Rattling Up Centuries.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18085, 19 February 1927, Page 24

Rattling Up Centuries.

SCORE RECORDS IN SHIELD GAMES. J. S. HIDDLESTON HAS STILL BEST RECORD. When R. C. Blunt scored his century for Otago in the Plunket Shield match with Canterbury this season, it was the sixtieth time that a batsman had made a three-figure score in Shield games. An analysis of these centuries is interesting. The following table shows the number of centuries scored for and against each province:— For Wellington 23 Auckland 16 Canterbury . 11 Otago 10 Against Otago 17 Auckland 17 Canterbury 15 Wellington 0 Hawke's Bay 2 It will be noticed that Wellington has by far the best record, the most number of centuries having been scored for that province and the least number against. The honour of having made the highest individual score in Plunket Shield games is held by S. G. Smith (Auckland), who in the 1919-20 season made 256 against Canterbury. Until last sea- ; son this was the only double century ! that had been made in Shield games. Last season no fewer than four double centuries were scored. J. S. Hiddleston (Wellington) made 212 against Canterbury and 204 against Auckland, B. J. Kortlang (Wellington) made 214 not out against Auckland, and A. Cox (Canterbury) made 204 against Otago. Hiddleston has been the most prolific scorer of centuries in Shield games. He has made three figure scores on eight occasions, including two double centuries. Kortlang, D. C, Collins (Wellington) and L. G. llemus (Auckland) have each scored four centuries. Blunt has scored three, two for Canterbury and one for Otago, and the fol lowing have made two eachA. E. Relf (Auckland), W. R. Patrick (Canterbury), N. C. Snedden (Auckland), A. Anthony (Auckland), C. C. Dacre (Auckland), R. de R. Worker (Otago), E. O. Blanv ires (Otago), and 11. M. M’Girr (Wellington). Twenty-one players have each one three figure score to their The greatest number of centuries made in one season was in 1923-24, when thirteen were scored. Seven of these were made in the record scoring match between Wellington and Otago at Dunedin; five for Wellington and two for Otago. This is the greatest number of centuries ever scored in a Plunket Shield game. Last season individual players passed the century mark on nine occasions, and, as four of these were double centuries, there was really a total of thirteen single centuries, equal to the record of the 1923-24 seaThe first centuries in Shield games were made by L. G„ llemus and A. E. Relf for Auckland against Canterbury in the 1907-08 season. In the seasons before the war (no Shield games were played during the war period) thirteen centuries were scored. The remainder (47) have been scored since the war, compiencing from 1918-19. It is interesting to note that until R. M. Cherry (Otago) made 123 not out against Canterbury at Lancaster Park last season, there had been only one previous not out century score. This was in 1910-11, when Harold B. Lusk carried his bat for 151 for Canterbury against Auckland. In addition to Cherry’s not out score, B. J. Kortlang (Wellington), N. C. Snedden (Auckland), and F. Woods (Canterbury) carried their bats for scores of 214, 131 and 124 respectively last season. During the present season Blurtf made 131 not out and K. C. James (Wellington) 107 not out. Smith, Kortlang and Cox have made the highest scores for Auckland, Wellington and Canterbury respectively. The highest score made for Otago in Shield games was registered by Worker, who in the 1923-24 season made 172 against Canterbury! This was the first game that Worker played for Otago against his old province, and it is a coincidence that Blunt, who at one time was opening batsman with Worker for Canterbury, also made a century in his first game for Otago , against Canterbury. Blunt is the only player who has scored centuries for two provinces. Apart from the double centuries, | seven have been 150 or over. They i £ m & A. E. Relf (A) 157 Canty. 1907-0 S 11. B. Lusk (C) .. *lsl Auck. 1910-11 R. do R. Worker (O) 172 Canty. 1923-24 T. S. Hiddleston (W) 163 Auck. 1923-24 > vS. Hiddleston (W) 150 Otago 1923-24 D. C. Collins (W) .. 172 Auck. 1924-25 F. T. Badcock (W) 155 Canty. 1926-27* * Not out. On two occasions players have made a bare 100, J. Gray, for Canterbury against Wellington in the 1918-19 season. and A. Anthony, for Auckland against Wellington, 1924-25.