MATCH FOR THE PLUNKET SHIELD.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18043, 31 December 1926, Page 9

MATCH FOR THE PLUNKET SHIELD.

WELLINGTON A STRONG SIDE. T. C. LOWRY UNABLE TO MAKE THE TRIP. The Plunket Shield match between Canterbury and Wellington will be started a.t Lancaster Park to-morrow', commencing at 11 a.m. It will be continued on Monday and following days. The starting hour will be 11 a.m. each day, with luncheon adjournment from 1.15 p.m. to 2 p.m. and the tea adjournment from 4 p.m. to 4.15 p.m. SUimps will be drawn at G p.m. Lancaster Park is a lucky ground for Canterbury in their contests with Wellington at cricket. Wellington have beaten Canterbury several times in Christchurch, but always at Hagley Park. They have never succeeded in winning at. Lancaster Park. Will this run of success be broken in the game that is to begin to-morrow? The Wellington team arrived in Christchurch this morning. The wellknown Hawke’s Bay batsman. T. C. Lowry, was to have come with the team, but he was unable to get away. The absence of Lowry will weaken the batting strength of the visitors, but still the team is a particularly strong one, probably the strongest that Wellington has eyer sent to Christchurch. Canterbury will have them work cut out to beat them. The teams will be as follows: CANTERBURY. W. R. Patrick (captain). G. R. Gregory. C. G. Crawford. R. Read. D. Sandman. W. Cunningham. M. Boon. M. L. Page. C. Oliver. D. J. M'Beath. F. Woods. R. O. Talbot (twelfth man). WELLINGTON. W. S. Brice (captain). T- S. Hiddleston. H. M. M'Girr. F. T. Badcock. A. M. Ilollings. B. J. Kortlang. K. C. James. C. S. Dempster. R. de R. Worker. H. Lambert. M. Henderson. W. Christopherson (twelfth man). Included in the Wellington team are no fewer than nine players who have represented New Zealand. They are: M‘Girr, Brice, Hiddleston, Kortlang, Lambert, James, Dempster, Henderson and Worker. The other two members of the side are Badcock, the English professional coach, who is an excellent bowler and a very fair bat, and Hollings, a colt who has been showing particularly good form with the bat in club cricket in Wellington this season. Against Otago Hollings was dismissed for a “ duck ” in the first innings, but this was due more to lack of experience than bad play. In the second innings he played a nice knock for 23. Hollings is regarded as one of the most promising young batsmen that Wellington has produced for a long time. Hiddleston and Worker are the opening batsmen for Wellington. Against Otago they gave Wellington an excellent start, putting on 179 runs before they were separated. Hiddleston scored 121, the seventh time that he has passed the century mark in Plum ket Shield cricket. Last season at Wellington Hiddleston scored 212 against Canterbury, and later the same season he made 204 against Auckland. He is one of the finest batsmen in the Dominion. Worker is also in the first flight. At one time he was opening batsman with Bhint for Canterbury, and a very fine opening pair they were. Later he played for Otago. This is the. first season that he has represented Wellington. Practically every member of the Wellington team is capable of making runs. Kortlang, Dempster and Lambert are all good run-getters. M’Girr is one of the stock bowlers of the team, but he can also wield the bat with good effect. Last season he notched 105 against Canterbury. Brice, the captain of the team, has been in first-class cricket for many years,’ but he is still a very useful bowler and he can also make runs on occasions. In the second innings of the match just concluded against Otago, Brice and Janies put on 138 runs for the last wicket. Brice made 70 and James carried his bat for 107. James is the team's wicketkeeper and in that capacity he ha? represented New Zealand. He has been showing improved form with the bat this } r ear. M'Girr, Badcock. Henderson and Brice are the chief bowlers- of the team, whilst Lambert and Hollings are useful change bowlers. There is plenty of variety in the attack. M’Girr and Badcock did the damage against Canterbury last year, when the Red and Blacks were dismissed for the small total of 37, in their first innings. M'Girr took five wickets for 17 runs and Badcock five for IS. Brice in the second innings of Canterbury of that match took four wickets for 13 runs. Badcock bowled well in the match against Otago this week, taking five wickets for 54 runs in the first innings and seven for 59 in the second. Canterbury have also a good sprinkling of players who have represented New Zealand, seven, Patrick, Crawford. Sandman, Cunningham, Boon. Oliver, and M'Beath having attained that honour. The Canterbury team is a strong one on paper, but they will have to do better than they did against Auckland if they are to beat the Wellingtonians. The inclusion of Woods and M'Beath should strengthen the batting and bowling of the Canterbury eleven. The Plunket Shield game between Canterbury and Wellington last season resulted in an overwhelming victory for Wellington by an innings and 332 runs. Wellington made 497 and Canterbury 37 and 128. However, the weather had a lot to do with the downfall of Canterbury in the first innings. Hiddleston, Kortlang, Dempster, M’Girr, Badcock, Lambert, Henderson and Brice were, members of the team which administered this big defeat, and they are with the Wellington team which arrived in Christchurch this morning. The other members of the team are Worker, James and Ilollings. Of the present Canterbury team, Page, Gregory, Woods, Sandman and Read played against Wellington last season. The side this year is stronger than the one that met Wellington twelve months ago.