STYLISH AUCKLANDERS

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

STYLISH AUCKLANDERS

CANTERBURY BOWLING WELL HANDLED ALLCOTT’S FINE DISPLAY (Special to THE SUN) CHRISTCHURCH, To-day. Winning the toss was of special value to the Auckland Plunket Shield team, as the side opened on a good wicket against a team that Canterbury does not regard as strong in either batting or bowling. Before 70 runs had been scored a drizzle of rain set in, and thickened occasionally, making the ball very slippery for the bowlers and the crease awkward to the bowlers, on whom Canterbury placed reliance. The opening batting was not lively, but steady scoring was maintained throughout the afternoon. The outstanding batsman, not only in scoring runs, but in stj'le end finish of their shots, were Bowley, Allcott and Gillespie. When he had scored 11 Bowley might have been caught off Read, but two slip fieldsmen collided after one of them had knocked the ball up and was waiting for the catch. BOWLEY’S VARIETY Bowley’s earlier runs were made chiefly with forcing shots to the on, varied with a nice leg glide. Later he played nice shots all round the wickets and scored at the rate of a run a minute. Newman, the Hampshire professional, then quitened him, Bowley not scoring off Newman in his fifth over, and the Canterbury coach got Bowley with a change of pace, the batsman playing the ball to his pads, whence it rolled slowly on to his leg stump. Bowley batted 50 minutes for his 40 runs and hit four 4’s. After straight-driving Merritt to the boundary Allcott was uncertain to that bowTer for a w r hile, then he got his measure and settled down so strongly that by the time he scored 36 he had collected six fours off Merritt with strong driving and pulling. Cunningham then replaced Merritt and Allcott ran a risk of oeing caught in the slips, an uppish snick flying just over the slips. Allcott gave a clear but hard chance off Cunningham’s next over, Hamilton at second slip failing to hold the ball. Allcott quietened down for a time, apart from a nice shot off Read between point and cover to the boun-

dary. He reached his 50 after batting for an hour. Some very nice squarecuts marked his later batting, as well as strong off drives. PAGE BEATS ALLCOTT Page got Allcott in his first over, the batsmen trying to swing him to leg and having his leg stump shifted. Allcott batted for 100 minutes and hit eleven fours. Gillespie batted soundly and neatly, scoring sixty-four not out in seventy minutes. His back play was good and his shots behind the wicket on both sides were crisp and usually well along the carpet. His seven boundary strokes included off-drives and hooks, with a shot to fine leg, while a nice square cut off Read produced three. He gave no actual chances, but just escaped being stumped at sixty. The Canterbury coach, Newman, of Hampshire, bowled with wonderful steadiness and clever variation in pace and spin, although handicapped by a greasy ball and treacherous footing. He sent down 23 overs for 43 runs and the batsmen played him with caution throughout the day. TO-DAY’S PLAY CHRISTCHURCH, To-day. Play in the Canterbury-Auckland cricket match was resumed this morning. Whitelaw saw the Auckland score carried to 277 before being dismissed by Cunningham. Details: AUCKLAND First Innings MILLS, b Read .. 7 BOWLEY, b Newman 40 POSTLES, c Newman, b Merritt .. 21 WEIR, b Newman 27 ALLCOTT, b Page 69 WHITELAW, b Cunningham . . . . 28 GILLESPIE, not out 70 HORSPOOL, not out 1 .Extras * 14 Six wickets for 277