PLUNKET SHIELD

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 114, 6 January 1932, Page 5

PLUNKET SHIELD

(Press. Assn.-

MAGNIFICENT STAND MADE FOR CANTERBURY" BY ROBERTS & PAGE PLAY STOPPED BY RAIN

— By .Telegraph^ — Copyright) .

WELLINGTON, Tuesday. The Plunket Shield match between Canterbury and Wellington ended today in a win for Wellington by 277 runs on the first innings. A feature of the play was the magnifieent stand by' Roherts and Pag'e on the fourth wicket in Canterbury's second ipnings. Canterbury had scored 276 in the first innings, to which Wellington replied with 553. At the drawing of stumps on Monday night, Canterbury had lost three wickets for 157, Roberts and Page having carried the score from 57 to 157. Resuming this morning in a northerly gale, Roberts and Page not only created a record for the fourth wicket, hut also established a record for any wicket in Plunket Shield matches by carrying the score from 157 to 335, before Roberts, who had scored 181, was caught by Massey in the slips just after the luncheon adjournment. The •partnership had added 278 for the fourth wicket. Roberts had been batting for 154 mimites, combinijng • soundness of defence with a variety of scoring shots, including 13 boundaries. After Roberts' dismissal, Page was joined by Lester, and the pair made another fighting stand and added 104 runs for the fifth wicket, carrying the score to 439. Page did most of the scoring. He reached his century in 227 minutes and then began to pen out cn the bowling. The fourth century came in 315 minutes, with both men going strongly. Canterbury's captain continued to play breezy cricket, reaching 150 in 282 minutes. When the total was 439, Lester, who had reached 31, stopped one from Lambert, but the spin on the ball caused it to run back on to the stieks. The partnership had added 104 runs in 50 minutes. Partnered by Bellamy, Page continued to give a glorious display and by rapid scoring ran- to the double eentry. To signalise this, he lifted Lambert out of the ground, but in attempting to repeat the performance he lifted the next delivery into Dempster's hands right on the boundary at long odds. Merritt had a lot of fun. He kept ereeping up the pitch to Lambert's slows, and it was difficult to bowl length to him. After hitting up 17 in as many minutes, he slded one to Henderson, and was caught at midon. The Canterbury captain declared the innings closed at the tea adjournment when the score stood at 526 for eight wickets. Wellington were left with 250 to make in 116 minutes. Dempster and Dustin put on 42 for the first wicket, of which Dempster -laimed 32. Here Page had an over for the first time in the match, and with his third ball, had Dempster brilliantly caught by Bellamy at midon. Dustin and James were together when rain set in at 4.50 p.m., and put a stop to play. Scores : — CANTERBURY First Innings 276 • Second Innings Xerr, lbw, b Newman 6 Hamilton, c Dempster, b McGirr 12 Roberts, c Massey, b Newman .... 181 Cromb, b Lambert 11 Lester, b Lambert 31 Powell, c McGirr, b Lambert 1 Page, c Dempster, b Lambert .... 206 Bellamy, not out 20 Merritt, c McGirr, b Henderson 17 Burns,* not out 4 Extras 37 Total, eight wickets declared 526 Bowling: Crook took no wickets for 47 runs; McGirr, one for 47; Newman, two for 88; Lambert, four for 179; Henderson, one for 59; Massey, none for 56, Lowry, none for 15. WELLINGTON First Innings 553 Second Innings Dempster, c Bell, b Page 32 Dustin, not out 13 James, not out .... .... 0 Total for one wicket 45 Bowling: Cromb took no wickets for 22; Burrows, none for 10.; Merritt, none for 13; Page one for none.