PLUNKET SHIELD

Hokitika Guardian, 29 December 1931, Page 5

PLUNKET SHIELD

BLUNT Gls NOT OUT. OTAGO’S GREAT RECOVERY. , (By Telegraph—Per Press Association) CHRISTCHURCH, Dec. 28. In the Plunket Shield match to-day, Otago made one of the greatest batting recoveries ever known in New Zealand cricket. They began the day with a deficit of over 300 runs, hut piled un a magnificent score of 555 runs for nine wickets, leaving Canterbury a formidable task on the fourth day to escape defeat. Badcock and Cherry opened Otago’s second innings. Badcock quickly opened out and-hit Cromb for three and Burrows for four. Cherry' was more restrained. Merritt replacedt -Burrows, and Badcock continued to bat beautifully, though he- gave a hard chance which Talbot dropped. He reached 30, with a single off Merritt. The partnership ended when Cherry tipped one from Cromb, and was held byPage in the slip, 49—1—13. Blunt opened with a cover drive for four off Merritt. Fifty was hoisted after 45 minutes. Talbot replaced Cromb, but tlie batsmen continued brightly, and Merritt proved expensive. Lester also failed to keep them quiet. The hundred went up in 70 minutes. Bl.up|t wajs shaping co-nflf dcntly. At luncheon, Otago was 211 for two. On resuming Blunt remained the dominant figure, as, while others came and went, lie took bis total to 315 without being beaten,, and at the end of the day’s play 555 runs were up with a wicket still to fall. < Scores:— OTAG.O. —First Innings. Badcock, b Cromb ... 19 Cherry, c Hamilton b Taibot. 1 Blunt, c Kerr b Cromb 32 Priest, b Talbot ... 0 Knight, b Cromb 38 Smith, b Merritt 11 Dunning, c Hamilton b Burrows ... 9 Moloney, b Merritt 5 Coupland, l.b.w. b Cromb 8 Elmes, not out 19 Hawksworth, l.b.w, b Burrows ... 3 Extras 16 Total ... ' 161 Bowling.—Cromb 4 for 54, Burrows 2 for 22, Talbot 2 for 19, Merritt 2 for 28, Lester 0 for 22. Cromb and Talbot each bowled two no baiis. Second Innings. R. Cherry, c Page, l> Cromb 33 F. T. Badcock, e Powell, b Cromb 105 R. C. Blunt, not out 315 A. Knight, e-Hamilton, b Burrows 9 AV. A. Priest, c Hamilton, b Burrows 0 C. J. Elmes, l.b.w. b Talbot ... 24 D. Smith, b Burrows ..16 J. A. Dunnitig, 1.b.w.,'1) Burrows 5 D. A. H. Moioitey, c Page, b Mer- . ritt ~, ... ••• ... ... ... 6 W, T), Couplaiul, b Burrows W W, Hawksworth, not out 10 Extras 35 Total' for nine wickets ... ... 555 Bowling Analysis:,—Cromb 3 for 125, Burrows 4 for 68, Merritt 1 for 134, Talbot 1 for 78, lister O for 47, Roberts 0 for 54, Page 0 for 14. CANTERBUR Y .—First Innings. Hamilton, b Blunt 16 Kerr, c Badcock b' Moloney ... 89 Roberts, c Hawksworth b Smith ... 77 Talbot, c Moloney b Coupland ... 72 Page, c Elmes b Coupland 24 Lester, run out 42 Cromb, l.b.w. b Blunt 54 Powell, b Badcock 36 Merritt, c Elmes b C’oupiand ... 20 Burns, b Badcock 27 Burrows, not out 8 Extras 1® Total 472

Bowling!—Coupland 3 for 72, Blunt 2 for 71, Bndcock 2 for 57, Maloney 1 for 73, .Smith 1 for 58. Canterbury require 244 runs to avoid defeat. OTAGO ALL OUT FOR 589. CHRISTCHURCH. December 29. Play was resumed in hot weather. Otago’s second innings closed for 589,. after 25 minutes’ play to-dav with Blunt still not out with 338. Hawksworth, his partner in the last wicket stand, got his leg in front to a straight one from Merrit. Blunt batted for 820 minutes, and Hawksworth for 106 minutes for 21. Canterbury are left with 279 to get to win. Bowling analysis:—Burrows 4 for 68, Cromb 3 for 144, Merritt 2 for 143, Talbot 1 for 78, Lester 0 for 7, Roberts 0 for .54, Page 0 for 14. win for Wellington. VIVIAN'S BRILLIANT BAT"" AG. WELLINGTON, December 28. The Plunket Shield cricket match between Auckland and Wellington concluded at 4.35 this afternoon in a victory for Wellington by six wickets. Auckland made a valiant effort to save the game by scoring 285 in thensecond innings. A feature of the match was a brilliant innings played for Auckland by Vivian, who increased his overnight score of 82 not out to 165. Old cricketers present unanimously voted •h s to be one of the most brilliant ir...ings’ ever seen .at the Basin Reserve. His foot and wrist work were nearly perfect, and he timed his strokes beautifully, hitting sixes off McGirr and Newman, and treating all the bowlers with carefree impartiality. He was at the wickets for 190 minutes, and received an' ovation on returning, after being bowled by McGirr.

The next highest score on the Auckland was Posties’s 39. iM'cGirr bowled wed for Wellington in taking four for 61 off 23 overs. Newman captured two for 58 off 28 overs. Massey, Lambert and Crook also secured a wicket apiece. Requiring 179 runs to win, Dempster and Dustin gave Wellington a splendid start by putting up 119 for the first wicket. Here Dempster, who had reached 67, fell l.b.w. to Vivian. 'J'be professional had been at the wickets for 72 minutes, and ho hit nine fours. McGirr and Lambert assisted Dustin to hit off the runs required to give “Wellington a win by six wickets. Dustin was left unbeaten with 63. AUCKLAND.—First Umiiigs.. Pestles, c Newman b M’Gii'r' ... 21 Whitelaw, b Newman 8 Weir, c James b M’Girr ... ... 12 Vivian, c James b Griffiths ).. 29 Gihespie, l.b.w. b 'M’Girr ... ...* 43 Hay, c James b Crook ... ... 6 Lyon, b Newman 8 M’Coy, b Newman . 9 Matheson, b Newman 10 'Cleverley, b M’Girr ... ... 6 Rowntree, not out ... ... ... 6 Extras 16 Total 164 Bowling analysis.—M’Girr 4 for 45, AJassey 0 for ,12, Newman 4 for 46, Griffiths 1 for 25, Crook 1 for 7, Lambert 0 for 8. SECOND INNINGS. Postles, c Crook b Massey 39 Whitelaw, b McGirr 7 Weir, b McGirr t. ... ••• 1 Vivian, b McGirr 166 Gillespie, l.b.w, b Crook 14 Hay, b Lambert 6 Lyon, b McGirr ••• McCoy, b Newman 0 Matheson, c Jumes b Newman ... 1 Cleverrey, not out 9 Rowntree, run out 7 Extras 19 Total ... 285 Bowling Analysis.—McGirr 4 for 61, Massey 1 for 31, Newman 2 for 58, (Griffiths 0 for 20, Lambert 1 for 58, Crook 1 for 38. WELLINGTON.—First Innings. Dustin, b M’Coy 7 Dempster, c Matheson b M’Coy ... 40 Hepburn, b Cleverley • ••• 58 Al’Girr, b Oleverley 7 Lowry, b Cleverley 2 James, l.b.w. b Cleverley ... • 0 Lambert, c Rowntree b M’Coy ... 77 Crook, b Weir ... ... 27 Massey, not out 2 Newman, b Cleverley ... 13 Griffiths, b Cleverfey a ° Extras Total ... , - 271 Bowling analysis.—Matheson 0 for 71, Cleverley 6 for 70, M’Coy 3 for 43, Lyon 0 for 12, Vivian 0 for 43, Vveir 1 for 16, SECOND INNINGS. Dempster, l.b.w. b Vivian 67 Dustin, not out 65 Hepburn, b Cleverley ... 1 McGirr, c and .-jM.Weu' . ,<*•,! v» > y 15 Lambert, b Weir .... ... 19 Crook, not out ... ■/, Extras '«■> ■ Total for four wickets 182 Bowling Analysis.—Cleverley 1 for 30, Weil’ 2 for 22, Matheson 0 for 18, Vivian 1 for 75, 0 for 10, McCoy 0 for 14. SHEFFIELD ’SHIELD. VICTORIA V. N.S.W. MELBOURNE, December 28. In the Sheffield Shield match against Victoria, New South Wales in the second innings , scored 260. o‘Keilly made 43. In the bowling. Smith took ,s.for 86, Ironmonger 2 for 58. Victoria, in the second innings, tost 6 for 314. Wood full made 147, O’Brien 61, and Darling (not out) 52. S. AUSTRALIA V. QUEENSLAND. ADELAIDE, December 29. Pi'aying against Queensland, South Australia in their second innings scored 335 for seven wickets declared. (V. Richaid,son 138, P. Lee 54). Thurlow took three wickets for 95. Queensland in their second innings lost 2 for 105 (Hogg 70). S. AFRICA .SCORE 418.. MELBOURNE, December 28. In the cricket match, South Africa to-day lost eight for 418 and declared, in the match against the Victorian Country Team. Curnow made 158, McMillan 52, Stevn 55 not out, and Van Der Menve 23 not out. The Country Team made 246. Christy took three wickets for twelve runs. ENGLISH CRICKET. LONDON, December 27. The “Daiiv Herald’s" sporting editor, in a review of 1931. comments thus on •cricket: “The real reason' for the games', lack of drawing power is the lack of glamorous players such as Jessop, Foster and Hirst. The only modern wizard is Duleepsinhji. We go to Australia in 1932 in quest of the ashes. Some wonderful discoveries must be made, if they are to come back.’