Lively Cricket

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 260, 24 January 1928, Page 11

Lively Cricket

OTAGO FINE SECOND STRIKE INNINGS DEFEAT AVERTED {Special to THE SUN.) DUNEDIN, To-day. The few spectators who attended at Carisbrook this morning to see this finish of the match between Otago and Wellington were treated to some lively cricket. The Otago team was in a hopeless position, but, as in all its previous interprovincial matches this season, it showed a dogged determination to die fighting. It was hoped that the fine partnership which Knight and Dickinson had entered into on Saturday, and which was undissolved at the drawing of stumps, would be continued; but this hope was speedily dashed when Knight put the very first ball he received from Badcock straight into Lambert’s hands at close mid-on. When this happened, Lambert cried to his skipper, “There! What did I tell you?’* It appears that Lambert had dreamed last night that Brice had put Badcock on to bowl, and he had captured a wicket with his first ball.. Acting on the dream, Brice had put on the coach, and Lambert himself had helped to make the dream come true. But the game was by no means over, for Vorrath, who had found a place in the team only when Alloo dropped out, joined Dickinson, and another breezy partnership was set up. Both batsmen laid on the wood, and fours were numerous, especially from Vorrath’s bat. The crowd was kept in good humour by this, and by the regularity with which the Wellington fieldsmen dropped catches. “Thanks very much/’’ the crowd cried, as first James, then Brice, then Badcock, and again Brice, put the ball on the floor; but in between these mistakes the batsmen played good cricket, presenting the full face of the bat with plenty of force. Vorrath got to 50 in a tick over the half hour, and Dickenson eventually reached his century. He then threw his wicket away by making a blind swipe at a simple straight one from Brice, which he missed and was bowled. He had hit eight fours, and had been at the wickets 142 minutes. His innings was marred by five chances, but was a valuable one nevertheless. This partnership added just three short of 100 runs. Elmes and Douglas did not stay long, and when Torrance came in as last man, Vorrath still needed 25 for his hundred. He set to work to get them, and the Wellington field helped by dropping more catches. Worker, Lowry and Lamason offended in turn, the two latter being easy chances. Vorrath continued to smack them round, Torrance ably seconding him, and the former duly passed the coveted three-figure mark for the first time in his short career. On the northern tour, the young lefthander rarely looked like getting very far, hence his exclusion from the original team picked for this match. He hit 13 fours and got his runs at the rate of one a minute. None of Wellington's bowlers was very deadly to-day, Badcock being the best. The fielding was bad, seven catches being dropped, and several overthrows given away. Rain at the luncheon Interval made things again easy for the batsmen, and Worker and Badcock soon hit off the required runs. The wicket lasted splendidly throughout. Otago has scored over 300 in the second innings of each of the four matches played this season. OTAGO First Innings 155 Second Innings BLUNT, c Foley, b McGirr 8 KNIGHT, c Lambert, b Badcock . . 83 McMULLAN, c Brice, b Massey .... 0 CHERRY, b McGirr 1 CAVANAGH, c Massey, b Badcock . . 6 GALLAND, c and b Badcock .. .. 14 DICKINSON, b Brice 104 VORRATH, not out 103 ELMES, lbw, b Lowry 5 DOUGLAS, c Lowry, b Brice 6 TORRANCE, c Badcock, b Massey .. 28 Extras 16 Total 374 Bowling.—McGirr, 2-85; Massey, 2-48; Badcock. 3-74; Lowry, 1-28; Brice, 2-62. WELLINGTON First Innings .. .. 488 Second Innings WORKER, not out 15 BADCOCK, not out 22 Extras 5 Total for no wickets .. .... 42