FIELD OF SPORT.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 55, Issue 135, 20 March 1935, Page 2

FIELD OF SPORT.

NOTES AND COMMENTS. (By “Onlooker”). Chief interest in cricket oyer the week-end centred in the minor associations’ cup match between the Ashburton County representatives and the West Coast. The game was an exceedingly intersting one. West Coasters, batting first, collapsed and were dismissed for tlxe small total of 90. Ashburton, thanks to a brilliant innings by I. M. Hamilton, placed itself in a fairly secure position befoi'e stumps on Saturday, and, continuing on Monday, rattled up 319 for the loss of eight wickets before declaring.

Requiring 230 runs to save an innings defeat, the Coasters batted steadily, and, at stumps, had 260 on the board for the loss of eight wickets, the match, therefore, being won by Ashburton on the first innings. The outstanding batsman of the match were I. M. Hamilton 106, N. Bay ley 83, A. A. Todd 62, J. Heasley 59,' P. Harper not out 54 and O. Morris 47. The fielding throughout of both sides was good. Both Cutler and Bay ley behind the stumps were credited with clever work, and, although one or two catches were missed by both sides, those taken by G. Willis, J. Heasley, and Cutler can be said to be brilliant. The game was a sporting one in every respect, and all the players expressed their" thorough appreciation. Every endeavour was made by the local association to contribute to the happiness of the visitors during their visit, and Mr W. Barlow, their manager, who has been across on every occasion on which the Coast lias visited Ashburton, expressed the opinion that they had never had a happier trip. Although it was termed the West Coast Representative Cricket learn the side which met Ashburton County at Ashburton is not truly representative of the Coast. All the members come from in and around Greymoutli. Ifus, however, was not due to any feeling o parochialism, but solely because cricketers from further south could not make the grade. . . Although its showing in its lust innings against the Ashburton County cricketers would not indicate the fact the West Coast cricket team was the strongest batting side ever assembled on the Coast. That none of the members was able to make a stand i the first innings is just anothei instance of the uncertainty of encket. Some of them certainly played a sound and forceful bat in their second fetnke Only 17 years of age, D. Knapp, the baby of the West Coast representatives, shows promise of developing into a first-class batsman. At the end of last year, while a pupil of the Gieyniouth Technical College, he played a remarkably fine innings for Ins school against the second eleven of Nelson College. His score of 150 included several good strokes. There is cricket in his blood, for his father has represented the Coast for several years, and was a member of the last side which visited Ashburton. The senior grade competition, m view of the playing of the representative match, was postponed. In the junior grade the only surpuse result was the defeat of the winner, Kia Ora, by Fairfield. Although plying without B. T. Clothier and H. Lennon, Kia Ora has only its had fielding to blame for its defeat. The eighteenth century of the season goes to the credit of I. M. Hamilton, who scored 106 against the Coast, and the nineteenth to R-. NY. Biggai (School) against Methyen. This brings Bigear to the top of the aggregates with a total of 945 runs for the season. Other players who have scored moie than 400 runs are:—B. T. Clothier, 863: J. Dillon, 663- It. G. Brennan, 643; It. H. Biggar, 557; H. Jones, 518; H. lteid, 497; Don McKay, 488, S. Willis, 448; A. Kelly, 445 ; H. Adams, 434; It. Wear, 427; E. btigley, 442; F. W. Cutler, 421; It. Geddes, 418; W. W. Goodwin, 414; H. Joidan, 406 and E. E. Bell, 402. The bowling aggregates are still headed by It. W. Biggar with 77 wickets, followed by H. Adams 72, H. Lennon 63, P. Willis 59, P. Zouch and E. Stigley 58, W. O’Grady 55, V. J. Stills 54, S. Roulston 46, H. Baird, S. Goodwin and W. J. Owen 44, Don McKay and J. Dillon 43, and It. Allen 42. . , These players are the only ones who have succeeded in scoring 400 or more runs and taken 40 or more wickets. The figures do not include scores m representative matches.

The Ashburton Golf Club will open its season on Saturday with an 18-hole mixed foursome, players to choose their own partners. Considering the dry season, tlie course is in good playing order, both fairways and greens being excellent. • . ~ Great interest has been taken in the activities of the club during the summer months and there are indications that the coming season will be a most successful one.

Saturday was a busy day for the Ashburton Bowling Club. . W. It. Lane, representing the club in the champion of champions match at Christchurch, beat Warded, the Spreydon champion, in the first round. Lane established an early lead and the board read 14 to 4 in his favour. Then Warded scored singles on seven successive heads, bringing him to

within three points. Lane, however, maintainedi his lead and the game finished 17 to 12. The other two rounds which were to have been played were postponed owing to the sudden deatli of the Rev. Mr Bandy, the Papanui champion. A* rink consisting of Mitchell, McEachen, O’Brien and Easterbrook (s) together with representatives from other country clubs was entertained by the Canterbury Club. Ashburton met McAllister, Cotton, Summers and Finnegan (s) and after a very pleasant game were beaten by 18 to 13. Finnegan played a good game for Canterbury and time and again saved his side. In the evening the Ashburton players were the guests of the indoor bowling green proprietors on the occasion of the ofhciai opening of the indoor bowling season. Ashburton’s president ;Mr S. Mitchell) put up the first jack and Mr 11. iVlilsom put up the first bowl. ’

A game was played between rinks from Ashburton and Dunsandel Clubs and was won by Ashburton by 18 to 16 after a very close game. The score was all square four times and stood at 16 all on the twentieth head. This was the first time any of the players from either club had played indoors. The experience was thoroughly enjoyed by all. Four links from the Ashburton Club went to Rakaia and after a very good game were successful. A match was played on the Ashburton green between rinks of colts representing Beckenham and Ashburton. The Beckenham colts proved too good for Ashburton and won easily. The, rinks were—Beckenham: Robinson, McYVhirter, Mann, Carroll (s), 29. Ashburton: Dunn, Smallbone, Giimour, Thomas (s), 8. The champion pairs competition was advanced a further stage when Dickinson and A. Lane (s) lost their first life to Featherston and >¥• H. Higgins (s). The latter pair, on the day’s play, were too good for their opponents and won comfortably. At the sixth head the score was four all, but from then on Higgins scored on 10 out of 13 beads played, and won by 21 to 7 with two heads to play. The final will probably be played this week. The only other competition still running is the club doubles (handicap). Sutton and McElhinney (s) beat Todd (sub.) and Pritchard (sj after an interesting game. The score was leyel at the twenty-first head and McElhinney scored on the extra head. There are six pairs left in, two with two lives and four with one life. The winner should be found by the end of the month.

The final of the Alleiiton Bowling Club’s doubles was played between J. Gowans and R. W. Barr (s) and EL C. Bathurst and W. Hedges (s). Some good heads were played, but Gowans and Barr were too strong and 1 ran out easy winners by 27 to 8. In the final of the handicap singles D. Horsburgh beat A. Drayton by a fair margin. The filial of the handicap doubles is to be played between J. Gowans and R. W. Barr (s) and D. Horsburgh and H. iSilverwood (s). These two leads have played good bowls throughout the season, and it is very pleasing to see new players making such a good showing. Horsburgh is in his first year and Gowans in liis second.

J. Templeton, the club’s singles champion, was unable to contest the Canterbury singles championship.