SENIOR CRICKET.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 256, 29 October 1929, Page 16

SENIOR CRICKET.

THE ONE-DAY MATCHES. Y.M.C.A. AT THE TOP. PONSONBY GETS A WIN. As a result of the one-day match programme arranged for Labour day with the abandonment of two games which thus count as draws, and wins by y.M.C.A. and-Ponsonby in the other two games/ the Y.M.C.A. team takes place at the top.pf-.tht; Senior championship. Luck in the matter of the toss was largely In evidence in the games played, for it was clear that at some stage of the game a drying wicket would give one side a strong advantage. In this respect Grafton and North Shore were the unlucky teams,'and lost on the first innings to Ponsonby and Y.M.C.A. respectively. Without question it was a day for the bowlers. The state of the championship table now is: — P. W. L. D. Pts. y.M.C.A 2 2 0 University 2 1 — 1 5 Parnell - 1— 1 5 Grafton 2 1 1— 4 Ponsonby .'......... - 1 1 — 4 Eden 2 — 1 1 3 . United Suburbs - — 1 1 3North Shore 2 — 2 — 2 NOTABLE WIN FOR PONSONBY. An eventful afternoon's cricket at Victoria Park saw Grafton. twice dismissed by Ponsonby, who won by an innings and 22 runs. Play was not possible until shortly before one o'clock, owing to the state of the wicket, and Ponsonby's performance in .winning a full decision match in little over five hours must rank as one of the best performances in senior cricket.

It is hardly necessary to state that it was a bowler's wicket. Twenty-six batsmen, were dismissed, and not one of them reached the half' century (indeed the 25 mark was only four times passed), and there were some altogether exceptioiUll bowlitlg feats. Sneddon's analysis of seven wickets for 17 runs in Grafton's first innings was the outstanding statistical feature, and the veteran represent ative player was in no wise flattered by the figures. On a wicket which gave plenty of "bite" to tho ball, Snedden was practically unplayable. He turned from the off and kept an impeccable length, Sale being the only batsman to face him with any degree of confidence. Sale, carried his bat through the innings, and, though he scored only twelve in an hour and a half, it was a stout performance. When wickets are tumbling down at the other end the psychological effect is by no means negligible, and pluck as well as skilljs needed by the man who "braves tho ..storm."

L' Roy was another bowler who found | tho"wicket to his liking. On the'.drying turf his fast deliveries kicked in disconcerting fashion, and tho batsmen were never comfortable in playiijg at balls which occasionally rose shoulder high. :I(!or.. the opposing side Stone bowled better than lxis average of three, for 48 might appear to suggest, and he, too, "bumped" very effectively at times. Allcott bowled well, but he would probably have done better to have taken a spell after his first ten overs. Subsequently he was hit freely by both Finlayson and Warneford, both of whom played fine forcing cricket' in the hour before the tea interval, during which Ponsonby made sure of the points for a first innings win, and laid the foundation for what proved to be a splendid fourpoint victory.

Sale and Hockin were the heroes of Grafton's second spell, whilst Sheen kept his end 'up resolutely without doing much in the scoring line. Finlayson was the most effective' Ponsonby bowler during ! the second innings,' the ex-Wel-lington . rep. player taking six wickets very cheaply. The match ended five minutes before time, Sheen, who had made a plucky effort to play out time, being given out leg before. Scores:— GRAFTON.—First Innings. Ilorspool, c Smith, b Roy 0 Allcott, c Hunt, b Snedden :i Walters, c Finlayson, b Snedden .... 0 Sale, j not out m .... .'* 12 Sheen, c Roy, b Snedden 7 Hockin, crand b Roy ..;...... 3 McCormack, b . Snedden .: 1 Wilson, c Monteith, b Snedden 1 Stone, c and b Roy 0

Rowntree, c Monteith, b Sneddon .... : Thomas, b Sneddon '. ( Extras ; Total .'. 3( Bowling: Sneddon seven for 17, Roy thret for 11. Second Innings. Horspool, c Fletcher, b Smith .... ] Sale, b Finlayson 2C l< , . W. Allcott, st Hunt, b Finlayson . £ Walters, b Finlayson 2 R, Sheen, lbw, b Finlayson 1 H. E. Hockin, c Smith, b Fletcher . 30 McCormack, c Young, b Finlayson .. 0 Thomas, c Sriedden, b Finlayson .... 0 W. Rountree, b Smith 3 S. Wilson, b Smith 0 Stone, not out 0 Extras 1 Total ;.... ;.. 68 PONSONBI'.—First Innings. Smith, c McCormiclc, b Stone 6 Taylor, c Stone, b Allcott 14 Monteith, c and b Stone 0 Fletcher, lbw, b Allcott 15 Snedden, lbw, b Stono S Young, st Rowntree, b Allcott ....... 0 Finlayson, not out 44 Warneford, not out 25 Extras ..."....... 8 Total for six wickets (declared) . 120 Bowling: Allcott, three for 38; Stone, three for 48; Wilson, none for 21; Hockin, none for 5. • POINTS FOR Y.M.C.A. Conditions were not particularly favourable for cricket yesterday, with the result' that the North ShoreY.M.C.A. match was not of the brightest.: Rain in the morning caused an hour's, delay before a start was made, Elliott winning the toss and taking first lease. of, the sodden wicket. Elliott batted attractively for 45, and when he seemed set for a big score, made weak shot to Coates and sent a very ■ easy catch to Naismith. A rot then set in, and three men went in quick succession. If it had not been for a stand by Stewart' and Riddolls, who added 48, the Young Men would hardly have reached •the hundred. Stewart gave a good display for 33, and if he continued as he is going will be a valuable addition to the Y.M.C.A. team.

Don Webb was the most successful of the Shore bowlers, having an average of four for 22. Coates (two for 11) also bowled well, and kept the runs down. The batsmen could not play Saunders for a time. His tricky slows had-them

guessing, and instead of getting out to 'him they poked away in their erases and sooner or later were caught. ,It was anybody's game when Shore went to the wicket, but their failure was due to the superb trundling of Lyon, who proved very ■ difficult to play. Bush, Gerrard and Saundere were the only batsmen to reach double figures, the whole side being disniiseed for 112 rans. Y.M.C.A. thus gained a three-point win, and moved to top place in the competition., ' Tlie scores were:— Y.M.C.A. —Fivst Innings. Elliott, c Naismitli, b Coates 45 Lyon, c Saunders, b Coates 19 Panther, st Reid, b Saunders 1 Sutherland, c Coutes, b Saunders .... 4 Kemp, c Coates, b Snunders 1 Clarke, c Player, b D. Webb 33 Kiddolls, hit wicket, b D.Webb ...... 14 Stewart, c and b D. Webb 0 Bambury, b Saunders 2 Paton, std Kelly, b D. Webb 0 Smith, not- out 6 Extras 10 Total 135 Bowling Analysis.—D. Webb, four for 22, Coates two for 11, Saunters four fo •18, Player, none for 10, 11. Webb, none fo 24. NORTH SHORE.—First Innings Frater, c Bambury, b Elliott 6 11. Webb, b Lyon 6 Bush, c Elliott, b Lyon 20 Player, b Clarke 9 Gerrard, b Lyon 19 Saunders, lbw, b Lyon 33 Naismitli, b Clarke 3 D. Webb, c Smith, b Lyon 0 Kelly, not out ,3 Reid, b Lyon 5 Coates, lbw, b Lyon 0 Extras 3 Total 113 Bowling Analysis.—Lyon, seven for 51 ; Clarke, two for 25 ; Elliott, one for 34. TE AWA TEAM. NO MATCH THIS WEEK. The match between the To Awn team and King's College, which was postponed from last Wednesday on account of weather conditions, will not be played this week, as King's College will be engaged to-morrow in a match against the Mount Albert Grammar School team. j WHANGAREI GAMES. : WHANGAREI, this day. Whangarei cricket on Saturday resulted : Xomads 127 (Lewin 51) beat Ilikurangi 07. Railways 105 and 109 for three (Kerr 58) beat Onerahi 37. High School B 79 beat Portland 39 (Caulton nine for 13). High School A 116 (Seccombe 45) beat Wliangarei CO. HARBOUR BOARD V. PUKEKOHE. PUKEKOHE, Monday. A match between the Auckland Harbour Board Club and Pukekohe Association resulted in a win for Harbour Board by 12S runs to 77. For Pukekohe, Taylor scored 27 not out, nd Fallows 10. The chief scorers for larbour Board were Dunning 54, Breese 32, and J. O'llara 10. Bennett took three wickets for 11, Turner two for 9, Martin two for 12, Dunning one for 12, and Mann one Cor 33. For Pukekohe, Haise took three for 29. Zlnzan two for 19,' Brooks one for 0, Drakes one for 0, and Brooke one for HAMILTON V. WAIPA. HAMILTON, this day. In a match at Hamilton yesterday Hamilton boat Waipa by IS6 runs on the first innings. The home team scored 272 runs ag.iinst the visitors' 86.

In a match between Morrinsville and Hamilton East B, the home team won by seven wickets. Morrinsville scored 130 in the first innings and Hamilton East 120. Morrinsvilie's second innings produced only 19, and Hamilton had no difficulty in winning with the loss of three wickets.