SATURDAY’S PLAY

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 259, 23 January 1928, Page 11

SATURDAY’S PLAY

WELLINGTON PLAYS HAVOC WITH OTAGO BOWLING JAMES’S FINE DISPLAY (Special to THE SUN.) DUNEDIN, Saturday. Otago’s- troubles recommenced before a ball was bowled to-day in the cricket match at Carisbrook, for a light misty rain had made conditions so easy for the batsman that a score of 500 at least for ’Wellington was freely prophesied, and tlie prophesy turned out to be fairly accurate, for the Northerners’ ultimate total reached within a dozen of that number. With a dampness that was mostly on tho surface, the wicket was easy to the extent of being devoid of sting p.nd of making any turn with the ball improbable, or at any rate harmless. The wet outfield also soon made the ball greasy, so that the already weak bowling of the home side became absolutely simple under these conditions. Then the Wellington men faced the music cheerfully, and at once had Blunt and Co. in trouble. BATSMEN TAKE TOLL OF BOWLING Neither Dickinson nor Torrance, who opened, could find a length, and Foley and Lowry settled down to take toll of the succession of short ones that came along. Later, Douglas fed them with full tosses, and Blunt and others with hittable stuff also. They both got out eventually, but the relief was but temporary, for McGirr and ship that was heartbreaking to the James set up another prolifis partnerOtago bowlers and fieldsmen, both of whom performed well below their usual form. To a large extent, the wet ball was accountable for this, for as the ground dried matters improved and Douglas* bowled really well toward the end. JAMES'S FINE DISPLAY Foley’s 39 runs this morning were made in the same sound style, and he deserved his century. Lowry was also sound and methodical. The partnership between James and McGirr was particularly bright, the New Zealand, wicketkeeper showing that he could bat with the best of them. He scored very fast, as did McGirr, and the partnership put on 162 in 98 minutes. James took 104 minutes to get his runs, as compared -with .Foley’s three hours fifty-two minutes. . His only blemish was a very hard chance at 92 to Dickinson.

Douglas was the or y bowler worth mentioning, and he only came into his own in the last hour. The inaccuracy of Otago’s attack enabled all the big scorers to get their runs all round the wicket. OTAGO AGAIN JN TROUBLE The procession with which Otago's second innings opened was enjoyable and entertaining to Wellington, but in the eyes of Otago supporters it bore a funereal aspect when Blunt and McMullan went for practically nothing. Each was brilliantly taken one-handed in the slips. All hopes of a recovery were abandoned, and with five down for 69, a heavy defeat was a certainty, but with their usual perversity the cricketing gods decided to give the local lads a chance, and Knight and Dickinson entered into a partnership which was as pleasingly bright as either of Wellington’s main ones. Knight abandoned his rock tactics and played his natural game, which is hitting, hard and clean, while Dickinson also laid on the wood, while restraining himself from lofting them. It was a splendid recovery, and for the fourth time this season showed Otago as a team of‘fighters. So far, the two men have put on 123 for the sixth wickets, and though the position is hopeless, the province will go down fighting. Brice tried no fewer than nine bowlers in a fruitless atempt to break the partnership, McGirr and Badcock being again the best of the bunch. Detailed scores: OTAGO First Innings .. 155 Second Innings. BLUNT, c Foley, b McGirr 8 McMULLAN, c Brice, b Massey .. 0 CHERRY, b McGirr 1 CAVANAGH, c Massey, b Badcock .. 6 GALLAND, c and b Badcock 3 4 DICKINSON, not out 77 KNIGHT, not out S 3 Extras 4 Total for five wickets .. .. 193 Bowling.—McGirr, 2-39; Massey, 1-26; Lowry, 0-9; Foley, 0-26; Lambert, 0-17; Badcock, 2-45; Brice, 0-19; Worker, 0-6-Lamson, 0-2. WELLINGTON First Innings WORKER, lbw, b Dickinson . . .. l BADCOCK, c Dickinson, b Knight .. 77 LAMASON, run out .. .. .. .. .. .si LOWRY, b Torrance " 45 Kni §ht, b Douglas . . .! 136 * LAMBERT., c Elmes, b Douglas .. 3 c Knight, b Douglas .. . ’ 57 DONOGHUE, lbw, b Dickinson . . .. 2 BRICE, st Galland, b Douglas .... 1 JAMES, c and b Douglas .. ine MASSEY, not out .. .. .. 4 Extras ’ * * ’ 2 |

Total 4SB Bowling. Dickinson, 2—155; Torrance