VITAL GAME FOR PLUNKET SHIELD

Chronicle (Levin), 1 February 1947, Page 6

VITAL GAME FOR PLUNKET SHIELD

■Press Association

WELLIN GTON'S POOR START •• AGAINST OTAGO ■*. J

By Telegraph—

DUNEDIN, Jan". -31/ The sun shone from a cloudless sky when the vital match in the'' Plunket Shield competition between Otago and Wellington was eommenced at! Caris. brook today in a -Jight southwesterly; breeze and on a perfect batsman's wicket. The outfield was hard and fast. Interest in the match was exceptionall^. keen since Wellington, six points be-' hind Auckland for the Plunket Shield, requires to win outright to take the shield honours. The attendance was about 1200. The Wellington captain, A." M. Matlieson, won the toss and sent his side in. Play for the' greater part of the day was not of an inspiring nature. It was not that the battiug was stodgy but the batsmen were never delinitely ou top t'o steady bowling headed by A. W. McDougall, G. W. Overton, A. W. Roberts and R. D. Robinson, which was backed up by really excellent fielding by the whole Otago side, the moruing session of two hours yielding only 0(5 runs. The slow rate of scoring promised auything but well for an outright win, particularly when, within an hour of resulnption after luueh, three wickets fell for au additional 40 runs. Among those dismissed during this period was the famous New Zealand representative player (J. 8. Dempster whose stay was very short. Before he got a proper sight of the ball he was out to a well fiighted "wrong 'ua" from Robinson which beat Dempster and hit the top of the oft' stump. The dismissal of Dempster had an uxjsetting eifect 011 the Wellington side and with oue or two exceptious the remaining batsmen did not offer strong resistance to the bowling and after just on live hotirs' battiug, closed for the moderate total of 202. With 50- minutes leffc Otago scored 37 for the loss of oue wicket, W. A. Hadlee and J. M. O'Suilivan being together when stuinps were drawn. \Y ellington lost oue of their openers with only 1(5 runs on the board when 8. A. McVicar played over the top of a ball from Overton which eame back aud bowled him. McVicar took 33 minutes to make seven runs. - Tindill was joined by Capstick and they carried on untii after lunch, the partnership adding- 81 before Tindill was smartly snapped up behind the wickets by I. W. Gallaway off McDougall. i'indlll 's 44 took 1(51 minutes. He hit onJy oue four. His iunings euded when he went. to drive a ball from McDougall aud played it on to the wicket. At that stage four wickets were down for 108. It was only when Ongley and Barber became associated that the scoring became at all f'ree, the two putting on 42 for the iifth wicket. Barber went 011 to make a usefui 37. His was easily the most attractive kuock of the iunings. He was caught belnnd the wickets by Gallaway off fcjmith. Ongley 's 19 was h usefui effort. He, was going aloug nicely when he 'stepx^ed3 out to drive Overton. The ball, which came back, took t'he oif bail. The iunings, which had occupied" 290 uiinutes, closed at 4.5 p.m. for 202. Otago 's cri'cket was distinctly of a higli order. Hadlee used his bowlers well and placed a good stroke-stopping field. Gallaway ,sliaped souudly behind the wickets^ takiing three good catches and allowing only six byes. ' With 50 minutfes left to play, Otago opened its iirst iunings with Hadlee and G. H. Mills, the latter faJling to a good catch by McVicar at third slip off Cave. Hadlee and O'fcjullivaii carried on until stumps. WELLINGTON First Iunings E. W. Tindill, c Gallaway b McDougall 44 S. McVicar, b Overton 7 J. li. Capstick, b McDougall .... 44 C. >8. Dempster, b Robiusou .... ] J. A. Ongley, b Overton 19 R. T. Barber, 0 Gallaway b Biuith 37 D. 8. Wilson, c and b McDougall 2 R. H. O 'Neill, b Robinson 13 A. M. Matlieson, c Gallaway b Overton 7 B. Cave, not out 4 R. 8. Chailies, b Robinson 7 Extras 17 Total 202 Bowling: A. W. McDougall three for 35, A. W. Roberts none for 10, G. W. Overton three for 50, W. A. Hadlee noue for 5, R. D. Robiusou three for 48, L. D. 8niith oue for 37. OTAGO First Inuings W. A. Hadlee, not out . . .... . . 22 G. H. Mills, c McVicar b Cave . . (5 J. M. O '8ullivan, uot out" 4 Extras . . 5 Total for oue wicket 37 Bowling: R. H. O 'Neill none for 10, H. B. Cave one for 11, R. 8. Chailies none for 2, D. 8. Wilson none for 9.