BY ELEVEN RUNS

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 248, 10 January 1928, Page 11

BY ELEVEN RUNS

Canterbury Defeats Auckland in Plunket Shield Game

HIGH-TENSION CRICKET

A FTER one of the closest and most thrilling finishes in the history of the Plunket Shield series, Canterbury succeeded yesterday in defeating Auckland by eleven runs in its match at Eden Park. It was high-tension cricket which brought the crowd to its feet in the closing stages, when Auckland s last man went in with 25 runs still required.

pACED with the big task of scoring nearly 300 runs in a fourth innings, the local batsmen responded in line style, and provided a spectacular ending to a match, the earlier stages or which had not been noted for anyin the way of forcing tactics, which characterised our men at Home. Ever since Gregory and Hamilton gave the visitors a good start off in their first innings, fortunes fluctuated throughout the match, first one side and then the other obtaining the ascendancy, until yesterday, when Dacre and Cooper were trouncing the Canterbury bowling it looked as though Auckland would win with something to spare. But once again the pendulum swung across, and the local eleven suffered its first defeat in two seasons. When play was continued yesterday morning the pitch was “fizzling” a bit, and before Auckland’s opening pair had played themselves in. Mills fell, trapped by Read. It was a disastrous opening, for the Eden player had been Auckland’s sheet anchor in the previous game or so. Cooper and Bowley then put their backs to the wall, and stonewalling tactics held the fort till the wicket became normal- Nixon grew expensive, but Merritt, who replaced him, fared no better. Bowley played right on the top of his form, and gave his soundest batting display of this season’s representative series. He went out to Merritt, and won the applause of the spectators by driving him twice in succession to the boundary. Cooper also opened out and used his powerful straight drive to advantage. Newman quietened Cooper, but Bowley continued on his merry way, placing his shots well through openings in the field. The terrific heat of the blazing sun, without a breath of wind to fan the ground, was perceptibly telling on the fielders. Bowley’s downfall was brought about in a very simple manner when McEwin’s second ball got under him and rolled casually to the stumps to remove the bails. Gillespie joined Cooper and Auckland’s supporters groaned as he hit a simple catch to the centre of the wicket for Newman to dive fuh length in an unsuccessful effort to get it. Gillespie was ten minutes at the crease without scoring, and then he opened out with a boundary off McEwin. The rate of scoring went up again when Gillespie sent Newman for 3 and Cooper scored a boundary at On a Hard Mark Nourmahal was a starter each day, but found the opposition too hard, although Mr. Dennehey’s mare was always in the picture. She appears to be on a difficult mark at present, particularly over two miles, and while the daughter of Great Audubon is staying on better than previously, she is not a sound proposition in good company at this journey. Petroleuse did not show up as prominently for Roy Barry as when driven previously by Alex. Corrigan, who can handle trotters with the next best. On the middle day, Mr. McMillan’s new purchase made a determined dab at the finish of the Christmas Handicap, and this brought her well into favour for the unhoppled heat on the last day, but she was never prominent.

Merritt’s expense. Gillespie had another miraculous escape when he went out to Merritt and missed, only for the keeper, Hayes, to fumble a good stumping chance. Gillespie played a bright innings, marred only by the two chances he gave. SPLENDID PARTNERSHIP Dacre then joined Cooper and opened out straight away with a boundary off the first ball he received. The crowd roared when he followed it up with two more boundaries off successive balls from Merritt. Cooper, too, became aggressive, and the spectators were treated to the finest batting of the whole game. The pair continued on in a merry fashion, running several smart singles. Seventeen was against Dacre’s name after he had been batting seven minutes. After easing up for a time, the pair were at it again. They had the field fairly run off its feet, and no balls from the bowlers were becoming very frequent. Dacre reached his halfcentury after 35 minutes at the crease. DASHING DACRE Newman was the only bowler to give Dacre any trouble, the Auckland captain being decidedly uncomfortable when facing the Hants man. Dacre then turned his attention to Nixon, scoring 2,4, 3,2 off four successive balls, while Cooper glanced Newman prettily for four. The crowd was enjoying the brilliant batting—and it saw Dacre at his best, cutting, driving and pulling in the most spectacular manner. His 76, compiled in just an hour’s actual batting time, was certainly the most striking performance of the match. He, like, Bowley, was out in a ludicrously simple manner. He intended to pat the ball back to Read, but it struck a flaw in the pitch, and came up extra high, for the Auckland skipper to put it neatly into Hamilton’s hands. He hit 13 fours. But to Cooper, more than anyone else, Auckland owes a great deal for taking her within reach of victory. His innings, although spoiled by chances just like the rest of his team mates, was a great effort. He was -patience personified, waiting for loose ones, and then hitting them hard, displaying a galaxy of strokes all round the wicket, chief among them being his powerful straight drive. Read was the most successful of the Canterbury bowlers this time, securing five wickets for 77 runs. He derived a great deal of assistance from the pitch, especially in the early stages. Newman also did well, keeping most of the batsmen quiet, and securing two for 62. He sent down seven maidens in 26 . overs. The Canterbury fielding was keen throughout, and to that they owe their well-deserved victory. Had Auckland’s been as accurate, the game would have been theirs. DRAMATIC FINISH Matheson went to the crease deter mined to make runs, and he had succeeded in hitting up 15 when Merritt, who appeared to have just been brought on for the purpose, cleanbowled him. The Auckland colt made a foolish attempt to hit him out of the ground. The air was electrical as Scott, the last man, walked out to make a stand. The crowd yelled itself hoarse when Player housed two boundaries off Read, and Scott followed with another off the same bowler. With 11 runs still required, however, Read beat Scott all the way, and Canterbury had won the match. It was indeed a great game.

CANTERBURY. First Innings .. 244 Second Innings 251 AUCKLAND. First Innings * 108 Second Innings. MILLS, c Page, b Read 7 BOWLEY, b McEwin 41 ANTHONY, b Read 4 COOPER, b Reid 80 GILLESPIE, c Page, b Nixon .. .. 24 DACRE, c Hamilton, b Read .. .. 76 GARRARD, b Newman 1 WEIR, b Newman .. .. 1 MATHESON, b Merritt 15 PLAYER, not out 16 SCOTT, b Read 8 Extras . • .. •• •• .. •• •-» •• 13 Total .. ..286 Fall of wickets: 14, 75, 86, 132, 227, 230, 246, 247, 273, 286. BOWLING ANALYSIS. O. M. R. W. Read .......... 31 6 77 5 Newman 26 7 62 2 Merritt 17 1 65 1 McEwin 10 2 30 1 Nixon 13 2 39 1 Newman and McEwin each bowled two no-balls, and Nixon one.