling and that the runs were coming, even at a\ slow pace. Roberts, who compiled 91 in 213 minutes, did not .give a particularly inspiring display, olfiying back to the large majority of the balls and being content to remain at the wickets. Smith also exercised "oijsiderable restraint, but his defence was of a different type, as he leaned forward to the good-length bowling with more or less a “ dead ” bat. Occasionally, however, each of these batsmen got in good scoring strokes; Roberts mainly by crisp drives and shots down the slips, and Smith by employing his favourite on-side shots. Roberts was out with the score at 314 when in attempting to drive Burke he mishit the ball whi'h was "skied” to .deep point and easily taken by Meuli. 'Smith carried on until he had reached 3G, when he, too, got only partly on to one of Cleverley's deliveries which 'went high over Wallace’s head at deep

mid-on, the fieldsman following it out to take a neat catch. Unfortunately, the Auckland captain “ pulled ” a leg muscle, but he carried on. Seven wickets were down for 331, but the end was not yet, as T. A. Treeman knocked up a bright It before being tempted by Burke to hit a lofty catch to Cleal near the fence. This wicket fell just before tea time, and on the resumption the two left-handers, C. F. W. Allcott and R. Harwood, came together. Although they missed Cowie’s fastish off deliveries fairly consistently, they remained to collect 19 runs apiece. Allcott went leg-betore-wicket to Cowie, and the same bowler clean bowled Harwood, the innings closing at 5.11 for the substantial total of 383, which took 531 minutes to make. Cowie’s Bowling' Effort Throughout the long partnership between Mills and Hadlee the Auckland bowling was particularly steady, very few loose deliveries being sent down. The position was the same yesterday, each of the five bowlers sticking to their task well and giving nothing

away. Cowie did not bowl on the first day until the fifth change and started at half pace, presumably on account of the insecure footing, but he increased his speed somewhat towards the end, and, maintaining his length, took two of the three wickets which fell on Monday for 45 runs. With the dismissal of Fraser, Cowie secured his hundredth wicket in Plunket Shield matches, and was congratulated by his team-mates. He had a particularly strenuous day yesterday, bowling 30 overs, of which 15 were maidens, for the addition of only 32 runs. In all he sent down 47 overs, including 20 maidens, and took four witkets for 77. Cowie did not appear to have a great deal of luck as the batsmen frequently failed to connect with balls which were just outside the stumps, while many others, after beating the bat, struck them on the pads. Cleverley like Cowie, was given plenty to ao, bowling in all 41 overs and varying his pace well, to take two for 88. Emery was given a spell at the crease on Monday, and he had a quick success when he had Bellamy caught, but although he bowled very steadily he did not claim any further wickets. The two slower bowlers, Kerr and Burke, kept the batsmen watchful. Kerr took one for 67 from 32 overs, and Burke, from 30 overs, captured two for 72. Fielding Keen

The Auckland fielding was always keen. There was some slight slackening during the partnership between Hadlee and Mills, when the returns were a little wild, but generally the work of the visitors in the field was consistently good. The field that was set for the faster bowlers was rather extraordinary in that eight, and sometimes nine, of the eleven were posted behind the wicket, but in spite of this clustering, the batsmen gave the waiting fieldsmen little hope. Auckland began its innings with just on 40 minutes remaining for play, and at stumps had made 30 for no wickets —Pearson 10 not out, Meuli 12 not out. The Otago captain tried four bowlers. The wicket yesterday was considerably scarred, the result of footmarks by the fast bowler, Cowie, who operated mainly from the workshops end, but there was little indication that these gave the bowlers any assistance. The umpires were Messrs J. Porteous and H. Fogarty. The takings on Monday were £6O and yesterday £l3O. Scores:— Otago First Innings W. A. Hadlee, c Cleal, b Kerr .. .. 157 F. W. Bellamy, c Cowie, b Emery .. 3 G. H. Mills, lbw, b Cowie 61 T. C. Fraser, c Pearson, b Cowie .. 0 L. A. Watt, b Cleverley 3 A. W. Roberts, c Meuli, b Burke .. 51 L. D. Smith, c Wallace, b Cleverley 36 T. A. Freeman, c Cleal, b Burke .. 11 C. F. W. Allcott, lbw, b. Cowie .. .. 19 R. Harwood, b Cowie 19 R. Silver, not out 7 Extras (byes 15, leg-bye 1) .. .. 16 Total 383 Fall of wickets: One for 8, two for 167, three for 175, four for 196, five for 241, six for 314, seven for 331, eight for 342, nine for 368, ten for 383. Bowling Analysis

First Innings H. T. Pearson, not out 10 E. M. Meuli, not out 12 Extras (byes 6, leg-byes 2) .. .. 8 Total (for no wickets) .. .. 30 Bowling Analysis

O. M. R. W. D. C. Cleverley .. 41 12 88 2 R. W. G. Emery 35 11 63 1 A. C. Kerr .. .. 32 13 67 1 J. Cowie .. 47 20 77 4 C. Burke .. .. 30 10 72 2 Auckland

R. Silver O. 3 M. 2 R. W. 2 — A. W. Roberts 4 1 5 — T. A. Freeman .. 4 13 — C. F. W. Allcott .. 3 2 2 —