CRICKET

Wairarapa Daily Times, 29 December 1931, Page 4

CRICKET

SOUTH AFRICAN TEAM MATCH AGAINST COUNTRY XI. Press Association Electric Telegraph Copyright MELBOURNE, Monday. In the cricket match between South Africa and the Victorian Country team, the visitors declared with eight wickets down for 418 (Curnow 15S, McAlillan 52, Steyn 55 not out, Aan der Alerwo 23 not out). •The Country team, which scored the first innings, made 246 in the second innings. Christy took three wickets for 12 runs. VICTORIA V. NEW SOUTH^ALES. MELBOURNE, Monday. In the Sheffield Shield match against Victoria New South Wales in the second innings made 260 (O'Reilly 43). Smith took five wickets for So runs, and Ironmonger two for 58. : Victoria (Ist innings 103) in the second innings has lost 5 wickets for 314 (Woodfull 147, O’Brien 51, and Darling not out 52). L —- - J plunket SHIELD. OTAGO MAKES BIG SCORE. CHRISTCHURCH, Alonday.

In the Plunket Shield match to-day, Otago made one of the greatest hatting recoveries ever known in New Zealand cricket. They began the day with a deficit of over 300 rims, but piled up a magnificent score of 555 runs foi nine wickets, leaving Canterbury a formidable task on the fourth day to escape defeat. The star performer was 81/*f) who broke all previous individual scores for Plunket Shield matches by hitting up 315. The previous record score was, S. G. Smith’s 256 for Auckland against Canterbury, at Auckland, in the 191920 season. Blunt’s performance to-day easily eclipsed his previous best efforts, and he produced scoring strokes which surprised even his greatest admirers, of whom he has many in Clnist--church. He lifted two or three balls into the deep field when it was safe to do so, hut otherwise his rune came from shots along the carpet in front and behind the wicket on both off and leg sides. His off-driving was especially fine, executed with effortless ease, and his timing of strokes oh the leg side was uncanny. He gave a chance at 127, and was actually caught off a no ball, but there was no other blemish ill his long innings. Badcoek, who opened with Cberry, also scored a meritorious century, but his effort was overshadowed by Blunt’s brilliance. The value of Badcock’s knock was that it took off the bowling and laid the fouiiiJstiO]jyQf Otago’s big score. Next in order of merit must be accounted the effort of Hawkswortli,. who kept his end up while Blunt scored until the partnership added 150 runs. The scores were as follow: — CANTERBURY. First Innings OTAGO. First Innings 161 iSecond Innings. R. Cherry, c Page, b Cromb 13 F. T. Badcoek, c Powell, b Cromb 105 |R. C. Blunt, not out 31 ° A. Knight, e Hamilton, b Burrows 9 Priest, c Hamilton, b Burrows .... 0 •Elmee, lbw, b Talbot *4 D. Smith, b Burrows 4* J. A. Danning, lbw, b Burrows .... 3 Molonel, c Page, b Merritt Coupland, b Burrows 13 \V. Hawksworth, not out I* s Extras

Total for nine wickets 055 Bowling Analysis.—Cromb, 3/125; Burrows, 4/68; Merritt, 1/134; Talbot, 1/78; Lester, 0/47; Roberts, 0/54; Page 0/14.—-(P.A.)

OTAGO OUT FOR 589.

BLUNT UNBEATEN.

CHRISTCHURCH, This Day.

Otago are all out for 589 (Blunt, not. out, 335; Kawksworth, 1.b.w., b Merritt 21, extras 41). —(P.A.)