WELLINGTON TAKES PLUNKET SHIELD

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30979, 8 February 1966, Page 19

WELLINGTON TAKES PLUNKET SHIELD

A remarkable Plunket Shield season reached a final peak at Auckland yesterday, when Wellington took the trophy with a splendidly aggressive display of batting in the final stages. So Otago, which completes its match with Central Districts today, and Canterbury*, which meets Otago on Thursday, can not now equal \\ ellington’s 40 competition points.

Wellington thus went through the season without a defeat, and its success was thoroughly deserved.

The Wellington team was a threat to Canterbury from the start, and the home team’s first innings win at Basin Reserve was of vital importance.

So again Canterbury has been unable to win the shield in successive seasons.

The Otago-Canterbury match may decide which team is runner-up—but only if Otago defeats Central Districts outright today. The points position, with the teams’ completed matches in parentheses, is: Wellington (5) 40: Canterbury (4) 26: Auckland (5) 22; Otago (3) 10: Central Districts (4) 7; Northern Districts (5) 6. Wellington started the series with a very handsome win over Otago, and then had the better of an unfinished match with Central Districts, and again took first innings points after a dour struggle with Canterbury on a dread ful pitch at Basin Reserve. On its northern tour, Wellington has been at its best. It accepted a challenge at Hamilton and beat Northern Districts with two wickets and three minutes to spare. It was an even closer call, in

i point of time, yesterday. But 'in difficult conditions, Weli lington’s batsmen performed 'exceptionally well. Thirteen of the season’s 15 {shield matches are now over. In seven of them, there have been desperately close finishes. Canterbury cricketers will forgive and forget the loss of the shield if the final match increases this number. In a tremendously exciting finish. Wellington defeated ■ Auckland by three wickets 'with one minute to spare to win both the match and the Plunket Shield—the winning runs coming from the third of L. C. Butler’s gigantic sixes at Eden Park today. Wellington, set 229 to win in 195 minutes when the Auckland second innings was declared closed at 163 for eight, scored those runs and two to spare—through an error on the scoreboard—after at one stage looking as ' if they would crash to defeat.

This was when Wellington lost their fifth and sixth wickets at 197 and their seventh at 199, with 13 minutes left for play. This brought in Butler, the bulky left-hander who onlyjust passed a fitness test before the match started. He hit 24 not out in 12 minutes, with two huge long sixes and the third just dropped over a fieldsman's groping fingers at long on. Final Flourish This was the final flourish in the magnicent batting of the Wellington second innings, but before that there had been some sunerb batting by G. P. Bilby (57). B. W. Sinclair (55) and P. B. Truscott (39), and this on a pitch which was most difficult for batting. Auckland had the ill-luck to lose one of their leading bowlers, R. E. Sutton, with a stomach complaint in the last session and R. S. Cunis was the only fast bowler left to try and bottle up the rampaging Wellington batsmen. Cunis again bowled with great spirit, and dismissed A. E. Dick and P. T. Barton in one over, but the runs poured in from the other end. Slow Prelude The prelude to the declaration was another deliberate innings by Auckland with the score spluttering along as slowly as on the other two days. J. T. Sparling went at 78 for three and this was the signal

for an excellent spell by A. R. Taylor, the Wellington mediumfast bowler, with the hot sun and dead pitch conditions were trying for a bowler of his type. However, Taylor showed remarkable stamina and as he was able to cut the ball back from the off none of the batsmen faced him with any comfort. He dismissed Sparling, then winkled out R. M. Harris at 87 after the Aucklander had put together a patient and valuable i 45. Taylor had A. R. Morrison ; leg-before at 96 and this was his third wicket for 16 runs from 13 lovers in that spell. \ Clever Batting Just when it seemed as if Auckland would not have the luxury of a dclaration N. S. Harford stuck fast with clever batting and by lunch Auckland were 132 for six—already 197 runs on with 250 minutes. D. O. Neely called on H. A. Morgan lest Auckland should score too quickly, and Morgan did the job admirably, keeping down the runs and picking up three cheap wickets. Wellington began their chase for 229 runs in 195 minutes very slowly, with the first three overs as maidens. Then R. E. Sutton conceded 12 runs in the fourth over, and this was the start of a steady flow of runs. B. A. G. Murray went at 28, caught by R. I. Harford from R. E. Sutto.n but the new man P. B. Truscott was soon on the move with strong drives and cuts.

Quiet Period The first hour brought 53 and by tea, after 75 minutes, Wellington were 67 for one. with Truscott 31 in 39 minutes. Ten minutes after tea H. J. Howarth yorked Truscott, two for 87. Then followed a quiet period while B. W. Sinclair was playing himself in, but then the runs began to flow in again as Bilby and Sinclair began to hit to the boundary and, most importantly, gained extra runs with superbly fast running between the wickets. Even though Bilby scored quickly, Sinclair was even quicker. He thrashed H. J. Howarth for three fours in one over and when R. M. Harris, bowling medium-pace to try and stem the flow, replaced Howarth, Bilby hit him for three and Sinclair for four. Cumis came back, bowled three maidens in succession, but still the runs came from Harris. By 5.15 p.m., 66 runs were w’anted in 45 minutes, by 5.20 p.m.. Wellington wanted *5B in 40 minutes. Struck Back But then Auckland struck back. At 173 Sinclair hit a towering drive off Harris and A. R. Morrison judged the catch perfectly at long .on. Sinclair had batted 73 minutes for 55, and in that time added S 6 with Bilby. One run later Bi'lby

went, easily caught off Cunis. The runs slowed, with 53 wanted in 30 minutes, and after a flurry from A. E. Dick, 32 In 2*o minutes. Then Cunts let fly. He bowled Dick at 197, watched D. O. Neely being run out at the same score, and then bowled P. T. Barton at 199. Bold measures were needed if Wellington were to win, and Butler was just the man. He immediately hit Harris over the long-off fence. Fourteen runs wanted in 10 minutes, and then 10 in five minutes as Butter and H. A. Morgan ran singles for everything, hits, byes, leg-byes and overthrows Harris bowled again, perhaps the last over as Sparling several times changed his field in midover. Then Butler swung again and out on the fence H. A. K. Smaifley waited under the towering shot. It seemed as if the ball would drop short. Smalley set himself, then leaned back and back and further back untid he was against the fence and the ball went sailing over his hands. Scores:— AUCKLAND First innings .. 225 Second Innings T. W. Jarvis, c Morgan, b Butler .14 R. M. Harris, c Dick, b Talor .45 R. W. Morgan, c Butler, b Morgan .. 7 J. T. Sparling, c Truscott, b Taylor .12 A. R. Morrison, lbw, b Taylor .. 7 N. S. Harford, c and b Morgan .29 H. A. K. Smalley, b Morgan 7 R. S. Cunis. c Dick, b Murray ..11 R. E. Sutton, not out .. ID H. J. Howarth, not out . 5 Extras (12 byes, 2 legbyes. 2 no-baljs) 16 Tolad for eight wickets declared .. 163 Fall of wickets: one for 26. two for 49, three for 78, four for 87, five for 96, sdx for 126, seven for 139, eight for 145. Bowling OM R W

First Innings .. .. 160 Second Innings B. A. G. Murray, c R. Harford, b Sutton . 10 G. P. BiCby, c Sparling, b Cunis .. 57 P. B. Truscott, b Howarth .. 39 B. W. Sinclair, c Morrison, b Harris .. 55 A. E. Dick, b Cunis .. 15 P. T. Barton, b Cuncs .. 8 D. O. Neely, run out .. 0 H. A. Morgan, not out .. 2 L. C. Butler, not out .. 24 Extras (1 wide, 5 byes, 8 leg-byes, 7 no- ; balls) . 21 Total for seven wickets 231 Fall of wickets: 1 for 28, two l for 87, three for 173, four for (174, five for 197, sdx for 197, [seven for 199. Bowling

N. A Huxford 9 3 17 0 A. R. Taylor .. 22 7 42 3 L. C. Butter .. 51 17 65 1 H. A. Morgan .. 22 12 19 3 B. A. G. Murray 2 0 4 1 WELLINGTON

0 M R W R. S. Cunds 18 40 3 R. E. Sutton 5 2 22 1 R. W. Morgan 3 0 19 0 H. J. Howarth .. 12 0 40 1 j T. Sparling 12 1 40 0 R. M. Harris .. 6 0 49 0