Right Through Season Unbeaten

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 83, 8 April 1940, Page 12

Right Through Season Unbeaten

MIDDLEMORE. A.C.A. CHAMPION. GRAFTON RUNNER-UP. FELTS DOES HAT-TRICK. THREE MEN HIT CENTURIES. Going through the season without a loss and winding up with six-point victories against University and Parnell, Middle- . more well deserved their success in the A.C.A. championship. It was a triumph for a concerted club endeavour. Last season Middlemore finished aC the bottom ©t the list and there seemed a possibility II rapatoetoe were given senior status that Middlemore would have to make way tor them. The fine team spirit and consistent attendances at practice had thenreward. Middlemore "s weakness had been behind the stumps, and the advent of two such nnu keepers as J. A. R. Blandford and last years youthful Kings College plaver A. M. Beale. revolutionised tfhe side Another valuable recruit was X A McMahon. formerly of Eden, while C P Howden, the 1937-38 Otago representative," was a,ble to play regularly this season, his only game last summer being against Urafton. D. C. Cleverlev and F. M Andrews are probably- the b~st pair of opening bowlers in Xew Zealand club cricket, and thev rook 90 wickets between them i n accounting for 57 victims ( leverley equalled the fine record of J B Simpson, Xorth Shore, last year. Set Fine Example. Except for an error of judgment which allowed Xorth Shore to escape defeat on Anniversary Day H. T. Pearson handled his men skilfully, and he set his comrades such a magnificent example with the bat that he was the only Aucklander to compile either three centuries or top 600 runs for the season. While they filled the roll of runner-up no doubt the Grafton men themselves feel somewhat disappointed. In Ces ftarke they had the next best all-round plaver to Scott Sale in Auckland, and his double was the splendid one of 354 runs and 35 wickets. J. Cowie, J. H. Felts and K. W. G. Emery were a strong bowling trio, and in E. A. Butler and W. Turner they were supported by another fine pair behind the sticks. The batting, however. was uneven. and except for Burke. Norman Ellis and later on D. O. Waters the players lacked consistency. L. C. Arctfer and George Wallace fell far below previous standard and expectations, and perhaps the cares of captaincy bore heavily on the latter. Archer made 63 not out against 'Varsity and 52 against Shore in one week in October, but his other 14 visits to the crease produced only 182 runs. No Surprises. There were no surprises in Saturday's final games, for with scores of 417, 310 and 259 it was long-odds on Middlemore. Grafton and 'Varsity taking at least first innings points from Parnell. Eden and North Shore. In the conditions on the oval pitches the only wonder is that Grafton as well as Middlemore did not force a six-pointer, and had Cowie been on deck probably the champion side of the previous two summers would have been beaten outright. Ponsonby-Balmoral'B 224 did not look formidable enough to stop Y.M.C.A.. even without E. R. Sutherland, V. J. Scott and C. P. Lund, all three reserving their best effort for the club to the very last day. In 1939-40 matches the first named pair aggreeated nearly 1500 runs between them, but this season they have notched round about 700 and of this poor total no less than 249 were compiled on Saturday. Their stand of 193 was the record for any wicket in club cricket durinsr the summer. I Besides Sutherland's and Scott's centuries there was another three-figure knock at Eden Park. Although Mervyn Wallace took only 48 minutes to top the hundred, including nine sixes and six fours, he did not have to face Cleverley and F. M. Andrews after getting a "duck" in the first innings. Sale had the misfortune to put his leg in front of a straight ball from A. M. Mathieson when he needed only a dozen runs to equal Pearson's feat of making three centuries in the championship. Hatheson Seven for 79. J. H. Felts' spinners had the Eden batsmen tied up, and in performing the hat trick he became all square with Cowie (against University) in taking three wickets with consecutive balls, as did W. J. McDcvitt for Shore against Y.M.C.A. last season. Earlier in the innings Gordon Burgess, who played a hearty second knock of 57, stopped Felts from another hat trick as the old firm of A. J. Postles and G. L. Weir had fallen to successive deliveries. The biggest bag of wickets for the day went to Matheson, whose seven for 79 at Devonport was one of the best performances of the season. Another match-winning : effort was Cleverley's five for 45 against . Parnell. The most spectacular fielding of the season was that «y which W. R. Rountree , broke up the great Y.M.C.A. partnership— ] a one-handed catch from Scott right on ' the boundary. 1 The scores were as follow:— ■ Grafton.—First innings, 259. ] Eden.—Firs* innings, 111; second, five < for 146. 1 Middlemore.—First innings, 417. Parnell.—First innings, 113; second, 174. Ponsottby-Baimoral.—First innings, 224. Y.M.C.A.—First innings, 379 for four wickets. . . University.—First innings, 310. .North Shore.—First innings, 230. e