CRICKET.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 68, 20 March 1917, Page 7

CRICKET.

Individually there was nothing particularly notable about the cricket on Saturday, the best performance of the day being Player's bowling achievement of five wickets for 21 runs for University against Parnell. Two batsmen, S. G. Smith, of Ponsonby (62), and Beveridge, ot Grafton (61), passed the half century; and Cooper (41.) and Wetherell <4. r > not out), of Ponsonby, and Punch •(42), of Grafton, got handy to the halfhundred. Both the. Parnell-University and the Pomonby-North Shore matches, which have a direct bearing on the chairjnongliip, were advanced to an interesting stage, and neither of the leaders (Parnell and Ponsonby) can be said to have the game in hand. The Parnell batsmen ■threatened to collapse against'the UniYorsity bowling, but managed to eventually retrieve the position somewhat, and finished up with a score of 154. The jrospect for Parnell was improved by :their bowlers getting University's first Sour wickets cheaply, the students' tally ar the close of play being 21 for the four wickets. This makes it look like Purnell's game, but a determined stand by any two or three of the later batsmen may easily enable University to pull the match out of the liro. Ponsonby. mi the other hand, made an unexpectedly good showing with the tat against North .Shore, playing a cautions innings, in which the* two colts.! Cooper and Wetherell. came to light, in I conjunction with Smith. Worker and IMason. The result was a slow but | eound innings for 200 minutes, in which I 226 runs were made for the loss of six •wickets. This sets IXorth Shore 2. considerable task to make a first innings "win of it. and also leaves room for a possible three-point win by Ponsonbv should the Xorth Shore batsmen happen to collapse before the strong Ponsonby bowling. Graft on's first innings of 107 against Eden is a respectable score, but it is not ] beyond the powers of the Eden bats-| men should that inconsistent side, for a' change, bat up to reputation. POXSOXBY COLTS BAT WELT;. A re-shuffle of the batting order in the Poneonby team, with a view to bridging the gap left by the absence of Sneddon, seems to have had a good effect on the colts of the eleven. At any rate they played the game for! the occasion against Xorth Shore, which was to stay at the wickets and to let the runs come so long- as thevl got at least a couple . of "hundred. I Though Murphy went early, it was to a good leg stroke which happened to be a trifle uppish and, moreover, happened to ' Jiit the identical spot where there was a| fieldsman. Smith and Worker then I settled down to pursue the policy of attending strictly to the singles, and just on thirty runs were up before the first ■boundary hit was made. Worker was playing nice, quiet cricket, and Smith a steady game, with particular attention to the leg side singles and braces, that carried the total past the half century "before Worker fell unluckily to a little carelessness which resulted "in his being stumped, in stepping out of his crease after he had safely played a ball. 1 Cooper and Smith continued the good ■Work, the former playing some nice driving, slip and leg shots, while Smith, as before, played quiet cricket, though Jie was always there to profit by the occasional loose ball. In this manner they took the total on to 130 without giving the opposition any encouragement, when Cooper unexpectedly made ±wo weak strokes in succession. He should have been caught and bowled off the first, and he was caught and bowled ■when he repeated the mistake. His 46 included a nice straight drive for six. and several pretty ground drives to the boundary. ' Smith, who had been, playing comfortably all along- without making a mistake and seemed set for the century, also made his first error just at this stage, and knocked up a soft catch to silly mid-on, with his score at G2; while Young never goj settled, and was caught at the wicket when he had only a couple •of runs to his credit. The score had thus in a very few minutes swung from 130 for two wickets to five wickets for 14S. The entry of Mason and Wetherell, however, put Ponsonby again on the scoring track. Mason, always a fast scorer, hurried up the run-getting pace, although his leg-hitting was not up to his •usual clean standard. Wetherell showed a sound defence, and presently began to TJlay pretty and confident off-shots, by which he profited, particularly off Eankin. The pair saw the second century up, and then Mason 011-drove a six, and followed it up with n strong off-drive, which was just slightly misplaced, and he was caug-ht at deep-cover. Wetlierell continued -to play steady cricket when joined i>y Roberts, and was close to his half century when stumps were drawn a few minutes later, with the score at 220 runs for six wickets. AX UP.AXD DOWX GAME. University threatened to provide the sensation of the day in the first li'our of their game against the championship Jeaders, Parnell. When Breeee and Slater had carefully made 30 for Parnell, the 'Varsity bowlers suddenly struck a successful vein, and Slater, Breese, Badeley and Anthony were disposed of an quick succession, leaving Parnell with the hopeless-looking register of 35 runs for four wickets. Middleton and Gedye then had the responsibility of pulling things together. The formers method was by hittin«, and 3n four overs he had knocked on 20 runs to his credit, including a sixer, and was then caught in the deep-field with the total just about doubled. It was Somervell ajid Gedye, however, who effected the real recovery. While Gedye varied defensive play with two-or three sixaits, Somervell played regular free strong driving and leg shots, that sent the score along with a swing, and the century came up fast. They put on just over fifty runs for the partnership before Gedye (3S), was clean-bowled by Graham. The same bowler got Somervell 2G), a little later. Whin Simpson after knocking up 25 by free strong play was 'beaten by Garrard, the 150 mark and although the University bowlers polished off the final two wickets almost immediately, the Fernell recovery had then been made. With the light failing, University had an awkward ihalf-honr to get over before Etumps were drawn, and the policy of quick-change bowling was not overlooked by the Parnell skipper. When Simpson had got past Graham for the first success, a change from Anthony to Doble at the other end got Caradus deceived by the new style of delivery and flight, and he fell to a catch. Then Sim-jsoWs pace m the fading light proved fatal to tW. Garrard and X; Garrard, and -when

the bell went University Jiad lost four wiokets for 21 runs. : The possibilities in the situation for either team will keep next Saturdays play full of interest. THE OUTSIDERS Though E. H-orspool was disposed of for an unusual " duck,"' the Eden bowlers and field were given a biifiy time by the earlier Grafton batsmen at Eden *Park on Saturday Beveiidgc (t>l) was particularly aggressive, and what with R. Slonian (25). A. O. Horspool (28), and Punch (42), all snowing good form, the score readied 130 before the first five wickets fell. Then Cummdngs, Ileighway, ■Hemus and Sauverm made a quick disposal among them of tlio tail of the team, with the exception of Dadley (20 not out) who demonstrated that the punch he had shown so frequently in junior games was still existent, and was chiefly responsible for raising the total to 197 for the innings. Eight bowlers were tried for Eden, and all. save .Fletcher, got a wicket, but chief honours went to Cummings, who sent down seven maidens in twelve overs, and got three wickets for 14 runs. Having made twenty for the loss of one wicket, Eden have* the not very formidable task of making 17S for nine wickets to win. THE LAIDLAW CUP. A match was commenced on Saturday between St. John's and Beresford Street at ictona Park for the Laidlaw Cup, played under the auspices of the Churches' Association. Beresford Street won the toss, and decided to bat on a good tatting wicket. Hepburn and Tonkin opened, and carried the score to 36 before Tonkin lost his wicket by hitting Allison high in the slips. His total of IS included four 4'e. Jensen and Hepburn brought the score up to SS, when Jensen was bowled by Arneil, after making 8. Hepburn at this stage had made 42 without giving a chance. Here a rot set in, mostly on account of the good bowling of Arneil, and when the score stood at 91 there were five wickets down, Arneil taking three for 3 runs. Craig then joined Hepburn, but shortly after they became associated Hutehinson got one past Hepburn, who had reached the total of SS, and had given only one chance—at 51. He played a real good innings, and seemed to 'be the only 'batsman to be at home to the St. John bowling. The only others to make a score were Craig and Gubb. These two ibatsmen put up an eighth wicket partnership of 50. carrying the score to 157 before Gubb was caught by Hutehinson in attempting to hit Arneil. GubVs innings of 31 was very vigorous, and included "six 4's. The last two batsmen were easily disposed of by Arneil and Hutehinson with the total at 160, and Craig was still unbeaten with his score at 30 not out, after a very steady innings. The bowling averages for St. John's were as follow: Arneil, five for 20. Hutch ineon three for 46, Allison one for 31, Aitken one for 41. At 4.30 p.m. Craig and McCauiiah opened up for St. John's, to the bowling of Gubb and Hepburn. MeCarnish was soon out Ibw to Gubb, and Prentice, the following batsman, was bowled by Hepburn after hitting the same bowler for 4. This made two wickets down for 17 runs. Aitken joined Craig, and the pair went for the Beresford Street bowling, and proved too good for the different bowlers tried, with the result that when the ball rang the score was 220 for two wickets. The partnership lasted one hour and a-quarter. and compiled 203 runs. Aitken,\ who lifted the last ball of the day for 6, was 105 not out, and Craig 03 not out. This partnership is no doubt the Tiest performance on record in the Churches' Association games for some time. The match will be continued next Saturday at 2.30 p.m.