Won With 3 Min. To Go

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

Won With 3 Min. To Go

(N.Z. Press Association) HAMILTON.

Wellington scored 170 runs in 117 minutes and beat Northern Districts by two wickets with three minutes to spare in their Plunket Shield match yesterday.

After a sporting declaration by the Northern Districts captain, B. Sutcliffe, B. A. G. Murray and G. P. Bilby gave Wellington such a polished and assured start, and B. W. Sinclair followed up their good work so crisply, Wellington looked likely to romp home with plenty of time to spare. The first 50 was scared in 40 minutes and the second 50 in 28 minutes. Puna Takes Hand But Northern determinedly staked a winning claim largely through the fine off-spin bowling by N. Puna, together

with brilliant catching by W. P. Bradburn and G. V. Giles, -and a smart stumping by E. C. Petrie. At 118 for seven, with 35 minutes remaining, it was anybody’s game. However, the Wellington capitain, D. O. Neely, was the man for the occasion.

He took control with sensible, shrewd, aggressive batting and the win was finally well deserved. Earlier, Sutcliffe bowed out of shield cricket with a well made 56 in Northeim’s second -innings of 174 for six declared. Giles again batted outstandingly for 48, and B. Dunning returned to form with 43. The surprise packet in the Wellington attack was the leg-spin bowling of Murray, who took three for 51 in 21 overs. Record Equalled Other highlights of the day were provided by Petrie and Puna. When Petrie stumped his opposite number, A. E. Dick, in Wellington’s second innings, he equalled F. L. H. Mooney’s New Zealand record of wicket-keeping dismissals of 213. Puna, who took seven wickets for the match, is the eleventh bowler to collect 30 or more victims in a Plunket Shield season. NORTHERN DISTRICTS First Innings .. 176 Second Innings W. P. Bradburn, lbw, b Taylor 6 B. Sutcliffe, b Murray .. 56 B. Dunning, c Truscott, b Murray . 43 W. J. Mitchell, c Taylor, b r Morgan . 5 G. V. Giles, c Neely, b Morgan .. 48 H. T. Schuster, b Murray .. 0 E. C. Petrie, not out .. 10 Extras (byes 4, no-balls 2) 6 Total (for six wickets declared) . . 174

Fall of wickets: one for 15, two for 104, three for 114, four for 114, five for 115, six for 174.

WELLINGTON First Innings .. 181 Second Innings B. A. G. Murray, lbw, b Pocock .29 G. P. Bilby, b Beuth 26 P. B. Truscott, c Giles, b Kennedy .12 B. W. Sinclair, c Beuth, b Puna 26 A. E, Dick, st Petrie, b Kennedy .16 A. R. Taylor, c Bradburn, b Puna .3 P. T. Barton, c Giles, b Puna 1 D. O. Neely, not out .. 35 H. A. Morgan, c Bradburn, b Puna .15 L. C. Butler, not out 4 Extras (leg-byes 2, noball 1) . 3 Total (for eight wickets) .. 170 Fall of wickets: one for 49, two for 57, three for 86, four for 108, five for 114, six for 114, seven for 118, eight for 166.

Bowling R. W. 0. M. Huxford .. 11.4 4 21 1 Taylor .. 12 1 32 1 Morgan .. 26 8 44 1 Murray .. 21 3 51 3 Barton 5 1 16 0

Bowling R. W. 0. M. Beuth .. 10 0 40 1 Pocock .. 7 9 40 2 Kennedy .. 11 1 51 2 Puna 9 1 36 4