OTAGO STARTS WELL

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 546, 26 December 1928, Page 10

OTAGO STARTS WELL

SMART BATTING AGAINST WELLINGTON CENTURY TO ARTHUR ALLOO Press Association, WELLINGTON. Tuesday. Th« Plunket Shield match between Otago and Wellington, the holders of th* trophy, was begun on Monday morning at the Basin Reserve, and was oontinued to-day, Otago batted first and made 398. When stumps were drawn to-day Wellington had Lost six wickets for 281 runs. H. C. Alloo and Knight opened for Otago in glorious sunshine yesterday morning, and McGirr took up the bowling. Alloo was smartly taken by Foley at second slip off the last ball of the over. Blunt came next, and shaped confidently. The first 50 was up in as many minutes. With the total at 58 Knight, who had reached 18. touched a rising ball from Henderson and James took a brilliant onehanded catch at the wicket. EASTMAN PLEASES THE CROWD L. C. Eastman, the Essex professional. opened in a most confident fashion and pleased the crowd with his forceful methods. After reaching 39 Blunt was smartly snapped up by James off Henderson, who had now taken two w-ickets for 38. Monk, the ex-Aucklander, joined Eastman, and 100 came up after 81 minutes’ play. Eastman was playing sparkling cricket. The luncheon adjournment was taken with the board showing 157 for three wickets. Eastman being 68 and Monk 20, the pair having put on 68 for the fourth wicket. On resuming Hoar, who was making his debut in shield games, was tried ■with the ball, and bowled with excellent length. Monk, who had played a very useful innings for 25, opened ©nt at Hoar and was beautifully taken

with a running catch by Dempster at long off. Galland arrived to see Eastman, who had been at the wickets for 87 minutes for 88, tip a ball from Henderson, and James took his third catch at the wicket. The Otago coach had hit 15 fours. Cavanagh joined Galland, but snicked one from Henderson, and Foley took his second smart catch in the slips. A. W. Alloo came next, and although the bowlers were frequently changed the tea adjournment was taken with the score reading 290 for six wickets, Cavanagh being 52 and Arthur Alloo 45. PARTNERSHIP SEVERED With the total at 326 the partnership which had added 140 for the seventh wicket was severed by Cavanagh lifting one from Lowry to MeGirr at deep square leg. Douglas scored three and then moved in front of a straight ball from Lambert. Zimmerman batted brightly for 29, and then gave a catch into Lamason’s hands close In at square leg. He had assisted his captain to put on 59 for the ninth wicket. Elmes came in as last man and was enterprising. The innings closed at 5.20, when the Otago captain lifted a ball from Lambert into Rotherman’s hands at longon. He had played an invaluable innings for 101. He went in at a critical stage of the game, ancl his stand with Cavanagh was the turning point of the innings, which realised WELLINGTON AT WICKETS Dempster and. Foley opened Wellington’s first innings, and were still together when stumps were drawn with the total at 18. The weather was ideal when the game was resumed yesterday afternoon. Eastman and Monk took up the bowling. With 29 up Foley gave a chance to Blunt off Monk. Foley tried to turn the next ball to leg and was well taken on the leg side behind the wickets by Galland. Badcock brought up 50 by placing Blunt’s first ball through the slips for three. He gave a sparkling display for 36 before being clean bowled by Elmes. Lowry filled the vacancy and a period of slow play caused the crowd