CRICKET PLUNKET SHIELD

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVIII, Issue 21575, 10 February 1940, Page 14

CRICKET PLUNKET SHIELD

Bowlers On Top

Wellington v. Otago

By Telegraph—Press Association

DUNEDIN. February 9.

Otago were all out for 138 in the first innings of the Plunket Shield cricket match against Wellington. The bowling of Pritchard was too much for the batsmen and he finished with the good average of five wickets for 68 runs.

Possession of the wooden spoon hinged on the match, which began this morning at Carisbrook. A wind that reached gale force swept across the ground and soon after the game was begun one of the heavy sightboards was blown over. Otago won the toss and batted first. Moloney and Robertson faced Ashenden and Pritchard. Both batsmen went into action from the start and Moloney placed a ball from Pritchard to the square leg boundary. The wicket was very fast and was playing true, but Pritchard was making the ball rise sharply. It was from one of these that Moloney lost his wicket after twenty minutes’ play and when the score was 17. Reticent Batting Cutler joined Robertson, who was batting with reticence and he began with a fine two. Later he scored a four off Ashenden to fine leg. Wilson had replaced Ashenden early and when the score was 42 he bowled Cutler with a ball that came back sharply. This was after an hour’s play. Elmes joined Robertson, who was 16. and his stay was short. Ashenden having him well caught by Pritchard in the slips. Then came a further disaster. Robertson touching a ball from Wilson that nipped through fast and was caught by Tindill, the wicket-keeper. Otago had lost four for 45. Cameron and Fraser were now together. Fraser began smartly and scored double figures in quick time with strokes mostly behind the wicket. The Wellington attack so far was steady without, being at all dangerous. Cameron had a very lucky escape when the score was 60 and he was 4, Pritchard hitting his leg stump. However, it was a no-ball. From the next two balls the batsman hit a two and a four respectively. Enterprising Batsman After a very quiet period. Cameron opened his shoulders again, sweeping a delivery from Wilson to the leg fence to become the highest scorer with 19 runs. He was the most enterprising and dashing batsman so far, and soon he hit another four, the result of a cover drive. Then Fraser went when the total was 82. Wilson knocking back his off stump. Wilson then had three for 26. Chettleburgh had a short stay with Cameron, who went for a hit again and was bowled by Pritchard. Six wickets were down for 84 runs and Toomey was with Chettleburgh. A run of singles brought up 100 runs in 117 minutes. When play was resumed after the adjournment, but without any addition to the score. Toomey was caught off Pritchard by McLeod, who took a neat catch in the gully. Leader was the next batsman, and he began with a two to fine leg off Pritchard, who was bowling at the peak of his form. Then Chettleburgh went. He popped up a simple catch

off Pritchard to Wrigley fielding at silly mid-on. Pritchard had taken four for 49 and the total was 103 for eight wickets. Leader provided a bright interlude until Pritchard scuttled him with one that nipped in and spread out his wickets.

Wellington Unimpressive

Wellington’s innings began in a fashion to encourage faint hopes that the day might not yet be lost to Otago. Tindill and O. Wrigley, the former a left hander and the latter a freescoring young right-hander, opened to T. G. Lemin bowling with fair pace from the pavilion end and Robertson. Both batsmen seemed to be seeing Lemin well, but Wrigley played back to the last ball of the first over and was clean bowled. Rainbird helped Tindill to set a good scoring pace, and 40 had just been hoisted when Lemin got his second wicket. He appealed for lbw for the second ball of his seventh over against Rainbird and was successful.

Otago should have been in a highly promising position three or four runs later when Tindill snicked one from Lemin straight to Elmes at first slip, the ball travelling fast but it did not stick and Chettleburgh could net save the catch. Tindill was then 26. With Ongiey in. the scoring rate was increased and 50 appeared in 54 minutes. The tea adjournment was

taken with the total at 68 and when they started again Ongiey was applauded for attractive stroke-making. Accurate Return Moloney took a turn with the ball and Tindill played two or three balls from the slow bowler carefully. He pushed the last ball of the over round to square leg straight at Leader. Ongiey set off uown the wicket and had no chance of getting back when an accurate return was taken by the bowler. Elmes had his first reward two runs later. Tindill reached well forward and was struck on the leg by a ball which came straight through, the appeal being successful. From 97 for two wickets the score had changed to 99 for four wickets.

Wilson did not get over a cover drive and edged it for Robertson short in the gully to reach for a comfortable catch. The sixth wicket did not survive long, as Elmes trapped du Chateau cleverly with a faster one. The batsman was much too late and was bowled.

Otago’s Total Equalled

Otago’s total was equalled in 147 minutes, three minutes better than Otago’s time. Airey was in with McLeod who enlivened a quiet patch by driving Moloney twice for four. Both batsmen were left-handers and were eager to drive the slow bowler. Airey hit him for the first six of the match and followed it with another which bounced on the rail. Moloney gave way to Lemon again and Leader took over from Elmes. Airey crashed Leader's first ball through the covers. He slashed at the second but did not keep it down, and Toomey, at backward point, fell full length in making a fine catch. Airey had contributed a briskly-made 30 to the total of 176. The value of the change was enhanced when Pritchard, the newcomer, attempted to hit the sixth ball of the over out of the ground. It was a slower one, and its passage to the wicket was not interrupted. There was a quarter of an hour of play left when White joined McLeod and stumps were drawn with the pair together.

Total (for eight wickets) .. 19! Bowling—G. Lemin, took two wickets for 62 runs: W. G. J. Robertson none for 17; V. J. Leader two for 31; C. J. Elmes three for 53. D. A. R. Moloney none for 39, T. Chettleburgh none for 6.

OTAGO First Innings D. J. Robertson. C. Tindill, b Wilson D. A. R. Moloney, b Pritchard .. A. H. Cutler, b Wilson 17 12 13 C. J. Elmes, c Pritchard, b enden Ash0 H. R. Cameron, b Pritchard T. C. Fraser, b Wilson 26 10 T. Chettleburgh, c Wrigley, b chard PritC. D. Toomey, c McLeod, b chard Prit11 G. H. Mills, lbw b Wilson .. V. J. Leader, b Pritchard .. .. 11 17 T. G. Lemin, not out Extras . . 13 Total Bowling analysis.— Pritchard, wickets for 68 runs; Ashenden, one 19; Wilson, four for 38. 133 five for WELLINGTON First Innings E. W. Tindill, <bw.. b Elmes O. Wriglev. b Lemin 40 W. G. Rainbird. lbw., b Lemin J. A. Onelev. run out .. .. 13 37 V. H. de Chateau, b Elmes D. C. Wilson, c Robertson, b Elmes E. G. McLeod, not out W. F. Airey. c Toomey, b Leader .. T. L. Pritchard, b Leader . . .. ,. 14 16 31 30 0 G. L. Whyte, not out .. .. Extras