PLUNKET SHIELD

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLII, Issue 20613, 30 December 1936, Page 9

PLUNKET SHIELD

CANTERBURY BEATS AUCKLAND MARGIN OF TWO RUNS Bj Telegraph—Press AMOClation CHRISTCHURCH, December 29. Canterbury had a flrat innings win in the Plunket Shield match with Auckland to-day. Auckland’s position looked impregnable with flve wickets down for 257, but the last flve wickets fell for 21 runs. The wicket was soaked and treacherous after rain. None of the visiting batsmen could cope with the wicket, which was certainly difficult. However, no real excuse can be made for Auckland’s failure. Two wickets, if not three, were thrown away. From the third ball of the day Vivian, who appeared not to suspect the wicket of evil, returned an easy catch to Cromb off Graham. Canterbury hopes immediately rose. More wickets fell, but more runs came and the gap was a narrow one. The fieldsmen were on their toes and the bowlers concentrated on avoiding loose deliveries. The batsmen did not dare to take liberties even with short pitched balls because they had to watch every ball right up to the face of the bat owing to the vagaries of the pitch. Three bowlers were tried, all successfully. In three overs Roberts had two wickets for no runs. Graham in five overs got one wicket for nine runs, and Mulcock in seven overs took one wicket for 13 rung. Vivian's dismissal seemed to infect the other batsmen with an inferiority complex. He had gone in apparently intent on making runs quickly and. attempted to play a punishing stroke to Graham's bowling without having found out the pace of the wicket. The bail kicked up and Vivian completely misjudged it, giving the easiest of catches. Spring nearly went in Mul- , cock's second over when he lobbed a catch just over Cromb’s head at midon which Page just failed to reach. Matheson was run out foolishly. He played an uppish square-cut which went straight to Hadlee. Spring backed up but Matheson hesitated and Hadlee returned the ball o the bowler who broke the wicket. In seven overs two wickets had fallen for only flve runs, Spring and Marshall added 11 runs riskily, and then Marshall turned a ball to Menzies at fine leg, the fieldsman holding a good catch. Spring edged an off ball from Roberts end Jackman, the wicketkeeper, held th* catch, his third of the match, Cov’le hit Mulcock for three, and then a few balls later jumped out to hit a six and was stumped. Canterbury had a lead of two runs on the first innings. Nothing but disaster to Canterbury could give Auckland a chance, and although runs came slowly, the minutes passed also and soon Canterbury were out of all danger. Page and Roberts were the safest batsmen, both scoring very slowly. Cowie was by far the best bowler tor Auckland with good pace and good length. Canterbury’s innings finished at 5.47 p.m. so that Auckland did not bat again. Scores: CANTERBURY. First Innings. J. L. Kerr, c Whitelaw, b Vivian 17 M. L. Page, c Matheson, b Vivian U C. J. Oliver, c Carson, b Vivian 35 W. A. Hadlee, c Wallace, b Spring 0 O’Brien. b lMoMahon 49 I. B. Cromb, c Carson, b Vivian 2 R. E. J, Menzies, c Marshall, b Vivian®}. .. 5 Roberts, b/£owle .. 75 Jackman, B Cowie 4 Graham, c Dunning, b Matheson 5 Mulcock, not out .. 0 Extras 15 Total .. 280 Bowling: Cowie took two wickets for 33 runs; Matheson, one for 55; Vivian, five for 80; McMahon, one for 35; Spring, one for 46; V/eir, none for three; Carson, none, for 13. Second Inning* Kerr, c Vivian, b Cowie 7 Page, c Dunning, b McMahon ■ 37 Oliver, c Vivian, b Cowie 4 Hadlee, c Carson, b Spring .... 17 O'Brien, b Cowie 1 Cromb, c and b McMahon ...... 17 Menzies, b Matheson 10 Roberts, not out 36 Jackman, b Spring 14 Graham, c Wallace, b Spring .... 2 Mulcock, b Cowie 1 Extras 18 Total 164 Bowling: Jowie took four wickets for 31 runs; Matheson, one for 16; Vivian, none for 29; Spring, three for 28; McMahon, two for 42. AUCKLAND First Innings Dunning, c Cromb. b Boberts 0 Whitelaw. c Jackman, b Mulcock 52 Weir, b Graham 53 Wallace, c Roberts, b Graham .... 46 Vivian, c Cromb, b Graham .... 46 Carson, c Jackman, b Roberts .. 12 Spring, c Jackman, b Roberta .. 30 Matheson, run put <■ 0 Marshall, c Menzies, b Mulcock .. 7 Cowie, std. Jackman, b Roberta ~ 3 McMahon, not opt 0 Extras 39 Total . v .. 278 Bowling: Roberts took four wicketa for 61 runs; Mulcock, two for 92; Cromb. none for 54; Graham, three for 42. WIN FOR WELLINGTON POOR SCORING GAME F Telegraph—Press Association WELLINGTON, December 29. Wellington won its first Plunket Shield cricket match of the seasor today, beating Otago oy 107 runs on the first innings. Rain prevented plry on the first and third days of Uie game, which thus became a two-day fixture. It wax marked by low scoring throughout. On the first day Wellington made 249 and Otago lost four wickets for 93. To-day the remaining six wickets fell for 49 before lunch, Otago making only 142. Wellington lost seven wickets for 125 runs before declaring in an effort

to force an outright win. Otago, after i“