DECISIVE VICTORY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27275, 29 December 1949, Page 6

DECISIVE VICTORY

CANTERBURY DEFEATS AUCKLAND PLUNKET SHIELD GAME HADLEE’S SPLENDID INNINGS PA CHRISTCHURCH, Dec. 28. The second wicket partnership of 115 between W. A. Hadlee and P. O'Malley made a Canterbury victory almost certain in the Plunket Shield match against Auckland at Lancaster Park today, and the game was won a few minutes after tea by five wickets. At the start of the day Canterbury, with all its wickets intact, had scored 80 of the 324 runs needed. Hadlee and his opening partner, J. G. Leggat, were not separated until the total was 114 — the sixth opening partnership of 100 or more by this pair in 12 innings in representative cricket —and Hadlee went on to score 125, his seventeenth century in first-class cricket. Hadlee has now scored nine hundreds in Shield matches, and has beaten by one the record held by.J. S. Hiddleston (Otago and Wellington). The pitch helped the bowlers a little more than on the previous day, but still played extremely well. Hadlee played a masterly innings, and O'Malley, who scored 59, was also in his best form. Canterbury reached 300 with only three wickets down, and from the middle of the afternoon it was obvious that the only thing that , could deprive Canterbury of victory was rain. The gate takings were £213. making a total for the four days of £1167, a new Plunket Shield record. Scores:— AUCKLAND First innings 207 Second innings ... 440 CANTERBURY First innings 329 Second Innings W. A. Hadlee, b Cleal 125 J G. Leggat, c Donaldson, b Hollywood 49 P. O’Malley, b Hemmingson .. 59 F. B. Smith, run out • 43 W. McD. Anderson, c Kent, b Hemmingson 2 ° M. E. Chappie, not out .; • ■ 0 A. R Macgibbon, not out .. .. 3 Extras (byes 14, leg-bye 1, noball 1) _1 6 Total for five wickets .. 324 Fall of wickets: 114, 229, 272, 315, 321. Bowling: B. Donaldson, 19 overs, 2 maidens, 50 runs, 0 wickets; K. Dollery, 30.1, 5, 63, 0; F. E. Hemmingson, 26, 6, 75, 2; J. Hollywood, 22, 1, 84, 1; J. Hardstaff, 7,1, 19, 0; O. C. Cleal, 6. 0. 17, 1.