Plunket Shield Within Reach Of Top Four

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30955, 11 January 1966, Page 13

Plunket Shield Within Reach Of Top Four

(By

R. T. Brittenden)

Involved again yesterday in a tremendously exciting finish, Canterbury s Plunket Shield team this time failed to achieve outright victory and returns from its two-match northern tour with but six points to add to the 20 it won at home.

Canterbury, with one more match to play, has 26 points and leads still from Wellington, which has 20 —but which still has two more games on its programme.

Auckland, 19 points, has one game to play; Otago, with 10, has two more; Central Districts, has seven, and one more match; Northern Districts has scored six, and ends its programme with its match against Wellington. It is still possible, therefore. for the shield to be won by any one of the top four teams, but as it stands, Wellington must be given quite as much chance as Canterbury.

Wellington plays Northern Districts at Hamilton on January 31, and on form should win this game out-

right. If it does, it will lead Canterbury by four points, with each side having one match left

Welington's principal difficulty, however, is likely to be Auckland. This match, at Auckland, begins on February 4. Here Canterbury may be at an advantage. A first innings victory to either side in this match would leave Canterbury a chance of tak-

ing the shield by beating Otago outright Not that Otago can be taken lightly. It is five years since Otago has won a match outright, but there seems to have been a distinct stiffening of resolve in the team, and already it has taken first innings points against Northern Districts and Auckland. It is difficult to imagine, however, that Otago could

win both its last two games with maximum points and thereby become a serious contender for the shield. Canterbury urgently needs outright victory against Otago, in the final match of the series, starting at Christchurch on February 10. Success there would defeat anything less than two outright wins for Wellington in the meantime.