EDEN ON TOP.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 302, 21 December 1937, Page 21

EDEN ON TOP.

SHORE S DEFEAT, j NEARLY SIX POINTER. SCOTT A PROLIFIC RUNGETTER. North Shore were displaced from the top of the championship table by Grafton's victory on Saturday, and there were stages of the match when it appeared that the defeat would be a six-pointer. Burke was proving so disastrous in the eairly part of Shore's second innings that a rout appeared likely. Archer and Bush saved the day, and the former's century was a delightful eflort. He played forceful and graceful cricket, and his off strokes in particular had the hallmark of polish. The partnership punished Burke after he had taken four wickets for 17, while Cowie, at the other end, was innocuous for on.-e. Burke's bowling was a very satisfactory Plunket Shield trial.

There did not appear much danger when Bush declared and sent Grafton to the wicket again with 156 to get in an hour. Grafton did not really chase an outright win. but runs came so freely that at the end they were only 18 behind. It was a good display by Ellis, G. Wallace and Ratcliffe. Simpson presented Grafton with 10 rune for no balls, one of which was a wicket-getter. He has been so frequently penalised of late Uiat it is time he heeded the umpires. The following tables show the Xorth Shore averages for the season: — BATTING. In. N.O. H.S. Klin*. Ar. l>. Archer B 1 lis* 230 ICi.on V. S. Sale 6 - 00 21S 36.33 D. R. Edmonds .. 6 — 05 175 20.10 C. G. Walters .. 0 - 135 22.5U •T. T. Rush ....0 1 31 <>7 13.10 R. \V. Emery .. R - 27 74 J 2.33 J. B. Simpson . 6 1 52 61 12.2'» I*. Curtavne .... R 2 25* 40 11.50 p. Webb 6 - 22 01 30.10 W. J. McDevitt 0 2 22 37 0.2" S. A. Ferguson . . 5 — 13 35 7.00 •Signifies not out. BOWLING. Wickets. Runs. Averncre. Sale 17 1 >7 0.23 Simpson 2(5 2f»l 10.s! Webb 0 170 10.55 McDevitt 5 157 31.40 Emery 3 144 48.00 Topped Five Hundred. V. Scott's grand innings settled King's hope of at last getting a win. With his double century Scott has brought his abrogate for the season to 54.3 (6!), 174 not out, 32, 62 and 208). His average is 136. He should have a good time on the Gisborne trip, and is the first man for consideration if a vacancy occurs in the representative team in the Wellington match. Lund made a signal entry into the senior ranks, and lie got his 139 at a faster rate than Scott. On any other day his display would have been remarkable. He has the solace that his contribution decided the victory. A Cleave • Cantlay Day. After the second hour of the I'onsonbyEden game on Saturday the question was not who would win, but could Eden make it into a six-pointer. This issue was settled by R. Cleave, who played his best innings of the season balk Eden of the outright win, nd finish with an individual score of 109. After being missed in the slips before he had settled down, C'leave played a steady and confident inning-, characterised by nicely-timed drives and leg shots. The only other batsman of the side who shaped like making a score was Barber (20). who eventually went to a leg-before decision. Eden's attack generally was steadv. but not particularly effective. _ McMahon proved expensive, and Cleave's ft and, together with the defensive efforts of his partners, wete- beginning to raise hopes that Ponsonbj? would play out time, when Cantlay w*is brought on, to effect a magical change- His alow ' off-spinners proved the attack for the occasion, and he not onlvgot Cleave, but in' the course of a few overs finisHed 'dff the innings, with an average' if'rtfour i wicket« for four runs. It was a " Cleave-Cantlay day. A Tame Game. The second day of the Parnell-Uni-versity game at Devonport vas a somewhat tame affair, particularly after University's good win over Shore at their previous appearance at Devonport, when not so strong, on paper, as the team for this match.

Parnell's firet-day total of 260 was a fair score, but nothing exceptional to overtake on a fast and true wicket, with an outfield which made the boundary easy to reach, if the ehot was right.

But the students made a feeble opening to the pacy bowling of Goodsir and M. Clark. Orammond went at 13 to a slip catch by Mutton, and with no more on C-ooper was grabbed by Whitelaw at first slip the other end. Aickin wae then clean bowled by Goodsir, and Lange snapped at the wicket off Clark, with only a paltry 18 on the board for four good wickets. Schnauer hit up 10 by forcing tactics off the next four balls, but Jackman failed to survive his first, which wae a trimmer from Goodsir.

A follow-on seemed to be a certainty until the old graduates lower in the honours list came to light, and Schnauer, Butler, Bush, Garrard and Mathieson defied the bowling in turn. Only six runs were needed to avert a follow-on when Winter arrived, and Mathieson, with a good captain's knock, saved the day.

That was the only thrill of the day, but Parnell, in about 45 minutes' bright batting by Wallace and Whitelaw showed how easy the wicket was, and although there were no fireworks it was a promise of what may be expected from these two fine batsmen in the Shield games.