Defiant Bradburn Has Given Auckland Fight

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30954, 10 January 1966, Page 13

Defiant Bradburn Has Given Auckland Fight

(New Zealand Press Association)

AUCKLAND.

A stubborn rearguard action by Northern Districts, led by W. P. Bradburn, who scored a patient and invaluable century, and tight bowling by the Northern spinners on Saturday, partially thwarted Auckland’s bid to gain a strong position on the second day of the Plunket Shield match at Eden Park.

On 116 for seven overnight, with Bradburn 58, Northern battled on to 210 before Bradburn was last out for 107, scored in just under six hours.

Auckland started freely, but wag pinned down by the accurate bowling of N. Puna, the off-spinner, and K. Kennedy, the left-armer, and lost three wicket for 48 runs. Then a lively stand of 99 by T. W. Jarvis (73) and A. R Morrison (50), in 71 minutes, got Auckland moving again, and it was 163 for five at stumps. Three hours play were lost on Friday, and another hour at the start of play on Saturday, and these delays, coupled with Northern’s obstinate batting, may foil Auckland’s bid for the outright victory which would keep it in the Plunket Shield race. Auckland was hampered with a wet ball on Saturday morning—play continued after a heavy shower—and it never looked like breaking through the steady batting of Bradburn and Puna. Immediately after lunch Puna and J. Beuth went at 159 and 161, but sensible batting by K. Kennedy enabled Bradburn to reach his first century in first-class cricket, and the team to score 49 runs for the last wicket. Bradburn hit eight fours and a six in his marathon effort, Ms first century in eight seasons of cricket.

R. W. Morgan picked up three wickets at the tail of the Northern innings and the amount of turn he obtained suggested that the spinners would profit on the last day. Auckland started off breezily against the medium-pace of Beuth and J. Bailey, and scored 30 runs in even time. Then the spinners, Puna and Kennedy slowed down R. M. Harris and Jarvis. Harris, Morgan and J. T. Sparling Mt themselves out against the spinners, and at 48 for three, Auckland was in trouble. But forthright hitting by Morrison, plus a Jarvis growing in confidence, got the scoring moving again. Morrison hit his third six in as many matches and in half-an-hour the two had scored 41 runs. Morrison was out immediately after Ms 50. But Jarvis carried on to something like his best form, driving with grace and power, and re-opening Ms chance of playing for New

Zealand this season. He was out to a brilliant catch by W. J. Mitchell in the outfield.

NORTHERN DISTRICTS First Innings W. P. Bradburn, c Sparling, b Morgan .. 107 B. Sutcliffe, b Sutton .. 7 G. V. Giles, b Cunis .. 7 W. J. Mitchell, b Cunfs .. 21 H. T. Schuster, c Harris, b Cunis .. .. 12 B. Dunning, lbw. b Sparling 5 J. Bailey, b Millener .. 0 E. C. Petrie, c Morrison, b Millener 0 N. Puna, c Sparling, b Morgan .. .. 29 J. Beuth, c Jarvis, b Morgan 0 K. Kennedy, not out .. 16 Extras (1 bye, 4 leg-byes-, 1 no-ball) .. 6 Total .. .. 210 Fall of wickets: One for 8, two for 25, three for 66, four for 90, five for 108, six for 109, seven for 109, eight for 159, nine for 161.

AUCKLAND First Innings T. W. Jarvis, c Mitchell, b Kennedy .. 73 R. M. Harris, lbw, b Puna .. 15 R. W. Morgan, c Puna, b Kennedy . 5 J. T. Sparling, c Mitchell, b Puna ..6 A. R .Morrison, b Puna .. 53 N. S. Harford, not out .. 8 R. S. Cunis-, not out 1 Extras (2 byes) .. 2 Total for five wkts. 163

Fall of wickets: One for 32, two for 37, three for 48, four for 147, five for 157.

Bowling 0. M. R. W Sutton ... 17 7 33 1 Millener .. 19 9 19 2 Sparling .. -13 5 38 1 Howarth .. 21 8 43 0 Morgan .. 11 4 32 3

Bowling R. W 0. M. Beuth .. 11 3 27 0 Bailey .. 4 0 18 0 Puna % .. 26 7 53 3 Kennedy .. 25 10 44 Bradburn .. 5 1 11 0 Sutcliffe 1 0 8 0