BRABIN CUP TRIAL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26967, 30 December 1948, Page 6

BRABIN CUP TRIAL

SOUTHLAND DOMINANT VISITORS CONSOLIDATE POSITION - Southland consolidated its position on the second day of the Brabin Cup trial match at Carisbrook yesterday, and the end of the day found Otago struggling to avoid outright defeat. In reply to Southland’s first innings score of 171, Otago had lost seven wickets for 98 runs at stumps on Tuesday, and the home side was all out before noon yesterday for 112. By solid and much more confident batting than on the first day, Southland amassed a total of 202 in its second innings, although the last four wickets added only seven runs. Left with 262 runs to make for an outright win, Otago lost three of its best batsmen in the three-quarters of an hour remaining for play, with only 22 runs on the board. The conditions were again favour-able-bright sunshine and a light breeze—and the wicket played well, although towards the end of the day an occasional ball kept low. The match may not have revealed many immediate Plunket Shield prospects, but it has served to show that in both provinces there is some good material coming along. Several of the batsmen have shown ability well above the ordinary, and the bowling of two or three players in particular has been distinctly promising, with* the Southland bowlers displaying more fire and hostility than those of the home side. Otago added only 14 runs to its over-night score of 98, the remaining three wickets failing fairly quickly. W. Gough, who was the highest scorer with 45, added six runs to his overnight score before he hit across a ball from the Southland captain, G. S. McKenzie, and was bowled. Gough’s score included a 6 and five 4’s. McKenzie claimed a.further wicket and finished up with three wickets for 27 runs off 17 overs. G. A. Wilson, also of the right-hand fast-medium type, did not add to his first day’s bag, and his final figures were' three wickets for 51 runs off 16 overs. J. C. Alabaster, the slow bowler, secured the remaining wicket, and came out with the impressive figures of three wickets for 19 runs off 7.3 overs. Diack’s Double Although they did not hurry their scoring along, the Southland batsmen were much more confident than on the first day. They began their second innings at 11.50 a.m. and several players gave very promising displays, most noteworthy being E. Diack, the Eastern Southland player, who, after compiling 31 in the first innings, completed a fine double with a very soundly made 67. . Diack, who went in first wicket down, batted for 202 minutes and gave only one chance, M. Allen failing to hold a difficult catch at square-leg off the bowling of M. H. Buckenham. Diack was then 32, and he reached his 50 in just over two hours. Diack, a stylish left-hander, was always, watchful and rarely looked like getting out, though perhaps not quite so much at home to the slower-pacer bowling as he was to the faster type. He scored with clean, crisp strokes all round the wicket, making some particularly good cover drives, wristy shots backward of point, and scoring freely off anything loose on the leg. He took no risks, but his batting was by no means subdued. He hit three 4’s. He was eventually dismissed by Buckenham, who had him well cadght in the slips by I Burrows, a combination which earlier had brought about the downfall of W. Payne. Diack was in two good partnerships, his association with W. Payne adding 60 for the second wicket. They were together when the luncheon adjournment was taken, with 45 runs showing for the loss of one wicket, Diack then being 9 and Payne 26. Payne carried his score to 35 before he fell to a brilliant one-handed catch by Burrows, the Otago captain snapping the ball up a few inches from the ground. Payne, who batted solidly, took 105 minutes to make his runs, his scoring strokes including three 4’s. Later in the innings l Diack was joined by B. Dawson, a free and hardhitting batsman, and this pair added 60 for the sixth wicket, Dawson's contribution being 33, made in 65 minutes and including four 4’s. Dawson put plenty of power behind his strokes, and off and cover drove powerfully. He was going along very confidently when S . Jones, the fast-medium bowler, beat him with a ball that kept low and uprooted the off stump. - McKenzie, the Southland captain, was very strong in front of the wicket, although less confident in dealing with anything on the leg. He looked well into his stride, however, when he edged a fast one from Jones into Graham’s hands in the slips, when his score was 14. Graham had earlier taken a brilliant catch to dispose of J. Hailes cheaply, the bowler being Burrows. Alabaster scored 12, but none of the others stayed any time, and Jones wrought havoc among the tail-enders with his fast deliveries, and from his first six overs after tea took three wickets for four runs. Southland’s rate of scoring was never particularly brisk, but it was fairly evenly maintained, the 100 coming up in 135 minutes and 150 in 185 minutes- The innings, which closed at 5.5 p.m- for 202 runs, occupied 222 minutes. Excellent Bowling Performance S. Jones was easily the most impressive member of the Otago attack. Moderating his pace a little, he sent down some really good balls, and was always treated with the utmost respect- He attacked the stumps more persistently than on the first day, and was amply rewarded as he captured six wickets for 26 runs off 23.4 overs, of which 12 were maidens. Five of his victims were clean bowled. It was an excellent performance, and one that suggests that this keen young cricketer is worthy of every encouragement. . , Of the others, Buckenham bowled consistently and claimed two good wickets at a cost of 39 runs off 19 overs, while I. Aitkenhead, not quite so hostile as on the first day, and Burrows, who varied his pace well, claimed a wicket apiece. Otago’s fielding was keener than in Southland’s first innings, and there was some improvement in the throwing in. although many of the returns to the wicket still left much to be desired. T. Flaws had one or two lapses behind the wicket, but generally kept well. The feature of the home side’s fielding, however, was the ex- < ellent showing of Graham and Burrows in the slips and good work by Gough in the outfield.

In the three-quarters of an hour left for play, McKenzie claimed the wickets of Burrows and Warner, and Wilson caught Graham off his own bowling, three wickets being down for 22 at stumps. Buckenham was dropped behind the wicket by Watson off the bowling of Wilson before he, had scored, but at the end of the day he was batting nicely with his score at 10. McKenzie’s two wickets were obtained at a cost of eight runs, and Wilson secured one wickej at a cost of eight runs. ... The match will be concluded to-day. Scores:—

Southland First Innings 171 Second Innings W. Payne, c Burrows, b Buckenham 35 I. Payne, c Gough, b Aitkenhead .. 7 E. Diack, c Burrows, b Buckenham 67 J. Hailes, c Graham, b Burrows 3 G. S. McKenzie, c Graham, b Jones 14 J. C. Alabaster, b Jones .. .. , . 12 B. Dawson, b Jones 33 M. Watson, b Jones 1 D. Ritchie, not out • . 1 G. A. Wilson, lbw, b Jones .. 0 J. Hill, b Jones .. 5 Extras (byes 17, leg-byes 7) .. 24 Total .. 202 Fall of wickets: 1/10, 2/70, 3/85, 4/118, 5/135. 6/195, 7/197, 8/197, 9/197, 10/202. Bowling Analysis i O. M. R. W. S. Jones .. .. 23.4 12 26 6 I. Aitkenhead .. 13 4 28 1 M. H. Buckenham 19 5 39 2 W Gough .... 9 2 18 0 0. Lynch .... 10 3 42 0 C. G. Graham 2 0 5 0 I. Burrows .... 5 0 20 1 Otago First Innings I. Burrows, b Wilson .. .. 6 J. A. Warner, b Wilson .. .M. H. Buckenham, c Wilson , b 3 Diack , , 21 C. G. Graham, lbw, b Alabaster .. 21 M. Allen, c Watson, b Alabaster . . 0 W. Gough, b McKenzie .. .. O. Lynch, b Wilson .... .. 45 1 I. Aitkenhead, c Hails, b McKenzie 0 S. Clark, b McKenzie .. .. 1 J. Flaws, not out 1 S. Jones, c Watson, b Alabaster .. 6 Extras (byes 7) 7 Total * . 112 Fall of wickets'. One for 5, two for 12. three for 53, four for 57, five for 62, six for 63, seven for 94, eight for 98, nine for 105. 10 for 112. Bowling Analysis O. M. R. W. G. A. Wilson .. 16 3 51 3 G. S. McKenzie .. 17 , 6 27 3 E. Diack .... 6 3 8 1 J. C. Alabaster .. 7.3 1 19 3 Second, Innings I. Burrows b McKenzie .. .. 1 C. G. Graham, c and b Wilson , , 5 M. H. Buckenham, not out .. J. A. Warner, c Ritchie, b 10 McKenzie .. 2 W. Gough, not out 0 Extras (byes 2, leg-byes 2) 4 Total for three wickets 22 Fall of wickets: One for 1, 9, three for 22. two for Bowling Analysis O. M. R. W. G. A. Wilson ..6 1 8 1 G. S. McKenzie .. 7 3 8 2 J. C. Alabaster 1 0 2 0