ONEROUS TASK

Waikato Times, Volume 124, Issue 20694, 3 January 1939, Page 8

ONEROUS TASK

THE SHIELD HOLDERS AUCKLAND-OTAGO MATCH MOLONEY’S FINE BOWLING (By TeiegrsDh—Press Association) DUNEDIN, Tuesday The weather was sultry and threatened rain when play was resumed this morning in the Plunket Shield match between Otago and Auckland at the Carisbrook ground. The wicket was still hard and dry. With two of their best wickets fallen and 375 runs to reach Otago’s total, the holders of the shield had a big task ahead of them. Both Postles (11) and Pearson (3) were very quiet facing the opening overs of Moloney and Robertson until Pearson took the total to 70 by sweeping Moloney to the fine leg boundary. After bowling five overs for nine runs since the match was resumed Robertson was replaced by Elmes. It was a stolid front that the batsmen were presenting, but they occasionally livened their display with forceful strokes, Pearson especially punishing anything that was at all loose. The score gradually crept towards 100. Moloney was bowling at the peak of his form, keeping the ball well up to the batsmen and making it turn to leg appreciably. Neither batsman could take the slightest risk with hirq. Century Attained Elmes was inclined to bowl short on the leg side and Postles swept one of this kind to the leg boundary, that four being the first for a lengthy period. At last the score was taken to 100 when postles turned a ball from Moloney to fine leg for 3. This total had taken 110 minutes, and Postles, who was the essence of soundness, ! w r as 34, his partner being 27. Pearson Leaves Crease Shortly after the century was hoisted Elmes gave way to Silver, who worked up a good pace and bowled consecutive maidens. Postles reached 40 before refreshments were brought out and Moloney was replaced by Purdue. There was nothing of incident until Pearson steered a very short ball from Silver to the leg boundary. The batsmen were evidently getting out to rehabilitate Auckland’s fortunes but they were certainly doing so in the most colourless fashion possible, even a single being quite an event. The ground fielding was very clean, Uttley setting an example to his team by stopping some hard shots through the covers with his usual polished finish. Then there wag a pleasant interlude. Moloney bowled his first really loose ball of the morning and Pearson used his feet well and ltfted it over the square leg boundary for six but there his innings ended for Purdue, who had frequently had both batsmen feeling for the ball, bowled him with a yorker when he was one short of his half -century. The partnership was worth 90 runs and Pearson was in for 166 minutes. Scott was with Postles when the luncheon adjournment was taken. Scores: — AUCKLAND.—First Innings Postles, in, . .. 4 4 Pearson, b Purdue * 49 Scott, in 0 Extras 10 Total for three wickets .. 139 YESTERDAY’S PLAY (By Telegrapt—press Association) DUNEDIN, Monday The first two days of the Plunket Shield cricket match between Utago and Auckland, which is being played on the Carisbrook ground,* have sufficed to re-establish the Otago side in firm favour with supporters of the province. . By batting for most of the two days and scoring 427 and then capturing two of the most valuable Auckland wickets for only 53 runs in the last three-quarters of an hour today, Otago proved that its form in the Wellington match was too bad to be true. The Otago score sheet was good, there being only one of the first eight batsmen who did not reach double figures and only one contribution running into three figures. G. H. Mills, the wicketkeeper of the side, scored 121. Going in No. 7 and being last out he was associated* with A. R. Knight and T. G. Fraser in two valuable partnerships worth 89 and 98 respectively. When he had passed the century he went for runs. There was not a chance in Mills’ until he skied an easy catch on the leg side in attempting a big hit. Mills batted for 290 minutes. The innings was notable for him in that it was his first century in either first grade, club cricket or representative matches. The next highest individual scorer was G. J. Robertson (73), who played a dogged innings. Robertson went in first with K. F. M. Uttley and set about wearing the bowling down, a task which he did most successfully. Scores:— OTAGO. —First Innings K. F. M. Uttley, b Cowie . . .. 17 J. G. Robertson, c and b Matheson 73 C. K. Saxton, b Cowie . . . . 0 D. A. R. Moloney, run out . . 48 C. J. Elmes, lbw, b Weir . . .. 34 A. R. Knight, st Jackman, b Vivian 33 G. 11. Mills, c Pearson, b Mathe- * son . . .. 121 T. C. Fraser, b Cowie . . . . 54 V. G. Leader, b Cowie .. .. 6 R. Silver, b Cowie 7 J. Purdue, not out 3 Extras 31 Total 427 Bowling: J. Cowie took five wickets for 79 runs, A. M. Matheson two for 94, H. G. Vivian one for 55, G. L. Weir one for 98, V. Scott none for 23, A. Postles none for 32, V. S. Sale none for 15. AUCKLAND. —First Innings P. E. Whitelaw, c Mills, b Purdue 0 A. J. Postles, not out .. .. 11 W. M. Wallace, b Robertson .. 35 Pearson, not out 3 Extras .. 4 Total for two wickets .. 53

WIN FOR CANTERBURY WELLINGTON SIDE BEATEN (By Telegraph—Press Associate) CHRISTCHURCH, Monday Canterbury secured a good win against Wellington in the Plunket Shield cricket match, which was concluded early this afternoon at Lancaster Park, a day before it was scheduled to finish. Wellington’s first innings concluded on Saturday for 209 runfe, giving the home side a lead of 140. A second-wicket partnership of 127 runs by F. W. Bellamy and J. L. Kerr and another of 77 for the fifth-wicket were outstanding features of Canterbury’s second innings, which totalled 308. Set with the task of making 449 to win in the fourth innings Wellington was all out for 212 and Canterbury won by 236 runs. Scores: — CANTERBURY First innings 349 Second Innings Bellamy, st Tindill, b McKeown 69 Hadlee, b Ashenden 0 Kerr, c Gallichan, b McKeown 66 Menzies, c Rice, b Gallichan . . 34 Donnelly, c Tindill. b Pritchard 0 Gromb, c and b Ashenden . . 55 Anderson, c Sheffield, b Ashenden 37 Roberts, c McKeown, b Ashenden 5 Webb, c sub., b Pritchard .. 21 Davis, lbw, b Pritchard . . . . 5 Mulcock, not out 7 Extras 9 Total .. .. .. .. . . 308 Bowling: Pritchard took three wickets for 62 runs, Ashenden four for 75, Rice none for 27, Wilson none for 38, Gallichan one for 55, McKeown two for 42. WELLINGTON. —First Innings Tindill, lbw, b Roberts . . . . 60 Rice, c Webb, b Mulcock .. 16 Sheffield, c Kerr, b Donnelly .. 9 Ell, b Donnelly 14 Ongley,'run out 33 W. Rainbircl, b Davis .. .. 4 2 N. Gallichan, c Donnelly, b Cromb 2 D. S. Wilson, b Gromb .. .. 11 T. L. Pritchard, c Kerr, b Davis 0 J. Ashenden, c Kerr, b Davis . . if J. McKeown, not out . . .. Extras 8 Total 209 Bowling: Davis took three wickets for 25 runs, Donnelly two for 64, Mulcock one for 47, W. Roberts one for 32, Bellamy none for 14, Cromb two for 19. Second Innings Tindill, c Roberts, b Davis .. 11 Rice, c Bellamy, b Mulcock .. 0 Sheffield, c Menzies, b Mulcock 38 Ell, c Roberts, b Cromb . . . . 41 Ongley, c Webb, b Mulcock . . 25 ißainbird, c and b Mulcock .. 30 Gallichan, c Kerr, b Mulcock . . 27 Wilson, c Bellamy, b Cromb . . 4 Pritchard, b Cromb 23 Ashenden, c Kerr, b Cromb .. 5 McKeown. not out 0 Extras 8 Total 212 Bowling: Davis took one wicket for 28 runs. Mulcock five for 85, Roberts | none for 8, Donnelly none for 35, i Cromb four for 48.