1958 Southland Cricket was outplayed by Otago.

It is unlikely that March 1 1958 will be a date that will live in the annals of Southland Cricket. The provincial represented team received such a drubbing from Otago that after batting twice it was still 58 runs behind Otago's first innings scores. Otago won the Queens Park match with over 2 hours to spare and took the Warburton Shield for the fifth successive season.

Otago's victory was not unexpected after its confident display on Friday. but it was expected and hoped that Southland would make a better showing than it did.  The home batsmen crumbled in face of the Otago pace attack, W. D. Frame and G. Harford.
Southland resumed its first innings in uninspiring fashion losing five wickets for just 18 runs, and ended up 77 runs for nine wickets.
A debacle was averted by Neale Thompson who held the side together with a second innings score of 43.  Ross Nicholson and John Hill added 39 in a bright last partnership.
Southland was unable to stop a follow-on and started its second innings just after lunch.
The second knock was a procession with the batsmen tramping back to the pavilion with little to show for their efforts. 
The side was all out for 72 at 3.17 pm and the remainder of the afternoon featured an exhibition game which Southland feared a lot better. 
The bowling of Bill Frame and Graham Harford were the lynch pin in Otago's win.  Neither were "collared" by the batsmen at any stage but they did not always get the respect they deserved.  Harford took eight wickets in the match and Frame six.
Harford a left hand bowler from Balclutha was more consistent than Frame.  He swung the ball cleverly and kept it up to the batsmen finishing with a figure of eight for 41.
Frame was no-balled 12 times during the match but this did not seem to upset him.  He was at his best when Southland started their second innings dismissing both opening batsmen for a tally of one.  He bowled a few loose deliveries and this gave his wicketkeeper, George Mills a nasty crack which made him leave the field.
A full toss on the left side was well struck by Southland captain, Jim Gill for a six.
A Southlander provided the highlight of the game and it was Ray Moreton, the 12th man for Southland but filled in for Otago for Jim Gill when he was injured.  Fielding at short leg he made a brillant catch to dismiss Arthur Daly.
One of the few redeeming features of the match was that of batsman, Neale Thompson, Both of his sessions although not spectacular were solid.  Strong on the legside and on the drive he batted 112 minutes for 43 (six fours) in the first innings and looked likely to repeat the performance in the second innings but was brillantly thrown out by Bill Berry for 12. Gill and Eddie Morton showed improvement in their second innings but were bowled when looking set.