CANTERBURY MAKE LARGE SECOND INNINGS SCORE

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19268, 3 January 1931, Page 9

CANTERBURY MAKE LARGE SECOND INNINGS SCORE

WELLINGTON NOW FACED WITH BIG TASK-383 RUNS NEEDED Thousands Witness Exciting Play In Shield Match At Lancaster Park. CANTERBURY made a bold bid for victory in the Plunket Shield match against Wellington to-day by piling on 519 runs in their second innings after a rather poor start in the first innings. The innings closed at 4.40 p.m. and was the signal for a prolonged burst of cheering. Wellington were left with 383 to make for an eight-point win. The Wellington attack was weakened by the absence of Blundell, who sprained his wrist yesterday. His place in the field was taken by Gallichan. Page made a fine 116 and Lester 49, and Merritt 38 and Cromb 35 were others who contributed to-day to the Canterbury’ total. Yesterday Roberts compiled 116. Wellington made a poor start in their second innings. With nine up, Lowry was brilliantly' caught by Talbot off Cromb.

The game between Wellington and Canterbury was resumed in fine weather at Lancaster Park to-day. Canterbury’s second innings, which had produced 236 for five wickets, was carried on by Page (21) and Cromb (1). JNewman opened the attack from the north end. The batsmen were enterprising, Cromb turning the first ball to leg for three, and Page scoring with a single through the slips. Massey bowled from the south, and Crook relieved Newman. Blundell was not on the field, his place being taken by Gallichan, who, of course, could not bowl. Blundell sprained a wrist yesterday. Cromb relieved a slow spell by turning Crook to the fine leg boundary, reaching double figures. J. Newman took over from Crook. The bowling was as steady as ever, and the batsmen had to watch the ball carefully and wait for scoring chances. Batsmen Settle Down. Page got a strong four to the long on boundary off Massey, and reached thirty, and a little later 270 went up on the board. The batsmen were settling down, and Lowry tried MXeod in Massey’s place. Page snicked a pair to leg then pulled a short one to the fence, while Cromb reached twenty with a fine square cut for four off Crook. Massey relieved M’Leod again, and Page survived an appeal for leg before wicket. Accurate bowling. Cromb and Page were going along quietly, and Cromb reached thirty with a fine off drive to the fence off Crook. Massey was relieved by J. Newman after he had bowled 33 overs for 47 runs and one wicket. Massey, however, ■went on at the other end, and he and Newman kept the scoring very slow, bowling with consistent accuracy. Three maidens were bowled in succes«ion, Page breaking the run with a tingle to third man off Massey.

The third century was posted when Cromb off-drove Newman for three. It had taken 230 minutes. Page reached 40 with a single. Was Cromb Out? The partnership was broken then, Cromb being caught in slips by Massey off Newman when it appeared that the ball had hit the ground first. The umpire took some time to arrive at a decision. 301—6—35. Cromb had batted in sound style, making his runs with excellent shots. It appeared that he was well set. The partnership had added 66. Lester then joined his captain. Page had a narrow escape, hitting at Crook and lifting the ball very near the slips, but getting a boundary. Lester “ broke his duck ” with the first ball he received, steering it into the slips for one. Page placed Newman for a pair, reaching his half century after batting 115 minutes. Crook was bowling with four slips close in, and Lester turned him to fine leg for four. Hit No-ball. M Leod went on Jn Newman’s place, and after both men had placed him for singles, bowled a no-ball which Page swiped at and was bowled. The crowd had not heard the call, and there was some jubilation when Page did not go out. J. Newman relieved Crook at the

north end. Lowry was missing Blundell, but the other bowlers showed no signs of tiring. A. Newman took a turn in M’Leod’s place, after Lester had reached double figures with some pretty shots. He had not settled down yet, however. Lester survived a confident appeal for caught behind from James off J. Newman. Two Hundred in Hand. Runs were coming very slowly. A pair to page made Canterbury 338, 201 runs to the good. Massey took over at the south end and bowled to Lester, who had 13 to his credit, but got away from the unlucky number with a leg glide to the fence. Page reached 60 with a late cut for four off J. Newman. Lester's twjentv went up when the batsman off-drove Massey for a boundary, the 350 mark being reached at the same time, the innings having been in progress fur 255 minutes. M’Leod relieved J. Newman, Lester placing the first ball for a single. Page

| got a single and Lester missed with a i big hit, but was safe, j The adjournment was taken with the | score at 355 for six wickets. The partnership had added 54. After lunch Lester faced M’Leod and got a risky single into slips, Page placed a single, and Lester cut the slow man hard for four, reaching thirty. Masseystarted his forty-first over at the south end, Page surviving an appeal for lbw. Page reached seventy with a pull for four off a full toss from M’Leod, and next over a no-ball went from his bat to the boundary past cover. The next ball, a short one, was pulled round for four, giving the batsman eighty. A quiet over from Massey, Lester placing a single to the leg. Then Crook relieved M’Leod. Lester did not look safe for a while, though he hit Crook hard to the off boundary and placed a single to leg. M’Girr Comes On. M'Girr was clapped when, with the score at 386, Lowryput him on to bowl for the first time in the Plunket Shield series. He bowled a maiden, then Lester ran to forty with a glide to fine leg off Massey-. M’Girr was bowling on the leg theory, and sent down another maiden. The scoring rate had slowed down again. Lester brought the fourth century up with a shot which Lowry at cover just failed to make into a catch. The innings had lasted 340 minutes, and the pair had added exactly 100. Page off drove Massey for a boundary, then a single. He was working slowly towards the century. The fine partnership was broken when Lester had a hit at a yorker from M’Girr which swung a little, and was clean bowled. 407—7—49 Lester had play-ad a dogged innings with some fine shots, but never gave the impression of safeness. It was an invaluable knock. Merritt joined Page, and got M’Leod away to leg for a boundary- and singles off both bowlers. Massey went on again in place of M’Leod. Page had been a long time in the eighties, but reached 92 with a four to leg off Massey-. Another powerful pull reached the boundary. Crook relieved M’Girr, who had bowled six overs, four maidens, with one wicket lor three runs. Merritt got a fortunate snick through slips for a brace. J. Newman took over from Massey. For some time conditions had been marred by a strong nor’-west wind. A Century to Page. Page got his century- next over, cutting Newman through the slips. They ran two, and an overthrow gave two more, the necessary four. The crowd gave the popular Canterbury skipper a great ovation for his first hundred in Plunket Shield cricket. Page has often made big scores for Canterbury, but somehow the century has always eluded .him. The crowd cheered again when Oromb brought him out a drink. Page's innings was an example of soundness and patience, a fighting innings all the way when his side badly needed the runs.

Merritt was dropped in slips by A. Newman off Crook, and Page got some placed singles off both bowlers. M’Girr took over from Crook, and Merritt snicked another lucky singl'e. With a throw-in that hit the off stump M’Leod gave Page a fright when he and Merritt ran a risky pair. The score was now’ over 440, which meant that Canterbury were over 300 to the good. Crook took over from J. Newman. Played On. Page reached 114 with a boundary to fine leg off M’Girr, and pulled the next ball for a couple, equalling Roberts’s score. He -was not destined to pass it, as he played on. the next ball from M’Girr. 450—8—116. Page’s great innings included fourteen fours, and lasted 240 minutes. Dorreen came in with a bandaged hand, and Merritt took up the tale, pulling two fours off Crook, and running into the twenties. M’Leod went on, and Dorreen pulled him for four and drove a single, hitting pluckily despite an injured hand which was obviously hurting. Dorreen ran into double figures by placing Crook to the square leg boundarv. 470 up. J. Newman bowled in McLeod’s place, and Dorreen drove him past cover to the boundary. ■Merritt on-drove Crook high for four, bringing 480 up. Lowry used no long field for Merritt, till he pulled Crook perfectly for another boundary. Merritt Keeps Hitting. M’Girr took over again from J. Newman. 490 came up with a risky three run off a shot which Merritt placed to leg off M’Girr, bringing his own score to 32 and the total to 490. A. Newman relieved Crook, Dorreen driving him for a single. M’Leod came on again, and Merritt brought the fifth century up with a four past point. The innings had lasted 415 minutes. The afternoon tea adjournment was taken with the score at 501, with Merritt 38 and Dorreen 18.

The partnership was broken with th.e second ball after the resumption, Merritt going for a hit at Massey and being clean bowled. 501—9—38. His bright innings included six boundaries. Last Man In. Cunningham was the last man. He qut a single off Massey and drove Crook for a brace. Dorreen reached twenty with a leg glide off Massey, then off drove him for four, M’Girr missing a very hard chance. Cunningham notched a pretty single off Crook with a leg glide, and next over late cut Massey finely to the fence. Cunningham was batting well, even though hig peculiar style made the crowd laugh. M’Leod went on next, relieving Massey, and the change proved effective, Cunningham missing a full toss and being clean bowled. The innings produced 519, a great effort, which took 4,35 minutes. Dorreen, who had batted soundly and well, being unbeaten with 28. Wellington were left with 383 to get ,to win, an unexpected amount after Canterbury’s large first innings deficit. Wellington Bat. Dempster and Lowry opened Wellington’s second innings against the j bowling of Talbot and Cromb. In, Cromb's second over Dempster survived a confident appeal for leg before. Lowry was brilliantly caught in the slips by Talbot off Cromb. Talbot made a wonderful catch an inch from the ground. M’Leod joined Dempster. 9—l—6. Scores CANTERBURY. First innings. I. M. Hamilton, 41, c James b Massey 5 J. L. Kerr, 111, b Blundell 3 A, W. Roberts, 2114141, b J. Newman 14 R. O. Talbot, 11111112111141141111 111211611, b M’Leod 42 M. L. Page, 121111124112141212, c James, b Blundell 28 T. Jacobs, b Newman 0 I. B. Cromb, 2244211414112214112112 42211211, c M’Girr, b J. Newman , 58 S. G. Lester, 211, played on, b J. Newman 4 W. E. Merritt, 44214441144, c James, b Croojc ........... 33 N. Dorreen, 11411, c James, b M’Leod 8 W. Cunningham, not out 0 Extras * 19 Total 214

Blundell and Crook each fowled a no-ball. Fall of wickets: One for 8, two for 18, three for 40, four for 71, five for 75, six for 153, seven for 170, eight for 179, nine for 212, ten for 214. Second Innings. J. L. Kerr, b Blundell, 0 I. M. Hamilton, 12112222421121, run out 24 A. W. Roberts, 121114241111213211 2241222444424112411212443442241 114, c James, b Crook H 6 R. O. Talbot, 24213412411141131211 21132411213, b Massey 61 T. Jacobs, b Newman 0 i. B. Cromb, 1322141224314113, c Massey b J. Newman 35 S. G. Lester, 141121211441214111414 123. b M’Girr 49 M. L. Page, 2121411422111224124111 3421212241111424421414441211221 42, b M’Girr 116 W. E. Merritt, 41112111444413141, b Massey 38 N. Dorreen, 11414141124211, not out 28 W. Cunningham, 1214, b M’Leod .. 8 Extras 44

M’Leod bowled three no-balls, Massey tw’o, Crook and M’Girr one each. Fall of wickets.—One for 1, twp for 58, three for 205, four for 230, live for 235, six lor 301, seven for 407, eight for 450, nine for 501, ten for 519. WELLINGTON. First innings. C. S. Dempster, 142311111111211111 214121221, Ibw, b Talbot .... 41 A. Newman, 13, c Dorreen, b Cunningham 4 K. C. James, 111422311441241, std Dorreen, b Merritt 32 H. M. M’Girr, 12124411211221141444 1411142111121114244111111141414 c and b Lester 101 T. C. Lowry, 131141211421144111111 2111114111111114141111221112141 11111, Ibw, b Cromb 91 J. R. Lama son, b Lester 0 R. Crook, 112111111121, c Cromb b Merritt 14 H. B. Massey, b Merritt 0 E. G. M’Leod, 11411411, run out ~ 14 J Newman, 4624411, c Cromb, b Talbot 22 E. D. Blundell, 11, not out 2 Extras 30 Total 351 Bowling Analysis.

Second Innings. T. Q, Lowry, c Talbot b Cromb . . 6 C. S. Dempster, not out H E. G. M’Leod, not out 10 Extras 3 Total for one wicket .... 32 MATCH AT OAMARU. Per Pi*ess Association. OAMARU, January 3. The match between North Otago and Southland was continued in perfect weather. Southland made 284 (C. K. Uttlev 43, Tapley 58 and King 53). Zimmerman took six for 54. King and Tapley played excellent knocks. SHEFFIELD SHIELD MATCH. MELBOURNE, January 2. In the Sheffield Shield match against South Australia, Victoria, in their first innings have lost six wickets for 243 (O'Brien 74, Ryder 49, Oakley 41).

Bowling Analysis. Overs. Mdns. Runs. Wkts. E. D. Blundell 32 6 94 2 II. B. Massey 11 . 2 21 X R. Crook .... S.j 1 17 1 J. Newman .. 17 3 36 4 E. G. M’Leod 6 2 17 2 A. Newman .. 5 1 10 0

Total Bowling Analysis. 519 O. M. R. w. IT. B. Massey .. 53 21 98 2 E. D. Blundell 17 5 50 1 A. Newman .... 13 3 21 0 T. Newman .... 33 6 81 1 H. M. M’Girr .. 11 4 17 2 R. Crook 34 c 105 2 E. G. MXeod .. 19 0 103 1

Overs. Mdns. Runs. Wkt.s. W. Cunningham 18 1 SO 1 R. O. Talbot .. 22 4 41 2 W. E. Merritt . 30.1 4 93 3 I. B. Cromb .. 17 2 61 1 S. G. Tester .. 12 2 36 2 M. L. Page .. 2 1 4 0 A. Roberts .. 3 0 6 0