CRICKET.

Northern Advocate, 10 April 1922, Page 6

CRICKET.

WHANGAREI COMPETITION. A KEEN STRUGGLE. One of the most interesting matches in the Whangarei Cricket Association's competition this season was that completed by the Whangarei aud Marsden Clubs at Weaver's paddock on Saturday afternoon. Whangarei's defeat, or failure to secure a three-point victory, would have given Hikurangi the championship, but they won, and still have a chance to tie with Hikurangi, the condition being that they shall beat Marsden again in a match postponed from the first round. When play opened on Saturday Whangarei had made 114 in their first innings and Marsden had scored 50 for three wickets. On the first day the latter had had only seven players on the field, but the full eleven appeared on Saturday. Crickett and Boggs resumed their patient innings, but Barnsdale effected a separation by bowling the Marsden captain, and then got Boggrl.b.w., five wickets being down for 57. A. Young, a player with an Auckland reputation, had come in a long way from j

the country to help Marsden, and ho opened " with a few very pretty strokes, but a misunderstanding with his partner saw him ruh out when he had contributed 5. Marsden, however, still had Hunt, who also had made a special effort to journey iii from Wairua Falls, and showed that it was worth while. He laid on the wood in delightful fashion. The boundaries are hard to get on p Weaver's paddock, but Hunt hit five fourers, being the only batsman on the side to* get a ball to the fence. Each of the others managed to keep his end up for a while, and when the tenth man went in the century had been passed. Six runs were still required to beat Whangarei's total when the last man partnered Hunt. The latter hit a two and got a single off the last ball of Barnsdale's over, so that he faced McLean at the opening of the next over and only wanted one of his powerful drives to give Marsden a first innings lead. But instead of the resounding impact of bat and ball there was a dull crash, and Hunt's splendid innings was over, his side being two runs short of Whangarei's total.

Time was getting on, and Whangarei's only chance of the three-point win was to put on runs quickly and then get Marsden out in rapid order. Captain Drever led the way, and after narrowly escaping a Tun out was well caught by Martin off his bowling. Lees, Cromwell, Speer and Murdoch all rattled on the runs in good style, though the "tip and run" game nearly brought about the downfall of three of them. However, the luck was with them, and when the sixth wiclcet fell the very fair total cf 71 was showing. When this had been increased to 80 Drever declared, leaving Marsden a little less than 80 minutes in which to get 83 runs. Facing a not impossible task, Marsden met nothing but trouble. Boggs,

whose first innings, even apart from the runs that he contributed, had been invaluable to his side, succumbed to McLean's third ball. Five wickets were down in as many minutes—one for nil, two for 1, three for 4, four for 5, five for 5. Hunt and Crickett made a very fine stand, increasing the total to 33 before the latter left, but Hunt got little help from the rest, and with two players absent the innings closed for 47. of which Hunt had made all but 10 by bright, confident batting. Whangarei won a memorable match by 35 runs, and certainly deserved their win. The fielding on both sides was about the best that the season has produced, and there was some entertaining batting. Hunt, of course, was the brightest star, but Barnsdale also gave an exhilarating display in Whangarei's first innings, while Boggs, Crickett, Lees and Speer all were worth looking at. A word of praise is due to the Whangarei skipper for the way he handled his bowling in the second innings, the changes being very effective. Three of the five bowlers each got a wicket in his first over, and when Barnsdale was brought on again after a spell his third ball got there. Details of the scores are as follows:— WHANGAREI. First Innings 114 Second Innings. A. C. Drover, c and b Martin .... 3 .T. Lees, c Teesdale b Crickett .... 17 >S. Cromwell, c Boggs b Crickett .. 13 W. H. Speer, not out 24 F. Murdoch, b Hunt 13 H. L. Carey, b Dennis 0 H. Hawke, run out 5 T?. McLean, not out 2 I Extras 3 Total (for G wkts., declared) .. SO Bowling.—A. G. Crickett, 32 halls, 2:" runs, 2 wickets; A. Martin, 32 balls, 17 runs, 1 wicket; E. Dennis, 40 balls, 18 runs, 1 wicket; B. Hunt, 40 balls 17 runs, 1 wicket.

MARSDEN. First Innings. G. Boggs, lbw. b Barnsdale 24 A. Martin, b Cromwell 3 J. Young, c Lees b Oomwell 2 H. Bowden, c Cromwell b Murdoch. 6 A. G. Crickett, b Barnsdale 18 J. Tcesdale, c Cromwell b Murdoch 6 E. Dennis, b Murdoch 0 A. Young, run out »: 5 B. Hunt, b McLean 43 H. Flewellyn, b Barnsdale 0 M. Organ, not out 0 Extras 3 Total 112 Bowling.—B. Cromwell. 88 balls, 2 maidens, 37 runs. 2 wickets; F. Murdoch, 9(j balls, 2 maidens. 28 runs, 3 wickets; R. A. Barnsdale, 72 balls, 33 runs, 3 wickets; W. H. Speer, 16 balls, (! runs; R. McLean, 33 balls, 2 maidens, 5 runs, 1 wicket. Second Innings. G. Boggs, b McLean 0 A. Martin, b McLean 1 H. Bowden, c and b Murdoch .... 1 B. Hunt, not out 37 A. G. Crickett, b Barnsdale 5 J. Teesdale, b Lees 1 jH. Flewellyn, c Hawke b Murdoch 0 | M. Organ, c and b Murdoch 0 IE. Dennis, c Cromwell b Barnsdale 0 J. Young, absent 0 A. Young, absent 0 Extras 2 Total 47 Bowling.—R. McLean, 48 balls, I maiden, 11 runs, 2 wickets; F. Murdoch, 32 balls, 8 runs, 3 wickets; R. A. Barnsdale, 35 balls, 11 runs, 2 wickets; S. Cromwell, 16 balls, 13 runs; J„ Lees, S balls, 2 runs, 1 wicket. TEAM FOR AUCKLAND.' The Wliangarei Association will send a representative team to Auckland this week to take part in the Suburban Association's Walker Shield tournament, in which elevens from' all parts of the province will compete. It is understood that the following players are available and will make the trip:— W. Mason and S. McKenlie (Onerahi), H. Bowden (Marsden), T. O'Shea, E. Rickard, J. Hamilton and R. Arneil (Hikurangi), R. A. Barnsdale, J. Lees, W. McDonald, A. C. Drever, H. Smith, and R. McLean (Whangarei). It is hoped that B. Hunt (Marsden) and J. Watson (Onerahi) will also be able to