IN STRONG POSITION

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 952, 21 April 1930, Page 12

IN STRONG POSITION

AUCKLAND HEADS VICTORIA IN VARSITY CRICKET MATHESON DESTRUCTIVE From Our Resident Reporter WELLINGTON, Saturday. Auckland University College is now left in a strong position in the annual match with Victoria College. It has passed the home team’s total, and has disposed of three crack Victoria batsmen for a small number of runs, with a day’s play ahead. Victoria continued its first innings today, but never settled down and was dismissed before 20 runs had been added to the over-night total of 143. The Aucklanders shaped fairly confidently against erratic local bowling. Harrison was the only Wellingtonian to trouble the visitors, and he came through with the good figures of six for 56, after a very consistent performance. He sent down 28 overs. Scoring was on the slow side, as tho batsmen w'ere suffering from lack of form at this “tail-end” of the season, and Auckland had to fight for runs before long. Seven wickets w'ere down for 140 when Bannister cam© in and rattled up 42, being unbeaten at the close of the innings. He played extremely bright cricket, being the only batsman not to give a chance, and making a whole series of pretty strokes. He waited his time for a while, and hit up his total with powerful shots all round the wicket. Schnauer also played a vigorous innings, making a somewhat lucky 49

by good scoring strokes. Matheson had a brief, but merry career, in which he hit up 24. Two men thus provided half Auckland’s total, the other men being relatively weak. When Victoria batted again, the light was failing, and Matheson, rocking them in at a great pace; played havoc with the Wellington men’s confidence. lie got three wickets for 10, including the team’s three best batsmen, one of whom, R. IT. C. Mackenzie, is captain and a Wellington representative player. In the first innings, Matheson took four for 41. A brief rally took the score to 42 for three wickets, but Auckland may contrive to get an outright win if the local men do not improve, and if the Northerners can improve their rate of scoring to a reasonable pace. Most of the runs have been coming with unpleasant slowness. Eight of Victoria’s first eleven are included in the side, and it very nearly won the local senior championship, so a win for Auckland will be very meritorious. Details are as follow: VICTORIA First Innings 152 Second Innings, three for 44 AUCKLAND First Innings WHITELAW, b Harrison 11 LUNN, b Harrison 1 MACKLOW, b Leys 20 SCHNAUER, L., b Harrison . . . . 49 MATHESON, c Osborn, b Harrison 24 STANLEY, c Mackenzie, b Aim . . 8 BANNISTER, not out 42 SUTHERLAND, c and b Darmer . . 9 BROWN, c Leys, b Harrison 4 BREW, run out 15 BRAMLEY, c Osborne, b Harrison . . 5 Extras 17 Total 205 Bowling.—Harrison, 6-56.