PLUNKET SHIELD CRICKET.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXIII, Issue 18762, 29 December 1930, Page 12

PLUNKET SHIELD CRICKET.

AUCKLAND BATSMEN TRIUMPH. BIG LEAD OVER CANTERBURY. By Telegraph—Press Association CHRISTCHURCH, December 27, In sweltering heat, the Auckland team knocked up the huge score of 537 in their second innings of the Plunket Shield match. The edge was taken off the Canterbury attack, a long day in the field in a blazing sun and scorching breeze telling a cruel tale. Canterbury, left with the big task of scoring 474 in the fourth innings to win, have scored 22 for no wicket. The Canterbury bowlers and fieldsmen had trying hours to-day. The first big task was to separate Weir and Vivian, who made a splendid stand, and assured Auckland quite early of a good fighting chance of victory. By the end of the day, thanks mainly to Matheson and Allcott, the visitors were almost assured of victory. Weir's innings gave abundant evidence that he is in the first flight of New Zealand batsmen. Few better innings have been seen at Lancaster Park. Vivian’s Innings was of such all-round excellence as to mark him as a batting prodigy, for he is only 17. He will soon take a leading place among New Zealand batsmen. Allcott, in scoring his 65, played soundly and confidently. The surprise packet of the Auckland team was Matheson. During his first few overs he gave the impression of being a typical tail-ender, but when fairly into his stride, he played the bowling thoroughly well. The Canterbury bowlers stuck heroically to their task, which was a cruelly severe one. Talbot seemed to trouble the batsmen most, and always appeared most likely to get wickets. Merritt was a comparative failure. He relies usually on batsmen being tempted to get themselves out, but the Aucklanders wepe not of this class. Burrows was the steadiest and most accurate of all the bowlers, but never looked like getting wickets. The partnership between Weir and Vivian was a trying ordeal for the fielding side. It produced 155 runs. Lester broke the partnership by bowling Vivian with a much over-pitched ball, which the batsman tried to hit on the full. Roberts was given his first turn with the ball when the score was 343. His fourth ball, a shortpitched one, Weir tried to drive, missed, and was clean bowled. Allcott went merrily for runs. Eventually he fell to Merritt, when he took a vigorous swing at a breaking ball and missed. Matheson played himself in slowly, and, when set, was a really fine batsman. He would assuredly have reached the century if any one had stayed with him. Scores:— AUCKLAND. First innings 16* Second Innings. Mills, b Cromb 66 Postles, c Dorreen, b Lester .... 13 Vivian, b Lester 81 Weir, b Roberts Gillespie, b Talbot. 10 Wensley, lbw., b Cromb 20 Allcott, b Merritt 65 McCoy, b Talbot 21 Mathieson, not out 94 Cleverley, c Dorreen, b Burrows .. 4 Hunt, c Dorreen, b Burrows .... 0 Extras 29 Total 537 Bowling:—Talbot two wickets for 70 runs, Burrows two for 80, Merritt one for 127, Lester two for 73, Cromb two for 66, Page none for 44, Roberts one for 29. CANTERBURY. First innings 229 Second Innings. Kerr, not out 18 Hamilton, not out 3 Extras 2 No wickets for • .. 23 WELLINGTON V. OTAGO. SOUTHERNERS’ WEAK POSSITION. By Telegraph.—Press Association WELLINGTON, December 27. Something more nearly approaching interprovincial form was revealed in the third day’s play in the Plunket Shield match between Otago and Wellington. The weather was beautifully fine with a northerly breeze. The Otago batsmen again found the Wellington bowling too good, and had to defend throughout the innings. Cherry was the only man to shape with anything like confidence. As in the first innings, he met the ball with the full force of the bat, and was not afraid to drive and cut. Moloney shaped well until he made a mistake which brought about his downfall. J. Newman, the Nelson left-hander, carried off the bowling honours. Lowry kept him going this afternoon for 21 overs, and this against a strong northerly wind. He was bowling just as well at the finish as when he started, and in that time he captured three wickets. He clean bowled both Blunt and Badcock, and had Elms caught behind the sticks. The fact that only 21 runs came from 21 overs was eloquent testimony of the machine-like length he maintained. Crook, the Wellington colt, proved once again that he is really a serviceable fastmedium bowler. He sent along sixteen overs for 45 runs and two wickets. Blundell captured one for 38 off 20 overs, and kept the batsmen very quiet. Gallichan secured one wicket for two runs off the four overs he sent down.

McGirr made his highest score in Plunket Shield cricket. He gave four chances, but his innings was a blend of defence and aggression. Blunt bowled well for Otago. Otago were in a hopeless position when stumps were drawn this afternoon, as they still required 256 runs to avoid defeat, with only three wickets in hand. The gate takings for three days aggregated £3BB. The match will finish on Monday. At the close of play on Friday, Wellington had lost three wickets in their second innings for 197, McGirr (86) and Lowry (15) being in. Scores:— WELLINGTON. First Innings 189 Second Innings. Dempster, c Harksworth, b Badcock 13 A. Newman, c Harksworth, b Dunning 15 C. James, c Harksworth, b Dunning 57 McGirr, c Badcock, b Alloo .. .. 141 Lowry, b Blunt 68 McLeod, b Blunt 3 Lamason, b Alloo l Crook, b Lemin 22 Gallichan, c Elmes, b Blunt .... 0 J. Newman, b Blunt 12 Blundell, not out 20 Extras ....**!! 17 Total 360 | Bowling.—LQpiin 1 for 56, Badcock 1 UX, 44, 2 to 85, Klmfla 0

for 29, Moloney 0 for 7, Blunt 4 for 54, Alloo 2 for 77. OTAGO. First Innings 161 Second Innings. Cavanagh, c McGirr, b Crook .... 14 Cherry, c James, b Crook 48 Blunt, b J. Newman n Moloney, c McLeod, b Blundell .. 19 Elmes, c James, bJ. Newman .... 2 Badcock, b J. Newman 5 Alloo, cA. Newman, b Gallichan .. 10 Galland, not out n Dunning, not out 3 Extras 13 Total for seven wickets .. .. 141 Bowling.—Crook 2 for 45, Blundell 1 for 38, A. Newman 0 for 10, J. Newman 3 for 21, McLeod 0 for 12, Gallichan 1 for 2.