Aucklanders Bat Well In Plunket Shield Game.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19015, 10 March 1930, Page 9

Aucklanders Bat Well In Plunket Shield Game.

OPENING PAIR, ANTHONY AND MILLS, TACKLE BOWLING WITH CONFIDENCE. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, March 10.

THE Plunket Shield match, Wellington v. Auckland, was resumed in glorious weather. Mills (20) and Anthony (13) continued Auckland’s second innings to the bowling of Henderson, who opened from the southern end, and M’Girr, bowling with the wind.

The batsmen started confidently, both scoring with well placed shots. After ten minutes, Anthony reached 30 by cutting M’Girr through the slips for four. In Henderson’s third over, Rollings dropped Anthony in the slips. There was no score in Henderson’s fourth over. Sixty appeared on the board after twenty minutes. Gallichan then relieved Henderson. Changes Ineffective. The bowling change had little effect on the scoring, and the total mounted steadily. Mills reached 40 after half an hour. Anthony also reached 40, and sent 90 up by cutting M’Girr for a single. Lowry took over from Gallichan, whose three overs had cost IS runs. M’Girr was causing the batsmen little difficulty, and when Anthony drove him for four 100 appeared after the innings had been in progress an hour. M’Girr (none for 44 off thirteen overs) then gave way to Massey. Lowry was bowling round the wicket with eight men on the leg side. These tactics kept the batsmen quiet. At midday Anthony played on a ball from Massey. He had given a bright display, his total including seven fours. 110—1—56. AUCKLAND. First Innings. J. E. Mills, b M’Girr 0 A. Anthony, c Cameron b Massey 5 G. L. Weir, c James b Massey .... 140 H. D. Gillespie, b Gallfchan .... 26 A. F. Wensley, c Lowry b Gallichan 26 C. W. F. Allcott, b Gallichan .... 41 W. L. Elliott, c Rollings b Massey 30 S. A. R. Badeley, c and b Ross .. 32 A. W. M’Coy, not out 68 A. M. Matheson, c and b Massey 47 11. Hunt, retired hurt 0 Extras 18 Total 433 Second Innings. A. Anthony, b Massey 56 J. E. Mills, not out 6S G. Weir, not out 38 Extras H Total for one wicket .... 173 WELLINGTON. First Innings. T. C. Lowry, c Hunt b Matheson .. 6 H. Foley, c Hunt b Matheson .... 0 ‘ A. M. Rollings, c and b Matheson 1G B. R. Ross, c Wensley b Anthony 11 D. A. Cameron, st Hunt b Anthony 5 E. M’Leod, c Weir b Anthony .. 102 H. M. M’Girr, c Hunt b Allcott .. 0 N. Gallichan, b M’Coy 34 K. C. James, c Weir b Elliott .... 37 H. B. Massey, c and b Allcott .... 49 M. Henderson, not out 1 Extras 22 Total 283 Fall of wickets—One for 0, two for 7, three for 28, four for 37, five for 40, six for 41, seven for 111, eight for 191, nine for 277, ten for 253. Bowling Analysis.

ing solidly. His was a big responsibility in that he had to break down the Auckland bowing and nurse the colt, Ross, at the same time. e The wicket was like concrete, though the top was just a little dusty. The bowlers did not appear to be doing anything but keeping a defensive length. Wensley set a leg trap for Hollings, but the Wellington player placed the ball nicely to the boundary with well-timed carpet shots which ran him into double figures. It had taken forty minutes to run. to twenty runs. Matheson had taken two wickets for 11 runs, and was also increasing his pace. He was unlucky when Wensley dropped Ross off a fast snick into the slips. Good Average. Hollings seemed to be quite comfortable to Matheson, but when his total was 16 he played an atrocious shot and spooned the ball back to Matheson, making the Auckland, speed merchant’s average three wickets for 11 runs. Matheson had been keeping a perfect length, and in eleven overs had bowled six maidens. Cameron, a Rangitikei representative, joined Ross, who was brimful of confidence. An hour’s play saw 31 runs on the board—terribly slow scoring. The first bowling change was made at 33, when Anthony took over from Matheson. The new bowler sent down slow stuff with plenty of spin and beat Ross badly with the last ball of a maiden over. The sticks remained intact, though.

Cyril Allcott relieved Wensley at the other end and Cameron placed him nicely to leg for three off the second ball. Both batsmen were shaping with confidence—they really needed to, as Wellington’s position was not very good with three wickets down for 33 runs.

Black Outloolc. In his next over, Anthony again tied Ross up. The young Hutt player had a desperate go at the fourth ball, which flew to Wensley in slips. Four wickets were down for 37 runs and things certainly looked bad for the home side. M’Leod was then associated with Cameron.

Just before lunch, Anthony beat Cameron, who had run out to punch the Aucklander. Hunt missed the wicket the first time up. Cameron stabbed his bat down, but Umpire Cobcroft gave him out when Hunt took the bails off at the second attempt. As the players retired from the field for lunch the Wellington score board was a sorry sight. But worse was to follow. Anthony finished his uncompleted over and then Hunt caught M’Girr behind off Allcott’s fifth ball. The board read:— Foley 0 Hollings 16 Ross 11 Lowry 6 Cameron 5 M’Girr 0 The disastrous state of affairs had little effect on M’Leod, who was joined by Gallichan. The Varsity left-hander appeared to relish Anthony’s slows and he reached the boundary with two fine shots. Gallichan opened with confidence, a beautiful cover drive off Allcott being applauded. Neither M’Leod nor Gallichan worried about the state of the game and anything off the wicket was sent away towards the boundary. Useful Partnership. As M’Leod and Gallichan settled down, so the score rose—slowly at first but at a rapid rate as the century was reached. Both batsmen were punishing to anything off the wicket, especially on the leg side, and both reached the thirties together. They added 70 in 45 minutes, when the Manawatu man, Gallichan, missed M’Coy in jumping out and was clean bowled. Seven wickets were down for 111. It was rather unfortunate that Gallichan should have opened out at this stage, when Wellington still required 172 runs to save a follow-on. James opened very quietly. He nearly lost his wicket before the score was opened, when he scooped a ball on to his wicket and just dragged it off in time. The Wellington wicketkeeper then ran into double figures with a couple of. singles and a pair of boundaries, while M’Leod carried his tally to the forty mark. At this stage of the game Allcott brought about another double change. Matheson relieved M’Coy, who had sent down six overs for 29 runs, and Wensley took over from Allcott, who had had 24 runs hit off twelve overs. M’Leod is Solid. M’Leod reached his half-century amidst loud applause. He fought for every run he scored and was proving a difficult man to dispose of. James batted like the champion he is, after a succession of poor innings. Ilis cutting was delightfully sweet and well placed. The pair were still together at the tea adjournment and on resuming they successfully played themselves in again. M’Leod was hitting anything a shade loose with the full blade, at the same time playing with care. There was just a chance that they would wipe off the follow-on deficit. Then James snicked Elliott to Weir, a good catch ending a fine innings. He had batted soundly in adding 80 runs for the eighth wicket. Up to the fall of this wicket M’Leod had seen 150 runs added, of which he had scored 67. When Massey joined M’Leod the scoring rate increased and 200 runs went on the board after four hours five minutes. Wensley’s Bowling. Allcott made free use of the Sussex p*o., Wensley, who had bowled 30 overs up to the tea adjournment. Wensley had been keeping a great length and was not easy to score off. Forty-five runs had been hit off him. M’Leod approached his century with care. He had not given a chance and though he hit hard his scoring rate was on the slow side. However, he was soundness personified and his innings no doubt saved Wellington from a very poor display in the aggregate. Allcott commenced to ring on fairly frequent changes towards five o’clock but they served only to keep the batsmen from scoring at an even rate. Wensley, who had been relieved from the south end, had bowled 33 overs for 11 maidens and 48 runs. Though he had not taken a wicket

AUCKLANDERS HAVE BRIGHT PROSPECTS. INTERESTING PHASES IN SATURDAY’S PLAY. (Special to the “Star.”) WELLINGTON, March 10. Unless a miracle occurs it would seem as though Wellington has no chance whatever of winning the Plunket Shield from Auckland. With a lead of 150 on the first innings and 33 runs on without loss in the second, Auckland would appear to be on velvet. Only rain or a superhuman effort can give Wellington the shield as the game stands at present. Saturday’s play was full of interesting phases. First there was the disastrous start of the home side, six wickets being down for 41 runs. Then there was the brilliant recovery which added 242 runs to the total, and saw M’Leod, unluckiest aspirant for test honours in the Dominion, score a dogged century to pull his side out of what appeared to be a hopeless position. When play was continued on Saturday the weather was again perfect. Hunt was injured in the first over of the morning and the Auckland innings concluded with his retirement hurt. Four thirty three looked a big total to run up against, but it looked bigger and bigger as the day progressed and the Wellington batsmen failedr one after another. As the position now stands Wellington still has a slight grip on the shield by virtue of previous wins, but if play goes on until Tuesday without a break Auckland will surely take the shield back with them. Coincidence. When the home innings commenced Wellington did not make an auspicious opening, and, strange to say, coincidence worked out the same as in Auckland's first innings. Foley, facing the opening bowler, Matheson, turned the fourth ball into Hunt’s hands low down on the leg side. It was a disastrous opening. Runs came very slowly, six overs producing only three runs. Then there was further consternation in the Wellington camp. With the total at seven, Lowry tipped a pacy ball into the hands of Hunt, who was showing great form behind the sticks. Lowry was playing himself in carefully when he lost his wicket. Then Rollings and Ross were associated for the third wicket. Ross is the tw'enty-year-old Hutt player, a pupil of L. T. Cobcroft, an old player of note, and one of the umpires in the game. Ross showed great form two weeks ago when he compiled a brilliant 197 undefeated. Naturally the young Hutt player had to be blooded in this, his first Plunket Shield game. But he opened with great confidence, especially in defence. In the meantime Rollings was play-

he had been hard to score off. A Century. M’Leod reached his centum at five o'clock. The effort was greeted with loud aplause. The Varsity skipper had gone to the wickets just before the luncheon adjournment on Saturday and he never gave a chance while he was compiling the century. His runs were scored in every part of the field except through the slips. Massey played very freely. His leg hitting and cutting was delightful, while at times his driving was fierce. In an hour he had run up over forty runs. M’Leod’s brilliant effort ended when he hooked Anthony fast to leg right into the safe hands of Weir. He had been at the wickets for three hours forty minutes, and his effort had been an invaluable one. Wellington still required seven runs to save the follow on when Henderson joined Massey. Requiring one run to save the follow on Massey drove the ball back to bowler Allcott and the innings ended. Good Judgment. Allcott handled the Auckland attack with great judgment. Wensley, Matheson and Allcott did the lion’s share of the trundling with twenty-two overs each. Matheson, who developed quite a lot of pace, kept a nice length, swung the ball and at times turned it. His three wickets were gathered early in the game. Anthony, a slow spin right hander, got the average with thjffe for 43 in 18 overs. He encouragedthe batsmen to hit with some success. Allcott kept an immaculate length and averaged well tinder three runs an over. Wensley had Jess than two runs an over hit off him for no wickets in 33 turns at the crease. The Sus-; sex professional was at the top of his form, even though he did not take a wicket. The fielding was good throughout the innings, the only lapse being Weir’s dropped catch. Mills and Anthony put on 33 for Auckland in the second innings when stumps were drawn.

o. M. R. w. Matheson ... 22 6 56 3 Wensley — 11 48 0 Anthony ... IS 4 43 3 Allcott ... 22 5 52 2 M’Coy 0 0 29 1 Elliott 1 33 1