A Fighting Chance

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 568, 22 January 1929, Page 13

A Fighting Chance

PLUNKET SHIELD CRICKET

Auckland’s Hard Struggle

THANKS largely to a great stand by Allcott and Weir. Auckland started this afternoon’s play in the Plunket Shield match at Eden Park with a fighting; chance of victory. Two wickets fell cheaply this .morning, but Weir and Allcott put on 56 for the fourth wicket before lunch, and at the start of this afternoon’s play Auckland needed 169 to win with six wickets in hand.

Even in the event of Wellington winning the match, Auckland’s claim to possession of the coveted trophy cannot be disrupted because it is now impossible for the visitors to score a decisive enough victory to raise their average for the Plunket Shield series above the exceptionally high Auckland figures. There yet remains, of course, one Plunket Shield match to be played this season—the Canterbury-Otago fixture at Dunedin in mid-February. Canterbury having suffered one loss is out of the running, while Otago’s net average for the two matches alreadyplayed is minus 17.091 a wicket. Therefore, unless Otago claims an exceptionally phenomena! victory of over 1,000 runs, it cannot dispute Auckland's holding of the shield. A fresh south-westerly breeze swept the ground, and there was a feeling of rain in the air when the game was resumed to-day. The wicket appeared to have stood up well to the first three days of the match. The stand and terraces were well filled for the morning of an off-day, and there was a note of tense expectancy on every face as Mill. 39 not out, and Postles, 6 not out. went out to continue Auckland’s second innings at 11.7 a.m. McGirr resumed Wellington's attack from the Dominion Road end for Mills to .pull his first ball for a single. Postles then faced McGirr, and a leg-bye came off the last ball of the over. Henderson bowled from the other end, his over seeing six runs added to the local side’s overnight’s score of 74 for one wicket.

The speed merchant’s next over yielded a single to Mills. The brilliant Eden left-hander was shaping very confidently, while his partner was standing up well to the bowling. His shots, however, lacked the marvellous placing of Mills. POSTLES OUT

The batsmen were taking no undue risks with the attack, consequently Henderson sent down a maiden. Disaster befell Auckland in the Wellington flyer’s next over, when Postles tipped one into James's hands behind the stumps. Postles had ba.tted for 40 minutes altogther and only added three to his overnight, score. With the board reading 8(5 — 2 —9, luck rose again in Wellington’s favour. J. L. Weir filled the vacancy and shortly after Mills brought his half-century up with a single to fine-leg off McGirr. He was roundly applauded by the spectators. Mills continued in an aggressive mood, swinging Henderson for a brace. Fine fielding by Worker held up a hot drive from the same batsman. He followed it up shortly after with the first four of the day. a brilliant carpet drive off McGirr. Weir, who had so far not seen much of the bowling, brought the 100 up with a single off the same bowler. Auckland’s second innings had been in progress for exactly 100 minutes. Henderson now laboured his “off” theory again, sending down an over to Weir with four slips and point waiting ready. The bowling was now beginning to suffer further at the hands of Mills, who smote McGirr again to the chalk-line. MILLS CLEAN-BOWLED A further disaster overtook Auckland when Henderson took out Mills’s off stump. The brilliant left-hander had been at the crease for one hour 50 minutes. Three wickets were now down for 109 runs. “Surely he will do it,” mused the crowd when Gillespie, hero of Auckland’s first innings, went to the wicket. But Fate had now taken a further turn in Wellington’s favour, for Gilles- , pie survived only two balls from Henderson. The third he patted back to Worker at silly-cover. Things Rowlocked really black for Auckland. Four of its best men were back in the pavilion with only 109 on the board and still 221 runs were needed. Allcott, next man in, opened rather shakily, but soon recovered and faced McGirr with confidence. Meanwhile Weir was playing the rock in his typical club cricket manner, with three against his name.

With the stiff breeze and the light bad at times conditions were all in Wellington’s favour. Scoring shois were now few and far between. Relief came, however, when Allcott hooked Henderson for a brace. The Wellington fast bowler was then replaced by Lambert who had his second ball pulled to the square-leg fence by Allcott. The scoring was painfully slow, only 10 runs being registered in three-quarters of an hour’s play. But the spectators did not show any annoyance. Even the barrackers on the hill were silenced at the sight of Auckland's great uphill battle. BATSMEN DIG IN Rotherham, who had one spell at the Dominion Road end bowling crease during McGirr’s tenure, was brought back again. Weir showed his appreciation of the change by straight driving him for two. This made the Eden colt 10. His captain then had a dozen against his name. was now sending them down faster than usual. He gave Allcott a scare with one ball, when it shot off the batsman’s willow into Foley’s hands in slip. Had he held it, it would have been a phenomenal catch. However, the ball had fallen to the ground before the onlookers realised what had happened. The *‘hillites” made their voices heard when Lambert appealed unsuccessfully for lbw against Allcott. The batsmen were digging themselves in, with runs coming at the rate of about two an over. At 12.45 Lowry himself Went on in place of Rotherham. His second ball pitched short, for Weir to cock one up just clear of James. after the keeper had made a desperate dash for it. After 160 minutes’ batting. Auckland had 141 on the Allcott had scored IS, and Weir 16. at this stage. Allcott survived another leg before appeal shortly after, this time to Lowry’s bowling. Henderson was brought back at the Edendale end bowling crease, replacing Lambert. Allcott scored a smart single and a two off the over, bringing his score to 23, and the total to 150. Lowry’s next over yielded two. while Henderson kept up the off theory from the other end. Allcott got in the way for a pretty fine leg-glance, and Weir followed with a single through the slips. This made Weir 20. and the total 155. Weir had been batting for one hour and 35 minutes. Worker again distinguished himself at fine leg by stopping a hot glance from Weir. The Wellingtonians *were fielding close, and both batsmen found it difficult to get the ball away. At the luncheon adjournment at 1.15 p.m. Auckland had four wickets down for 165 runs. Weir and Allcott were

still together, the former being 25 and tho-latter 30.

The Aucklanders at this stage required 179 runs to win. They had six wickets in hand.

On resumption of play after luncheon. at 2.5 p.m., Weir found Lambert bowling from the Dominion Road end. He scored a single and then Allcott cut Lambert for a brace. Rotherham took up the attack at the Edendale end. his first over yielding a three to Weir..

Although a stiff breeze continued, the sky had cleared and the playing light had improved. This was in Auckland’s favour. After the lunch adjournment the attendance was about 3,000. Weir brought his 30 up with a single off Henderson, who had replaced Lambert. Allcott was also 30, but the Auckland captain went ahead with a single off Henderson and a squaredrive for three off Rotherham. Details: WELLINGTON First Innings 103 Second Innings HIDDLESTON, c Player, b Dunning 51 DEMPSTER, c Whitelaw, b Bowley 22 WORKER, b Allcott 73 LOWRY, c Player, b Dunning .... 4 LAM A SON, b Allcott 21 JAMES, lbw, b Dunnng 4 FOLEY, lbw. b Dunning 27 McGIRR. b Dunning H ROTHERHAM, b Dunning 3 LAMBERT, b Allcott 8 HENDERSON, not out Total .. ♦ • 241 Fall of wickets: 1/74. 2/74. 3/SO, 4/138, 5/145, 6/209, 7/227, S/230, 9/241, 10/241. Bowling analysis:— O M. R W. Av. Dunning .... 33 10 71 6 11. S Allcott 19 5 40 3 13.3 Bowley 14 4 26 1 26 Weir 7 0 25 0 Postles 9 3 15 0 Player 16 3 47 0 AUCKLAND First Innings 311 Second Innings BOWLEY, b McGirr 2S MILLS, b Henderson 65 POSTLES, c James, b Henderson 9 GILLESPIE, c McGirr, b Henderson 0 WEIR, not out .. 30 ALLCOTT, not out 37 Extras * S Four wickets for 177 Latest scores in Stop Press as they come to hand. SOUTHERN MATCHES CANTERBURY CRICKETERS’ TOUR Press Association CHRISTCHURCH, To-day. On its Southern tour, the Canterbury Cricket Eleven will play Noijth Otago at Oamaru on February 19 and 20, and Otago at Dunedin, commencing February 23.