WIN BY NINE WICKETS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27569, 11 December 1950, Page 6

WIN BY NINE WICKETS

CRICKET

Otago Defeats Southland

Otago defeated Southland by nine wickets in the representative cricket match concluded at the University Oval on Saturday afternoon. In reply to Southland’s first innings total of 119, Otago, which had lost nine wickets for 217 at stumps on Friday, took its score to 224 before the innings closed. After a disastrous start, Southland fared much better in its second visit to the wicket, putting together a tally of 179. Requiring 75 runs.for victory, Otago scored them in a little over an hour for the loss of one wicket, the Maniototo player, D. J. Blakely, hitting a 6 to give the side victory. The weather was almost perfect and although the wind freshened in the afternoon, the wicket favoured the batsmen throughout.

There was no life in the wicket when play was resumed on Saturday. Otago carried on its innings, and A. M. Moir, who was then not out with 25, moved to 31 before he lashed out at a ball from Wilson and was bowled, the total being 224, with F. W. Stanley 4 not out.

On going in to bat again, Southland was early overtaken by disaster, and in the very first over J. A. Gill, the left-hander, who opened with J. Hailes, also a left-hander, received a painful smack the knee which brought about bis temporary retirement.

The visitors lost two cheap wickets, the captain, C. V. Shirley, being bowled by E. A. Watson after he had scored one, while Hailes, in trying to hook a ball from F. W. Stanley over the fence, instead edged it into S. N. McGregor’s hands in the slips for a simple catch before he opened his account Solid Partnership Two wickets were down for five runs when I. Overton joined A. Gilbertson. Although the Otago attack was steady, it was without much sting, and the Southlanders brought the score along nicely. Without taking risks, Overton, who waited for the' occasional right ball to come along, played some attractive forcing strokes, and in compiling 30 in 70 minutes hit five 4’s. After the slower-paced bowlers had had a few overs, the Otago captain, L. D. Smith, brought Stanlev back at the opposite end to which he had operated previously, and in his first over Overton hit one to short square-leg where L. A. Watt brought off a magnificent one-handed catch.

Gilbertson was batting freely, and getting his runs by well-timed and clean strokes, mainly in front of the wicket. Gill, who joined him with three wickets down for 56, signalised his reappearance by hooking a ball from Stanley over the square-leg fence for 6. At the luncheon adjournment, with three wickets down for 71, Gilbertson was 26 and Gill 12. both .not out.

» Resuming after lunch, Gilbertson, who was hitting with plenty of power, scored with some delightfully crisp off-side strokes, and aded 30 with seven 4’s and a2, reaching 50 in 90 minutes. His cover-driving especially was delightful to iwatch, and he also showed facility in executing his leg strokes. The 100 came up In even time. After he had passed his 50. Gilbertson put one up just out of reach of Moir at “ silly " mid-on off Watson’s bowling. In Stanley’s next oyer, however, Gilbertson cocked one up into Moir’s hands in the same position, and he was out after playing an attractive and cricket-like innings for 57, made in 110 ininutes. Gilbertson hit 10 4’s, and his partnership with Gill, which was worth 57. wiped off Southland’s deficit.

f Gill went on to make 63 before Moir brought about his dismissal, caught and bowled. The left-hander’s innings was unquestionably one of the best of the match. Batting for 89 minutes he was always aggressive, and his scoring strokes included three mighty hooks for 6 and ,/eight 4’s. j Apart from I. Overton who had made '-16 before he was snapped up behind the wicket by G. H. Mills off Smith, none of the others got very far, Smith and Moir "disposing of them fairly quickly. The iinnlngs, which lasted 175 minutes, closed at 2.30 for 179, G. W. F. Overton, with 1 against his name being the not out batsman.

4 * Bowling Honours Divided ' v The Otago bowlers found it difficult to <get any life from the pitch, and under She circumstances, Stanley,. the fastest inember of the attack, accomplished a wery satisfactory performance in taking three wickets for 37 runs off 15 overs. •The slow right-arm spin bowler, Moir, jand Smith, with his left-arm spinners, found the wicket fairly responsive. Moir bowled well to capture three for 49 in 12.4 overs, although occasionally inclined to overpitch. Smith finished with three for 35 off 11 overs, an excellent performance.

/ R. N. Couper, the slow left-arm bowler, who sent down only six overs from which 15 runs were scored, was steady although there were times when he was inclined ,'to overpitch. Watson occasionally bowled .too short to be particularly effective and 'from his 10 overs 35 runs were scored *for one wicket. ' The Otago fielding throughout was .first class, the catching and ground work •alike being good in spite of the rather 'uneven surface of the outfield which made lit difficult to field the ball on the run. <Moir, B. Sutcliffe, Watt, and D. S. St. tfohn shone particularly, though few of the others had any lapses.

1 Needing 75 runs for victory, Otago ■opened at 2.45 with Sutcliffe and Blakely. There was a stir among the fairly large crowd of spectators when for the third consecutive innings, Sutcliffe failed to reach double figures. The, total was 16 and Sutcliffe was seven when he played'an in-swinger from G. W. F. Overton into Moir’s hands at "silly” mid-on for a simple catch, Overton thus claiming Sutcliffe’s wicket for the second time in the matchSfc John partnered Blakely, and these two former Plunket Shield batsmen proceeded to hit off' the runs, St. John especially bringing off some nice shots through the covers and behind point. With a single, St. John brought the scores level, and Blakely made the winning hit with a big hit over the long-on boundary. Blakely’s 40 included three 6’s and four 4’s while St. John was also unbeaten with 32. After the winning hit was madg, the two teams, by arrangement between the captains, carried on in a practice. G. W. F. Overton, who secured the only wicket to fall, bowled 10 overs for 40 runs, but Wilson had only two overs, while the slow left-arm spinner, Fraser, did not repeat his success of the first innings, 38 runs being scored from his 7.5 overs. _ __ Messrs. A. R. Ronaldson and P. Thomson were the umpires. Scores:— Southland First innings U 9 Second Innings J. A. Gill, c and b Moir 63 J. Hailes, c McGregor, b Stanley .. 0 C. V. Shirley, b Watson 1 A. Gilbertson, c Moir, b Stanley .. 57 I. Overton, c Watt, b Stanley .. .. 30 I Gilbertson, c Mills, b Smith .. .. 16 G. Wilson, b Moir 0 G. Marshall, b Smith 6 F. Fraser, c Blakely, b Smith • • • • 2 M. Watson, b Moir 2 G. W. F. Overton, not out 1 Extras (byes 4, leg-bye 1, noballs 2) _7 Total 179 Fall of wickets: One f&r one, two for 5 three for 56, four for 113, five for 168, fix for 173, seven for 174, eight for 176, nine for 176, 10 for 179. BOWLING ANALYSIS

Smith bowled two no-balls. Otago First Innings B. Sutcliffe, b' Overton 3 L. A. Watt, c Marshall, b Fraser .. 20 D J. Blakely, c and b Fraser .. .. 28 D. S St. John, st Watson, b Fraser 1 R. N. Couper, b Fraser 19 S. N. McGregor, c Wilson, b I. Gilbertson 29 L. D. Smith, c A. Gilbertson, b Overton • • • • •• E. A. Watson, c .Fraser, b Overton 9 G. H. Mills, run out 18 A. M. Moir, b Wilson 31 T. W. Stanley, not out 4 Extras (byes 13, leg-byes 3, noball 1) 17 Total 224 Fall of wickets: One for 14, two for 57, three for 59, four for 74, five for 99, llx for 142, seven for 168, eight for 169, nine for 206, 10 for 224. BOWLING ANALYSIS

Second Innings B. Sutcliffe, c I. Gilbertsorf, b Overton I D. J. Blakely, not out 40 D. S. St. John, not out 32 Extra (leg-bye 1) 1 Total, for one wicket .. .. 80 Fall of wickets: One for 16. BOWLING ANALYSIS

0. M.R. W. F. W. Stanley .. 15 6 37 3 E A Watson .. 10 3 35 1 L. D. Smith .. 11 1 35 3 R. N. Couper .. 6 2 15 — A. M. Moir .. 12.4 1 49 3 B. Sutcliffe .. 1 — 1 —

G. W. F. Overton O. M. R. 26 8 59 W. 3 G. Wilson .. •• 18.3 6 36 1 G' Marshall 8 2 37 — F. Fraser 18 4 65 4 I. Gilbertson 9 5 10 1 C-'" r ror howled one no-ball.

O. M. R. w. G. YV. F. Overton 10 1 40 1 G vVi'son .... 2 - 3 — F r rrr'rr .. .. 7.5 1 36 —