OTAGO SLUMPS IN PLUNKET SHIELD

Chronicle (Levin), 3 February 1947, Page 2

OTAGO SLUMPS IN PLUNKET SHIELD

TAIL-ENDERS PULL GAME OIJT OF FIRE By Telegraph — Press Association DUNEHHn, Feb. 2. Tlie. Plunket Sliield cricket match Otagu v. Wellington eoniiuued on Saturday, the day's play ending xn Otago holdiug a useful lead of 78'runs on the' .irst mnings with two wickets still lh ..and. The wicket was again. in good" brder but before lunch it showed some life, the ball getting .up a little at oue ond whiie at tlie other it kept. low when pitclied on the off. The sky clouded vver again late in the afternoon and steady rain caused an adjoumment for ualf an hour just after 4.30 p.m. There. was another lnterruption of 12 minutes :at 5.40 p.m. When stunips were finally drawn, Otago whicli had begun the " day vyith oue wicket down for 37, had carried its score to 280 for eight wickets in l'eply to Wellington 's iirst innings total of 202. • Otago got within 61 runs of Wellington's total before the fourth wicket feli but frOm that point somethiug Of1 aslump set in and when the seventh wicket fell the total was oniy 169. 'Ihe young fast niedium bovvler, H. B. Cave, was the cause of the trouble. He cleun bowled .Robinson, St. John- and Fraser in quicit succession and where Otago supporters had been looking for a suu-' stantial lirst inning's lead, doubts tru.se whether aftei all Wellington 's niodest total of 202 would be reached. L. D. Smith, however, once more proved' his vvorth when' his side was in a lix aud"he and A. W. McDougall graduallv to-'jk' the s'core along until Otago 's total stoud levcl with Wellington 's. Then hardlv had the applause died down when McDougall was run out vvlien the ball was iipiendidly fieided by Barber, and Meuougall failed to get back. With t wo lail-enders to bat, anything might itppen but Gallaway stayed in and Smi:h relieved the anxiety of the crowd by getting a coupie past point. The' lofc't hander, battiug well, continued to^scv>re •iteadily. Hadlee, who was 22 not out when Otago 's innings was resumed with J. M. O'Sullivan-. as his partner, was going nicely in spite of one or two strc.aky .iliots through the slips in the early stages of his innings. When at 45 he turned tlie ball from Wilson to line Jeg, O'iseill, anticipatmg the stroke, niov *.tl across and diving about eight ieet took a brilliant catch close to the grouu'i. Hadlee 's innings occupied 111 ininutes and included two fours." O'Sullivan, though not a polished' batsman, proved' rk"''fettS.ye,in and'Gvdk hbf ith if tfecf : f b t '■ T45 • minutes. Rober'ts played: a solid iiinings for 39. He was roeklike in his detence and watchful for scoring opoortunities. He was in for 114 minutes. Lt was Langford Smith 's eflort bf 69 uot out that was the most vital factor .n ensuriug Otago 's lead. The .eft liander was full of coniidence and cliQckcd Oave's burst of wicket taking. He batted for 139 minutes and hit five 4s. Smith gave one chance at 31 when he was dropped in the slips by Wilson >off Cave.. McDougall 's 15 was also a valuable contributiou for had he not stayed, the chances of Otago passing the Wellington total would have been eonsiderably les.sened. McDougall stayed ^35 minutes and hit two 4s. Robinson began briskly and was 'battiug very attractively when he let one of Cave 's svvingers into his stumps. Gallaway, coming in No. 10, batted polidly and confidentiy scoring with some nice drives. His partnership with Smith added 78 runs. ' In the late'r stages of the afternoon the Welliiigton bovvlers had to operate vvitli a greasy ball and they also found the foothold difficult. WELLINGTON First innings .. 202 OTAGO First Innings. W. A. Hadlee, c Tiudili, b Wilson 45 G. II. Mills, c Barber, b Cave .... 6 j ,1. M. O'Sullivan, c McVicar, b O 'Neill .. ..' 45 A. W. Roberts, b Wilson ....... 39 , R. D. Robinson, b Cave ... ....... 15 D. >St. John, b Cave 8 T. O. Fraser, b Cave .. 1 L. D. Smith, not out 69 > A. W. McDougall, run out 15 I. W. Gallaway, uot out 21 Extras 16 Total for 8 wickets 280 Bowling unalysis: R. H. O 'Neill 1 tor 6', H. B. Cave 4 for 82, R. S. Cliallies 0 for 52, D. S.. Wilson 2 for 47, A. M. ( Matheson 0 for 19.