CRICKET.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 299, 15 December 1917, Page 6

CRICKET.

COLLEGE CHAMPIONSHIP. AUCKLAND V. CANTERBURY. HEATHCOTE-WTLEIAMS SIIIE LD MATCH. The challenge cricket match for the Heatheote-Williatus Shield between Christchurch High School (challengers) and Auckland Grammar School (holders) was commenced to-day at Eden Park, on No. 1 wicket. The visitors' captain, DReese, won the toss, and decided to but, the wicket looking well, while a misty rain, which threatened to make matters difficult for the bowlers, hung about tentatively, without actually developing into a shower. Reese and M. L. Page were the opening batsmen for the visitors, and the former, a left-hander, took strike to McLeod, right-handed break bowler. A FATAL FIRST Reese opened the score by driving his second ball' to cover lor a single, and Page pulled the .fifth ball for a single, but the last of the over proved fatal to, the Canterbury skipper, who played it j back, and McLeod took a catch almost! on the ground.- 2—l—l. Crawford joined Page to face Nixon, right-hand fast bowler, and was beaten by his first ball, which went for a bye. He drove :i single oft' the fifth ball, the only score of the over. THE BATSMEN STILL CAUTIOUS. Crawford shaped well at MeLeod, and swung a break nicely to leg for a single, while Page, who played a more cramped style, also got a single off the over. At this stage the heat mist had cleared] again, and the ground was still in good shape for bowling anil fielding. Page got a single by a leg- snick off Nixon, who was inclined to bump a bit, and though Crawford shaped well, the fielding was! good, and prevented any further runs from the over. A single to each batsman came from McLeod's next, in which an appeal against Page for a catch at! the wicket was disallowed. The first boundary hit of the game came from Page, who leg-glanced Nixon irettily for four, bringing the score into double figures. Crawford quickly followed suit, landing a four off MeLeod with a swinging leg hit. He also got a single from a "draw" shot, and Page another leg single, just after he had given a stumping chance. Nixon sent down a maiden to Page, the first couple of balls having the batsman thinking. Though both batsmen were now playing with more confidence, they acknowledged the good quality of the bowling by taking no chances. A couple of singles came off MeLeod, and then an extra fast yorker from Nixon caught Page napping, and bowled him. 22—2—10. THE VISITORS COLLAPSE. Powell, a left-hander, was next man, and he opened with a single off Nixon, and Crawford cut McLeod hard for four, aud Powell got a single off the same over. The left-hander did not shape well at Xixon, swinging wildly at a couple of balls that-, went close to the wicket kets, but he. lasted- but a maiden. A short'single-by each 'man"was stolen 1 off McLeod, the second coniing from a weak uppish stroke by Crawford, and then two balls later McLeod beat and bowled Powell. 2!)—3 —G. Cox went out to share the responsibility with Crawford, and when he faced McLeod he was very lucky, being let off twice in the one over from stumping chances, the ball beating the keeper as well as the batsman the second time. The batsmen then settled down to defensive play, and Crawford played another maiden to Nixon. An overpitched one from McLeod gave a single to Cox, and from a short one Crawford hit a single. The first ball next over, however, on the leg stump, beat and bowled Crawford. 31—I—11. Graham joined Cox, and there was again a left-hander at the wicket. The newcomer did not shape with any relish to Xixon, though he played the over out. but the first ball he got from McLeod clean-bowled bimi 32—5—0. Bowes filled the vacancy, and the bowlers had two right-handers again to deal with. The newcomer got a single off MeLeod. and Cox did ditto. Bowes shaped like a hitter, but he was puzzled by MeLeod, and bis hits were misses. Nixon's succession of maidens was broken by Cox cutting a short-pitched ball for two. Bowes then faced McLeod again, and this time hit the first ball, which went up to McCrystal on the longi field, and the fieldsman held it. 3li—G—l. MAKING A RECOVERY. Cox was reinforced by Hums, and tho former drove a single "off MeLeod, and [ cut Nixon for a single. Another single | to Cox, off McLeod, and Burns pluyed the over out cautiously. Cox got a single in the slips off Nixon, and Burns opened his score with a single, while Cox played the fast-bowler nicely to leg for a brace. Burns drove "McLeod uppishly for a brace, and then nicely offdrove him to the boundary. single to j Cox, off Nixon, broughJtthc half-century I up. Cox got to top-score by driving a single off McLeod, hut next over he gave I a chance of a catch at the wicket, oil i Nixon, who bowled him another maiden. Burns, who had been consistently declining to be tempted by McLeod, at last hit and skied the ball, to be caught at mid-on by Nixon. 57—7—7. THE FIRST BOWLING CHANGE. L. Page joined Cox in the defence, and opened by leg-glancing Nixon for four, and playing liim for a leg single. An overthrow resulted in Cox getting three off a stroke iv the slips. Cox hit -McLeod for two to leg, and drove him foi a single, while Page on-drove a single, The scoring was now uracil brighter Page cutting Nixon for a single, and Cox leg-glancing him to the boundary and playing Jiim to leg for a single. Tw'c singles to Cox and one to Page came oil McLeod, though Cox's second score was a chance of a catch at the wicket. There were now 70 runs up, and McCrystal was brought on to bowl iti place of Nixon, He started by sending a maiden to Cox Two singles came off Mcleod, and ther Cox sent McCrystal to leg for two, and cut him for a single, while Page ondrove him for four, bringing SO runs up Cox gathered in his usual single, off McLeod, and another off McCrystal, while Page made three, off the latter, by a nici following hit to leg. Page square-cul MeLeod for a brace and hit him to leg for a single, while he hit MeCrysta uicely to leg for a single, bringing DO up, Cox got a single, and Page another oil the same over. THE CENTURY AT LAST. The wicket was obviously now much di-ier and easier for batting than in the early part of the innings, and the batsmen, while careful, were taking advantage of the improved' conditions, .while they were running smartly between the wickets. The continuance of the rims brought Gallagher on to bowl, vice McLeod. His first ball Page drove foi J two. brinerhur 100 up. but the next* a

short one, Page poked up, giving Harrison a catch at mid-on. 100—8—27. A. Williams was the incomer, another lefthander, and he held the fort for a couple of overs, but was clean-bowled by McCrystal before he had scored. 103—9—0. The last man, Fraser, got v single in the slips from his first ball oil McCrystal, and then faced Gallagher, to get leg before off the fourth ball, and the innings closed, just before lunch time, for 104. Scores: — CHRISTCHURCH HIGH SCHOOL. First innings. D. W. Reese, c and b McLeod .... I M. L. Page-, b Nixon 11) C. • -1. Crawford, b Nixon 11 R. V. Powell, b McLeod 0 G. W. Cox, not out 35 W. Graham, b McLeod 0 K. J. Bowcs, c McCrystal, b McLeod 1 R. C. Burns, c Nixon, b McT.cod .... 7 L. D. Page, o Harrison, b Gallagher 27 A. Williams, b McCrystal 0 J. A. Fraser, Ibw, b Gallagher .... 1 Extras 4 Total 104 Bowling analysis: McLeod five wickets for 4S runs, Nixon two for 20, McCrystal | one for 20, Gallagher two for 3.