LEVEL PEGGING.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 45, 23 February 1931, Page 14

LEVEL PEGGING.

EDEN AND PONSONBY.

GRAFTON THE I/EAD

'VARSITY IN SECOND PLACE

By securing wins in their matches on Saturday, on the first innings, Eden ana I'onsonby again came together at the top of the A.G'.A. senior championship table, with University running second and Grafton deposed to third position. Eden for a, time looked like failing to catch Grafton's total of 227, but a iifth wicket partnership by Gillespie and L. Weir settled the issue in Eden s favour, and the innings was carried to •209. Weir got his century, and Gillespie played a Tike knock for 05. Ponsonby had a much closer run for it against 'Varsity in having to beat a score of 101 They "ot the runs with six wickets down, thanks chiefly to a nice innings of GO by Sncdden, and were all out loi 174. In the B section North Shore defeated United Suburbs, a feature of the Shore innings being a century by Bush. Y.M.C.A. knocked lip 317 to record an easy "win against Parnell, T. Lyon making'B3 and A. Riddolls 03. The championship points now arc: SECTION A. p. W. D. L. Pts. Ponsonby .... 8 0 — - r lf) | r! _ a Y.) Grafton .... * •> IC , University .. 8 n SECTION B. p. W. D. L. Pts. North Shore 8 3 • •> j> j'arnell .... 8 •! 'J Y.M.C.A. -. 8 ~ | ' r 5 L'nitcd Suburbs 8 11"

PONSONBY GET THREE-POINTER.

Pon3onby did not have much trouble in scoring a three-point win over 'Varsity on Saturday. In the first innings on Saturday week 'Varsity scored 101, and Ponsonby passed that total soon after tea. Except Sneddon nobody for Ponsonby got over oo— Sneddon scored 10 more —but the rest wero those good average totals which, soon bump a grand total up. For a start things did not look too good, the greens being four wickets down for 51 but Sneddon and Smith added 82 between them, and there were 21 extras. Snedden gave the best display. He has struck better form latterly, and on Saturday his innings was by far the best. He gave 110 chances, and while the scoring rate was not hectic, it was not slow. Ho seemed to have no trouble with the bowling, though Garrard he treated with respect. He scored all round the wicket, appearing to have no favourite shot. A good many of his braces though, came from a shot between point and slips. His downfall came through pulling Garrard well and heartily round to log. Ho timed the ball truly, but the only trouble was that Blamires -was right in the way. It was a four sure, but the fieldsman took a beautiful catch. If all the fielding had been like it Ponsonby's score would have been smaller. Smith was set when he tipped one to Lunn. It was his misfortune, because with Snedden it looked as though he might make some runs. He scored 22 when he was caught. Monteith notched the same number, and he got them in his own breezy way. Garrard was the most successful bowler, but of his four for 27, three were taken after the game had been won and lost. Twenty-one extras did not look well, though Lunn somewhat atoned by stumping one man and catching another. 'Varsity's second smaftk was just practice. It filled the afternoon in. Matheson went in after a while, and he rushed up 39 in a hurry. One of his three sixes went away up on to the roof of the members' stand, and is still there. Scores were: —• UNIVERSITY. First Innings 101 Second Innings. Leys, lbw, ft Clevcrley 8 Ilowell, b Smith ........11 A. Blamires, b Smith ................ Macklow, run out —... - W. Blamires, b Smith » Lunn, st Hunt, b Snedden ........... 28 Butler, lbw, b Smith 1 Matheson, c Taylor, b Snedden ...... 80 Smecton, c Cleverly, b Snedden ..... 1 Schnaeur, c Taylor, b Smith ........ 12 Garrard, not out 4 Extras -v« Total 107 Bowling: Smith took five wickcts for 60 rung. Sneddon three for 39, Clevcrley one for 5. PONSONBY. —First Innings. Monteith, st Lunn, b Garrard 22 Clarke, c Macklow, b Butler ......... 11 Hoarc, c Macklow, b Butler 7 Fletcher, b Mathesori 0 Taylor, b Butler 2 Sneddon, cW. Blamires, b Garrard .. 00 Smith, c Lunn, b Smecton 22 Finlayson, c Smecton, b Gax-rard .... 18 Hook, b Garrard 0 Clevcrley, not out 5 Hunt, b Matheson ....... ......... 1 Extras .. —....21 Total 174 Bowling: Matheson took two wickets for 41 runs, Leys none for 23, Garrard four for 27, Butler three for 40, Smecton 011 c for 22.

A GAME OF CONTRASTS.

Spells of "boredom were alternated with bright, almost exciting interludes in the second stage of the Eden-Grafton match on No. 1 -wicket. For the greater part of the afternoon it appeared unlikely that Eden would surpass Grafton's total of 227. Their early wickets fell quite cheaply, and' at one stage Martin had the flattering analysis of three -wickets for twelve runs. The association of Hector Gillespie and G. Tj. Weir put a different aspect on the match, however, and 112 runs were added for the fifth wicket. Gillespie was caught at the wicket when three runs were needed for victory, hut Weir and Aicken had no difficulty in doing what was needed. Eden won in very comfortable fashion: Martin howled exceptionally well on a wicket of the shirt-front variety, and AUeott kept the scoring down, hut he made the cardinal mistake of howling too long. Twenty successive overs actually helped the hatsmen. He "bowled them in." Scores:—

GRAFTON. First innings 227 EDEN.—First Innings. Mills, b Martin 4'i Postles, st Rowntree, b Martin ... .>. 24 Lawrie, c Cowie, b Martiu ......... 13 A. F. Weir, b Martin .............. 8 Gillespie, c Rowntree, b Byerley .... 65 G. L. Weir, c Allen, b Slicen 300 Aieken, b Byerley 7 Brook-Smith, c Horspool, b Miu'Lln .. 0 Lnngton, c. Sale, b McCormack 21 New-dick, not out 6 McCarthy, absent (l Extras ........................ 0 Tot Hi 200 Bowling: Martin took five wickets for HA. ruiifl, Byerley two Cor 40, Sheen one fur 4, McCorraack one (or 10, Cowie none fop/Mf none-far 0&.

A CENTURY AT NORTH SHORE,

North Shore, though subdued for three hours in their match with United Suburbs, came into their own in a bright eighth-wicket partnership. Bush and Edmunds added 107, and were in their element. Until the Subhrbs total of 107 was passed they took 110 chancer, but after that they gave a dashing di - plav. Even Archer, the wicket-keeper, took off his gloves to serve up some "loose stuff," and every time Bush hit it runs came. Bush was given every encouragement to get liis century in record time; and he and Edmunds between them got 21 boundaries. When Suburbs had half the Shore team out for S3 they had hopes of a victory, but aftor that wickets were difficult to get. The scores were: — UNITED SUBURBS. First innings 197 NORTH SHORE.—First Innings. IT. Webb, e Webster, b Lyon . 9 Gerrard, b Scott I~> Player, b Scott !•> Wen si ey, c Ilollis, b Nicholas fi Mncindoe, c Archer, b .Scott 23 Nettleton, c Archer, b Kerr 30 B. Webb, run out 17 Bush, st Scott, b Archer 108 Edmunds, run out 4.> Saunders, not out 7 Coatos, run out 0 Extras 23 Total 203 Bowling: Nicholas took one wicket for 57 runs, Lyon one for 25, Scott three for 80, Kerr one for 70, Archer one for 20.

Y.M.C.A. GET HOME,

Duo mainly to three batsmen, Lyon, A. Riddolls antl Cooper, Y.M.C.A. got a throe-pointer over Parnell, last year's champions,, on Saturday. The firstnamed! scored 83, Iliddolls 03, and Cooper ten fewer. Lyon was unlucky in not going to his 100. He played the best innings lie has done for a long time. It was forceful and confident. Iliddolls was also on form, and his 03 were well deserved. Cooper was a bit unlucky towards the latter end of his innings, hut in the main it was a finished display. Scores were: — PARNELL. First Innings 103 Y.M.C.A. —First Innings. Cooper, c Hay, b Vidian ............ 52 Frater, b McCoy i 1 .Sutherland, e Vivian, b McCoy ...... 4 Burke, b Goodsir 2 Lyon, c Vivian, b Duncan 83 -It. Riddolls, lbw, b Duncan ......... 11 Chapman, b Vivian 2 A. Iliddolls, c Vivian, b Anthony ... G3 Stewart, c Duncan, b Vivian 39 Clark, c Vivian, b McCoy .......... 22 Smith, not out 5 Lxtraa .*...4......... 33 Total ... ... 317

ROTORUA H.S. V. TAKAPUNA.

Two matches between the Rotorua High School and the Takapuna Grammar School will be played at the North Shore ground on Tuesday—one between A grade teams and the other C grade (3rd form boys).