A GOOD SEASON.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 79, 3 April 1928, Page 15

A GOOD SEASON.

HEALTHY PUBLIC INTEREST. PATCHING UP WEAKNESSES. The 1928 season, which is in the closing stages, has been a most satisfactory one from every point of view despite the fact that Auckland managed to lose the Plunket Shield. That the city has again been placed on the map as one of the Test match centres, and has justified its existence by a record gate for a Test, will probably do more for the game locally than could be gained by continued possession of the Shield. Obviously the chief weakness of Auckland is in the lack of outstanding bowlers. At the end of last year Auckland cricket lacked public support, was weak In country interest and needed also two or three outstanding bowlers. The season has indicated that the game has made a distinct advance with the city public and the country players. Also there are not wanting indications that the required bowlers of class are coming along. In the B grade and junior cricket, as well as in the secondary schools several bowlers have singled themselves out. In the rep. matches and the game against the Australians, G. L. Weir showed distinct promise of development, and H. Roy, who was unluckily robbed by indisposition of invaluable experience against the Australians, may yet prove with another year's experience to be one of the bowlers Auckland is looking for. From every point of view the season has been most encouraging. Features of Club Play.

Those who have followed the clubjplay closely have no doubt that but for hav-| ing to carry on with the competition games for two matches when four of the club's outstanding players were absent with the rep. team at Wellington, the Eden senior team would again have given their club the undisputed championship for the season. As it happened, however, the improvement in the form of J. Langridge, the Sussex professional, and the development of Roy as a bowler, enabled Ponsonby to come with a late run by which they tied with Eden for the honours. This kept interest in the competition sustained to the end of the season, and probably was better for the game than an easy win for Eden. Seeing that Ponsonby at the beginning of the season had very poor prospect*, their strong finish ia fair subject for congratulation, though one would like to s*fe their success coming more from the natural development of the younger players. In this respect North Shore and Parnell vie With Eden for' all-round club healthfulness. University has the inherent limitations of not being a district club, but is more surely than previously on the secondary schools. \.M.C.A. has shown some development, but Grafton, with few reserves and a deal of bad luck, had an unusually bad year. The first recruit from the Suburban Association, United Suburbs, proved tn be quite a well-balanced side, and if it can successfully establish communications with the Suburban Association for the purpose of getting regular and ample reserves it should make itself a force in the regular club play.

SNEDDEN AND GILLESPIE TIE. "Nessy" Snedden and Hec. Gillespie, leaders of the Ponsonby and Edon cricket elevens respectively, finish up the season with honours* even. The championship final between the teams captained by these two popular players, wa=< easily the most interesting of the aenfor matches on Saturday. As anticipated Eden scored a three point win, and thus put themselves, bracketed with Ponsonby, at the top of the championship list for 1927-28. On the first day of the match, Eden, after an exceedingly poor start, had made a good recovery to score 253 for the loss of eight wickets, chiefly as the result of a splendid unbroken partnership between Whelan and Bennett. When play waa resumed on Saturday last season's champions declared their innings closed in the hope of snatching the championship honours for themselves. In order to have accomplished this the Eden bowlers would have had to go twice through the Ponsonby aide, and the team would then have had to make any runs over and above the Ponies' innings total. Wit/h Sidey time packed away for at least nine months and perhaps for ever, there were less than four hours to play, and even the most optimistic of the Eden supporters, quite rightly enough, refused to take bets on fheir team's chances. Fortunately for Ponsonby the wicket was good and the outfield fast—conditions which were all in favour of the batsmen. Thus the Eden bowlers received no assistance at all from the wicket, and at no stage did they look like getting the full points. On a sticky wicket a different tale might have been told, but the introduction of that little word "if" opens up a vast field of possibilities, and it is probably better left alone.

Eden started off in promising enough style, getting the first five Ponsonby wickets for less than seventy—the quintet included, Snedden, the skipper; S. G. Smith (who was bowled second ball by G. L. Weir), and Commons. The remaining batsmen, however, refused to be bustled and held together long enough to occupy the CTease until within half an hour of time, thus upsetting all Eden's calculations for a four point win. The scoring was not high, the total beiwr iust one above tha century and a-half.

The batsman who probably saved Ponsonby from a follow on was McLeod, who gathered in 37 runs before he snicked a ball from Butler, and was snapped up behind . the sticks by McCarthy. As cool at tha contents of an iceman't van, he went in first and held up his wicket while his team mates were making but a poor showing against tha Eden attack. Mac. saw five men dismissed befora ha gave the chance

tliat sent him home. He played the correct game, sending anything dangerous back to the bowler, and waiting for the loose ball to get his runs. His tally included several boundaries. Warneford will also remember the close of the season with feelings that will not give him any heartache, for he was not out with 28. He played steadily, and might have made a considerably bigger score if he had had anyone to stay with hii~. In the early twenties Warneford went forward to A. F. Weir, and played the ball hard, but to the amazement of the stand was given out leg before. The crowd at once set up an outcry, but it was not until the Eden {(layers had sportiugly appealed that the batsman was recalled. Abrim (20) and Wheeler (18) also helped the tally along.

G. L. Weir finished lip a successful season by getting five wickets at a cost of only seven runs each. He clean bowled Smith and Commons and got three other men caught. His brother was not nearly so successful, hie single wicket costing 42 runs. Cooper took Lendrum's wicket at a cost of 32 runs, and Butler accounted for McLeod for 23. McCarthy is a steady, if not a brilliant man behind the stumps, and his figures for the season will look better as the result of his three cat-ches on Saturday.

CENTURY FOR A COLT. If coming events cast a shadow before, the continuation of the Y.M.C.A.-Univer-sity match was chiefly of interest to indicate the possible resources of the two teams next season. University had the game won on the opening day, and Saturday's play was of a barren nature measured by the points standard, yet notable by reason of the fact that Schnauer, the 'Varsity colt, maintained his batting form and went on to register his first century in senior cricket. This young player has profited by the tuition, and has a good 6tyle. His stroke play is impressive, his methods are essentially sound, and with wider experience he should go a long way in the game. The only charge that could be levelled against the colt was that he failed to exact toll from many easy balls that came along, but that was a fault in the game that could be attributed to the other batsmen with a much wider experience. Garrard let the 'Varsity batting carry on until Schnauer had reached the century. He then applied the closure, much too late to give the students a chance of recording an outright win. According to the strict canons of the game Garrard should have closed earlier, but there was nothing much at stake and the gamo had no bearing on the championship. Without Lyon and Bowley the Y.M. bowling was weak, and in the end Don Miller went on. He sent a few along which looked delightfully easy, and a couple of impetuous batsmen soon paid the price of human frailty. Miller, by the way, does not take bowling seriously, and the opinion is that were he to do so he would be a dependable attacking force for his side.

Bambury and Riddolls batted well in the Y.M. second innings. The latter has proved himself one of the best allrounders in club cricket, and were his bowling to have a bit more devil lie Would be hard to keep out of a rep. side.

It cannot be said that the Tarsity bowling was impressive, even Smeeto'n lacking the few superlative qualities which made him deadly on the opening day. Nor could it be said that the best wag got out of the 'Varsity bowling in the match. Garrard was not used to the best advantage. Possibly from a feeling of modesty he persists in treating himself as a change bowier, a final resort when the regular bowlers have been on, and the lesser bowling lights have been given a full opportunity to shine.

THREE-POINTER FOR GRAFTON. Holiday cricket would best describe the second day's play of the game between Grafton and United Suburbs, which was concluded at Eden Park on Saturday. Neither team displayed the same keenness of spirit as was apparent when the game commenced a fortnight ago, and conaequently interest in the contest began to pall. Perhaps the most outstanding feature of the afternoon's play was the bowling of Martin, who finished with an average of five wickets for 82 runs. He mixed hia deliveriea well, occasionally sending down a "wrong-un," which always had the batsmen in doubt. The fielding of the Suburbs team was good, though it at no period reached the high standard aet on the opening day of the game. Grafton recommenced their innings with three men short, and when Webster and Goodwin were dismissed before the day's scoring had opened, it appeared that they might have some difficulty in amassing the 35 runs necessary for a first innings lead. However, Horspool settled down, and batted attractively in lifting his total from 52 to 80. When ho was dismissed, his side needed only one run to equalise the totals. Dykes played sound cricket in notching his 33 not out, most of his runs being obtained with nicely played shots all round the wicket-. Street was the only other Grafton man ou the day to reach double figures, and he may be accounted lucky in having 17 to his credit before his journey back to the side-line. For Suburbs Somers obtained 51 not lout in pleasing style. He displayed an aggressiveness that immediately put him on good, term# with the sprinkling of spectators. Kerr's 23 was one of the bright patches of game. He was distinctly unlucky in being given out to a catch behind the wicket when it appeared from the side-line that he had not touched it. Wetherill (28) and McLaren (23) both played well, and deserved their runs.