CRICKET TOURISTS.

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

CRICKET TOURISTS.

MATCHES DURING EASTER. Auckland cricketers will have a very busy time during the Easter holidays, for no fewer than seven teams will be engaged. Of these two will meet visiting teams at Eden Park, while the other five will travel to various places. An Auckland eleven, selected by Mr. E. C. Beale, will play a representative eleven from the North Auckland Cricket Association at Eden Park, where the Auckland Training College will also try their strength against the Wellington Training College. An eleven, mainly drawn from the Parnell Club, but strengthened by the inclusion of J. E.'Mills (Eden), and E. C. Gee (University), has been got together by Mr. W. H. Johnston to pay the customary Easter vjsit to Rotorua.

Mr. H. E. Warneford -will take a team, composed largely of Ponsonby Club players, to Waihi.

Mr. P. C. Furlev's side, which includes C. F. W. Allcott, R. W. Rowntree, G. L. Ooodwin, of Grafton, J. T. Bush, C. G. Walters and S. C. Arblaster, of North Shore, and N, H. E. Hockin, of Eden, will visit both Thames and Paeroa.

Mr. J. H. Miller's eleven comprises the following: Elliott, Smith, Hiddolls. Bamburv, Cato, Paton, Pearce, Gorrie, Bushill and Martin. The side will meet the elect of the Franklin Association at Waiuku.

Auckland University College will travel to the Empire City for the annual match with Wellington.

Though teams from Northern Wairoa, Whangarei, Bay of Islands and Rodney have previously visited, and played matches in, Auckland, this will be the first occasion upon which an eleven representative of the North of Auckland has done so.. From all accounts the Winterless North will field a strong side capable of fully extending the Auckland eleven which has been selected to meet them in a two-day match on Good Friday and the following day at Eden Park.

The Rodney eleven recently demonstrated the fact that they had players who could score well against the Auckland bowlers and dismiss the city batsmen cheaply, and when strengthened by the substitution of the best men from Mangonui, Northern Wairoa and Whangarei the result should be a very strong team of Northerners. The Auckland team is: R. E. Frater, A. S. Player, L.

H. Saunders, W. J. Coates, F. S. Taylor, p- p U^ n ; , W - J - Smeeton, I. W. Cooper, R H* Browne and W. H. Bennett. Whiteley is the captain and a capable and stylish batsman of the Auckland Grammar School eleven, and Browne is wicketkeeper and one of the best batsmen of King's College, who is considered likely to become a really good custodian of "the sticks."

CANTERBURY AVERAGES. OLIVER AND MERITT. (By Telegraph.— Special to "Star.**) CHRISTCHURCH, this day. The batting averages for the season are headed by C. Oliver, who has been batting very well in club cricket since his return from England. His average is 69.14. Gregory, who has by far the highest aggregate of runs to his credit, is a good second with 04.76. Whereas Oliver scored a total of 484 runs in nine efforts, Gregory, who had seventeen innings, piled up 842 runs. In bowling, the most outstanding performance is that of W. E. Merritt, who, in five matches in which he played for Old Boys, took 58 wickets at an average of less than ten runs per wicket. The greatest number of wickets was taken by J. McEwin, who captured 64 in all. C. E. Evans took 00. LAIDLAW CUP MATCH. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.! DARGAVILLE, this day. The Pukehuia Cricket Club defeated Dargaville, the holders of the Laidlaw Challenge Cup, by 05 to 79 runs. RIVAL TRAINING COLLEGES. The following team will represent the Auckland Training College in their annual match agninst the Wellington College at Eden Park on Good Friday :—V. C. Butler, fr. Broomfieid, R. Pilkington, B. G. Rush, G. L. Weir. G. D. Lawrie. V. Albrecht, Mason. Howell, Guy, Graham, W. B. Wotherspoon.