CRICKET.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIX, Issue 17, 19 January 1918, Page 14

CRICKET.

Private advice has been received of the death from wounds in France of Captain Hugh Bannerman, proprietor of the "Bluff Free Press," and a representative cricketer of Otago and Southland. Hugh Bannerman was an enthusiastic journalist and cricketer, enthusiasm being the keynote of his character. He graduated from the Dunedin High School cricket team to senior club games in Dunedin with Carisbrook, and won his way into the Otago team somewhere about 1907 as a lad, being a batsman of the aggressive quick-scoring type, and a medium to fast bowler. He migrated to Southland, where he regularly represented the province. He was a member of the team that won and first held the Hawke Cup by beating the Tiznaru team for the championship of the minor provinces of tbe South Island, and then defeating at Christchurcb the then North Island minor province champions, Rangitikei. "Barmy" was an out-and-out cricket enthusiast who would rather play cricket of any sort than eat, and he had the literature of the game and its current history all over the world at his finger-tips. He compiled and published a history of cricket in Otago, and another brochure dealing with tbe growth and progress of the game in Southland.

In their recent match in Christchurch against Riccarton, Sydenham, the leaders ;in the championship, created one of the biggest surprises seen at Hagley Park for some years, says the "Press." When : their game against Riccarton .was adjoured on the previous Saturday, Ric- | carton had a first innings total of 249, arid Sydenham had lost seven of their 'best wickets for 87. It looked "a guinea to a gooseberry" on Riocarton. But one of those wonders of the cricket field happened. Young and Forrester batted ivery solidly, and they actually took the total from 61 to 151. The Riccarton ■men had been fielding as though they had the game in their kit. The consequence iwas the batsmen were running singles or almost anything. They tried it once too often, for W. B. Fuller did a smart pick up, and threw down Forrester's wicket, and he was run out. Even then it looked very long odds against Sydenham, for they still wanted 99 to "win, with only two wickets in hand. And when Hincksman left at 175, the result seemed a foregone conclusion. When McEwin, the last man, went in, 75 were still wanted. But McEwin kept his end up, and Young was batting in most solid style. ■ Just before the second century went up McEwin- lifted one to the long field. Sinclair- judged the catch rather badly, and making a hard catch of it 'dropped it. This cost Iticcartan the match, for the two batsmen took no chances after this, and gradually- but surely overhauled the RJccarton total, which they passed with four byes. Young played faultless cricket forjijs i 115. He has got good and' good strokes, with very few faults, and he has always given mc the impression that he would make his mark as a batsman. On Saturday he rose to the occasion. His defence was as solid as a rock; be took 'minimum of risk, and he never appeared to do tbe wrong thing. |At the same time he rarely failed to punish anything punishable, and he did it by really good shots all round the .wicket. His late cutting was particularly good, whilst he made quite a lot of jfine drives—mostly along the ground. He (had batted for juet over'two hours, and did not give a semblance of a chance.

JUNIOR NOTES. — The result of the matches just finished in the second grade caused considerable reshuffling, and now Eden are at the head of the list with eight points. Grammar are second with five points in two' matches. Normal drop from first place to third, and there divide tbe honour with Ponsonby and King's College. Eden set Normal an exceedingly heavy task to overcome their tall score of 300, and not even the most ardent supporters of the school were sufficiently sanguine to expect them to do the trick. Normal had 94 for the loss of three wickets when play ceased on the first day, but this rate of scoring v_s not maintained. After the fall of the fourth wicket the batting broke down, and the innings closed for 156. Arneil (44) and Brighton (27) were tbe mainstays of the team, and put on 54 runs for the fourth wicket, most of them being made on the first day. Stevenson (25) wielded the bat with vigour, one 6 and four 4 _ and a single comprising his scoring strokes. The chief wicket-taker for Eden was Gillespie, who finished up with five wickets for 23 from twelve overs, four of which were maidens.

In the follow-on Normal. fared worse than in the first innings, and were all out for 98, Arneil being again the chief contributor with 45, as the result of a much steadier performance than usual. Hughes (25) obtained his runs quietly. C. Kent captured four wickets at a cost of three runs apiece from five overs. while Blair (two for 14) and Gillespie (two for 17) also lent assistance. I Ponsonby enjoyed the advantage of a lead of some fifty odd runs on the completion of an innings apiece, and had an easy proposition before them to secure the extra point, as Parnell only managed to score 115 in their second venture They started very badly, losing the first wacket without a run to their credit The second fell at' 14, but a partnership between Gedye and Williams for the third wicket improved matters somewhat, rawing the total to 48. Thereafter the batting did not imprcwe. The next two wickets only added a dozen, and the last five averaged, ten apiece. Gedye (24) shaped exceedingly well, the nwttority of bra runs being the outcome of good strokes on the leg side. He was unfortunate in being run out While backing up a hot return glanced off the bowler's hand on to the wicket. Half of his quota was compiled with fours. R. WOl-ame (21) had rather an electric career, one 6, two s's and two chances beib-g the substance'of his innings. Carter (23 not out) batted steadily and took no.risks. Hopkinson was again Ponsonby's star bowler, capturing six wickets for 49 from twelve overs.

Ponsonby started in pursuit of tbe 60 odd runs in a light-hearted manner, expecting to obtain them with as few hits as possible, but eight -wickets fell before the task was accomplished. Jensen (27) knocked up his runs in anything but orthodox style. McMath (12 not out) was in a punishing mood, hitting a 6 and a 4. Hopkinson (11) notched a couple of 4's to the off.

Thomas met with much better success than on the first day, and wound up with four wickets for 29 "off nine overs.