PLUNKET SHIELD CRICKET

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 295, 14 December 1938, Page 25

PLUNKET SHIELD CRICKET

New Blood In The Wellington Team.

CANTERBURY'S BATTING THE STRENGTHANOTHER SPIN BOWLER NEW FACES IN WELLINGTON'S TEAM.

rlace T iT,hl° y £*, n T *° Runk,:t Shield crick « have gained a Christchurch. Reeled to m=« Auckland at spin and swerve bowled J Um " PaCed ' hand 5 J ' V? D ' Anderson - a dashing lefthas gained a vaWM S ° n - 8 *?*** The Canterbury side rained repreJn "r ; t k reCrU,t S SeaS ° n in M " P Donnelly, who went on fo Enil J ho " ou ™ year for Wellington, and then Donnelly was aiwlt 7" J- W Zealand side. On the tour the Aucklander K J j"i!" g success - °nly W. M. Wallace, the /Aucklander, headed h.m in the batting averages.

The other members of the team have represented the province for one or more seasons. They are as follows:—

J. L. Kerr (West C'hristehurch) captain. " ' F. Bellamy (Lancaster Park). I B. Cromb (Lancaster l'ark I W . A. Hadlee (Old Kovsi *V £'• J; Menzies (Old' Bovs). . ,V -\\ nl , c Ock (St. Albans). A. \\ . Roberts (Riecartoni. o" f? •v. t . okc;i (Beckenham). H. C. Webb (St. Albans).

Donnelly plays for West Christchurch Davis, East Chrwtchurch, and Anderson Old Bovs.

Huns should come abundantly from the eleven, which promises to be the strongest batting ,-ide to represent the province for many years, comments our Chriatchurch correspondent. The "tail" starts at the tenth man it' it starts there, for Davis usually make* about 300 runs in the average club season. hi addition to the New Zealand representatives, Kerr, Roberts, H.ullee, l_ioiub and Donnelly, there are other batsmen of undoubted quality in Bellamy. Menzies, Anderson and Webb. Bellamy, an accomplished left-hander, has returned to the form that made him auch: a force when Canterbury last won the Plunket Shield, in 1934-35. Among his •cores that season were 77 and 49 against Auckland, and 113 and 22 against Wellington. This season he has made 210 runs in the five completed rounds of club cricket And taken IS wickets. Alenzies. a dashing bat of high promise, entered provinciil cricket as a colt two seasons ago with 12 and 61 against Otago. This season he is fulfilling that promise, jvith a fine century against Lancaster Park, another against the Suburban Association, and 50 against West Christ* chureh. Successor to Jackman. Canterbury -wicketkeeper last year, in •ucceaaion to C. K. Jacjcnian (now selected for Auckland). R. C. Webb, has again been particularly alert and efficient behind the stumps. and some good judges of the game see in him a future New Zealand keeper. When Auckland rattled on the fcitr total of 590 last season. Webb came ©ut of the ordeal excellently by allowing only nine byes. In addition, his consistent batting this season has been very nearly good enough to warrant hie inclusion on that score alone—2so in seven innings, once not on-t.

In the bowling department, Roberta. Cromb. Mulcock and Davis will bear the brunt of the attack. Mulcock is not persisting with his deep in-swervea so much this seaaon as he did last, but keeps attacking the wicket and gaina better results. The deceptive swerve ia worked in as a variation.

The spinners, when necessary, will be eeru down by two -left-handers, Bellamy and Donnelly. Donnelly has taken 10 wickets at moderate coat in club games this season (his batting average is 35). Bellamy, after the # style of FleetwoodSmith, bowk leg-spinners to a right-hand batsman; Donnelly relies on the off-break. So there is variation there.

Roberts, Canterbury's best all-rounder, has a batting average of 84.4 for six innings. once not out, and has taken 18 wickets for 263 runs.

Davis. 29 year# of age. a nuggety. broadshouldered bowler, built on the lines of a footballer—he has played centre for Albion —was on the verge of representative cricket selection in 1936-37 and 1937-38. This year he has been bowling so well, and with such spirit,.that no selector could pa.-s him over. For six completed sanies his figures read: 32 wickets for 300 runs, average 9.5—a performance that surpasses even that of Mulcock. 32 wickets for 376. Davis learned his cricket at'the Opawa school and. after leaving, was coached as one of a number of selected colts by the English professional, Jack Newman. A few matches in East's juniors saw him very quickly promoted to senior rankss and he has been prominent in competition games since 1931. Fanner Captain af ~9eftoof It ■ only a season or two since Anderson ww making big scores M captain of the- Christchurch Boys' High School XI-To-day this youth of 20 easily tops the averages for the Old Boys' senior team with 50.0-301 runs in six completed inningSL In a vigorous and chanceleas knock against Riccarton a fortnight ago, he hit 16 fours and'finished with 108. Following that, he made 41 and 73 against the strong Sydenham attack. Anderson, a delightfully free and easy; batsman, has all the graceful, wristy'shots of the well-equipped left-hander —the hearty smack through the covers, the swift turn to leg, and the clipping -boundary behind point.

The sole selector for the Wellington Cricket Association. Mr. A. W. Duncan, lias chosen the following team to represent Wellington in the Plunket Shield match against Otago iu Wellington at Christmas time, and against Canterbury in Christchurch at the New Year: —

K. W. Tindill (Midland), captain. H. F. Rice (Kilbirnie). •T. R. Sheffield (University). •T. Ell (Wellington). W. G. Rainbird (Wellington College Old Boys). J. A. Ongley (University). D. S. Wilson (Kilbirnie). 7". L. Pritchard (Manawatu), ■"* J. Ashendcn (Kilbirnie). J. McKeown (Institute). T. A. Ha rpur (University). N. Gallichan (Manawatu). Four of these will be making their debut in Plunket Shield cricket—Sheffield, Ongley, McKeown and Harpur. Rainbird scored a century in each innings for Wellington Brabin Cup XI. against Auckland at Christmas 1934. but L. F. Townsend bowled him cheaply in both innings of the Shield match at Eden Pack a month later. He was not sighted last summer. Nor was Wilson or Ashenden when Wellington met Auckland at the Basin Reserve. Wilson played against Canterbury and Otago, but Ashenden'a last game was at Eden Park in the great scoring engagement of February, 1937.

Although Sheffield was behind the stumps in the Town v. Country match, the wicketkeeper is certain to be Tindill, one of the few men to represent New Zealand at both cricket and Rugby. The fixture with Auckland has been arranged for February 3, 4, 0 and 7, at Eden Park. Youth Gets Its Chance. Commenting on the selection, "Burwood," of "The Dominion," says:— The sole selector has certainly given youth its chance in the Wellington representative team this year, and there is no reason why they should not seize their opportunity. it is pleasing to see that Mr. Duncan has had the courage to persevere with both J. Ell and D. S. Wilson in spite of recent failures, as both these players are cricketers of class, and are capable of rising to heights in any class or cricket. If the young players only play thennatural game and refuse to be overawed by the importance of the occasion, the side should score plenty of runs. Tindill, Sheffield and Rice are batsmen of the solid order, and should be able to give the side a good start, with fa-«ter scoring men like Ell, Rainbird, Ongley, Harpnr, Gallichan, Pritchard and Ashenden to help themselves when the bloom has been taken off the ball.'

Sheffield, the professional coach, has obviously been included to provide experience for the young team, - Pritchard and Wilson will be able to supply the pace in the bowling department, with Aahenden and Rice'to serve up the medium-paced deliveries, and McKeown, Gallichan, Hat-pur aqd Ell the slows.

It is questionable whether Tindill will make a good leader, and it might have strengthened the side to have chosen W. E. Norriss, the Manswatu captain, as wicketkeeper and captain. Still, Tindill has had the advantage of a tour to England. and has done well for Wellington in Plunket Shield games in the past.