USEFUL START LOST

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27273, 27 December 1949, Page 6

USEFUL START LOST

FIRST INNINGS COLLAPSE Special Correspondent, WELLINGTON, Dec. 26. A momentary lapse in a period of intense concentration was largely responsible for Otago’s collapse in the first innings after a useful start. This saw the dismissal of Roberts, who was run out when going for a difficult third run. Error of Judgment At that stage, after Sutcliffe and Hunt |had worn down the accurate attack with a remarkable display of concentration to put on 50 runs in 105 minutes, Hunt and Roberts were beginning to get on top of the bowlers. Veteran of 41 Shield contests, Roberts appeared in a run-getting mood. He smote the ball from Rabone through the covers. It was an easy two, but Hunt, running much faster between the wickets, backed up quickly for a third run, possibly in the expectation of the ball being returned to the wicket-keeper. Instead, it was returned from near the fence to the bowler and Roberts failed to make his ground before Rabone whipped off the bails When Murray brought off the hat trick the backbone of the Otago batting strength had been broken , Hunt who impresses as a dour and fighting opener, was the only remaining batsman to offer any serious resistance to an attack which sharpened up after Roberts’s dismissal and which also received a fillip by Murray’s hat trick. . .. . Otago’s 144 runs was a disappointing total, but the opening Wellington batsmen also foupd conditions far from easy, Watson got a rather lucky wicket when Ongley made a halfhearted shot and was caught at short leg, but Overton fully deserved his two wickets. He moved the ball both ways, kept a good length, and had aU the basmen treating him with the utmost On file second day, Smith’s astute handling of Otago’s attack, coupled with the cautious manner in which the Wellington batsmen faced their task, saw a particularly grim struggle for a first innings lead. With Overton and yfatson, who bore the brunt of the at-

tack, swinging the ball awkwardly in the strong wind and limiting strokemaking, Smith used himself to tempt the batsmen into hitting. He gained a valuable wicket when Rabone quietly stroked the ball into the second-slip’s hands. Overton, who was used both with and into the wind, and Watson, bowled steadily, though Watson sent down a few full tosses which were promptly thumped to the boundary. Overton was never easy, some of his in-swingers dipping very sharply. Mills brought off some smart stumping when he dismissed Mooney on the leg side off Overton. Light rain between the innings and after Sutcliffe and Hunt had opened for Otago hampered the bowlers, and both batsmen scored easily. In A. E. Cresswell’s fifth over he bowled Hunt, but it was a no-ball. Dramatic Period A dramatic change occurred with the score at 39, when Hunt and Sutcliffe were both brilliantly caught low down. Sutcliffe was beginning to open out and had made some lovely shots. The stroke which brought about his downfall was a slightly lifted drive. McGregor and Haig again went cheaply, and Otago’s position looked bad with four wickets down for 48 runs. However, Roberts and Mills defended stubbornly. Roberts demonstrated that he is still among the first flight of batsmen in New Zealand. The game is now at a most interesting stage.