Plunket Shield Championship WELLINGTON HAS 4-POINT LEAD

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30975, 3 February 1966, Page 17

Plunket Shield Championship WELLINGTON HAS 4-POINT LEAD

By its exciting outright win over Northern Districts yesterday, Wellington has taken a four-point lead over Canterbury in the Plunket Shield cricket competition.

The teams now each have one game to play—Wellington meeting Auckland at Eden Park, starting tomorrow, and Canterbury playing Otago at Lancaster Park, from February 10-12.

To be certain of retaining the shield for the second successive year Canterbury must beat Otago outright and claim the full 10 points. However, even this will not be enough

if Wellington, riding on the crest of a winning wave, also , takes full points from Auck- , land. Auckland has now dropped 1 out of the championship race 1 for even if it beat Wellington ' outright the 10 points it would : take for victory would not i overhaul Wellington’s total, i Therefore, the battle for this 1 season’s championship has 1 now evolved into a straight

fight between Wellington and Canterbury, a fight that might have to wait until the last day of the series to be decided.

Otago has one advantage over Canterbury—the side will have a chance to play itself into form before the teams meet at Lancaster Park. Previously Otago will have met Central Districts at Dunedin, starting on February 5. Canterbury’s last shield game was at New Plymouth early last month. Points, with matches played

in parenthesis, are:—Wellington (-4) 30, Canterbury (4) 26, Auckland (4) 19, Otago (3) 10, Central Districts (4) 7, Northern Districts (5) 6.