CRICKET

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21973, 23 December 1936, Page 12

CRICKET

* NO POINTS AWARDED DECISION ON UNFINISHED MATCH Neither Lancaster Park nor Old Collegians will be credited with any points in the Canterbury Cricket Association’s senior competition for the match which they started but did not finish at Rugby Park. The competitions committee reported to the council last night that it had considered the match, and had decided that no points should be awarded to the teams. A suggestion that King’s Birthday, December 14, should be reserved each year for some particular match was made to the council by its chairman. Mr W. L, King. This year the usual club games had been played, Mr King said, but it was an occasion which could well be kept for an annual oneday match such as that between Canterbury and the minor associations. Such a decision would rest with the new council, to whom the suggestion would be made. , The chairman and Mr I. B. Cromb reported on last week’s match between Canterbury and the minor associations. Although the weather was not good, a wicket at Hagley Park was used until rain stopped play. Mr Cromb paid a tribute to the batting of C. Saxton, in whom Canterbury had found a worthwhile cricketer. ~ _ _ It was reported that Messrs D. Ryan and T Burgess had been appointed umpires for the match between Canterburv and Auckland, and J. L* tester and Ryan for the match against Wellington.

WHERE AUSTRALIA FAILS

lack of experience on bad wickets PITCHES COVERED FOR HOME MATCHES [By COVER-POINT.] So long as the Australian Cricket Board of Control places high scores and big ahead of every other consideration, and continues its practice of protecting wickets from the weather in first-class matches, Australian teams will be at a disadvantage when called upon in test matches to face good bowling on a difficult piten. Had Australia’s batsmen been more experienced in such conditions, it is most unlikely that there would have been such a sensational collapse m the first innings of the second test match at Sydney on Monday. But the Australian batsmen failed lamentably on a wicket which, though affected by rain, was not. according to expert critics, really difficult. The Australian cricketer is every inch a fighter, but no matter how determined his spirit, he must be at a tremendous disadvantage when baiting on a type of wicket which is new to him. A wet wicket is something so far removed from the Australian batsman's philosophy that he is liable to suspect bogeys which may not exist. Evsn men with oxnerience of English tours may be so long out of touch with such conditions that they are unable to remember their hard-learned lessons. To a player coming into a test match for the first time, the ordeal necessarily is much more severe. A Test of Batsmanship , There are arguments for and*against the covering of wickets, and there are some who would like to see the principle extended to test matches. The practice, of course, assists in obtaining a test of two teams in conditions more nearly the same. The big objection to it. however, is that it doubles the artificiality of a game which has already been damaged by overmuch attention to the preparation of “shirtfront" wickets. The batsman already has the odds heavily in his favour, so much so that four days are rarely sufficient to finish a test match. Surely it is unreasonable to deprive the bowler of any help he may gain from natural conditions.

No cricketer can be regarded as a truly great player unless he can surmount the natural difficulties that arise in a game. Test matches have been won by resolute batsmen defying an attack on a difficult pitch. The ability to bat on a sticky pitch is the ultimate test of high-class batsmanship, and some of the feats that will be longest remembered are those of sticky-wicket batsmen. A Memorable Feat J. B. Hobbs and Herbert Sutcliffe were two of the finest players in such conditions that the game has known, and no one who saw their great batting in the fourth innings of the third and deciding test match at Melbourne in 1927-28 will ever forget it. England was set 332 to make on a real "glue-pot”—a wicket on which all the critics agreed England would be lucky to make 90. Hobbs and Sutcliffe played ball after ball with a dead bat in the vital 25 minutes before lunch, while an expectant ring of fieldsmen, standing close around the batsmen, waited for the catches that never came. The magnificent defence of these batsmen remained unbroken until 3.40. when Hobbs went wuh a score of 49—worth more than three times that number of runs to his team. The wicket was drying slightly and Jardine came in to carry on the good work. His partnership with Sutcliffe consolidated the position, for after the lea interval the wicket had lost its sting, and England, thanks to the fine batting of three men who refused to be discouraged by adverse conditions, was on the way to another win. This victory was claimed the next day by the narrow margin of three wickets. MALVERN CRICKET TEAM SUBURBAN GAME AT GREENDALE The following players have been selected to play for Malvern v. Suburban at Greendale on Tuesday and Wednesday,

December 29 and 30, the match to start at 10 a.m.:—E. Weastell, T. Charles, B. Shipley, L. Westwood. W. Summerville, J. Woodhouse. H. Ferguson, C. Innes. T. Jenkins. A. Stone, L. T. Wright. Emergencies: Q. A. Wright, C. Thorne, W. A. Hawke, C. Adams. RESULTS OF GRADE GAMES Darfield and Sheffield drew in the grade competition game in the Malvern Association’s district on Saturday, and Coalgate beat Hororata by 88 runs. The scores wereDarfield made 125 (Reid 23, J. Woodhouse. jun„ 40, J. Milliard 31 not out). Sheffield made 92 for four wickets (C. Innes 34. L. Wright 11, H. Ferguson 32). Bowling for Sheffield, H. Ferguson took three for 26, C. Innes two for 21. G. Innes two for 11, L. Wright two for 32. For Darfield. L. Westwood took two for 48. Hororata made 62 (A. Stone 37) and Coalgate 150 (Knox 101 not out, T. Charles 21. Workman 12). Bowling for Hororata, J. Glen took five for 62, A. Stone three for 57. For Coalgate, E. Weastell took two for 8, E. Charles four for 14, T. Charles one for 11. CASSIDY-HOLLAND SHIELD The following will represent the Kia Ora Cricket Club in the annual match with the Stewart’s Gully Club at Christchurch on January 1 and 2, for the Cas-sidy-Holland Shield;— S. W. Kerr, L. Kerr, H. Jordan. E. Jordan. B. Jack. J. Bates. F. Holloway, R. Varcoe. L.Moom C. Hansen, G. Zouch, G, Llovd. and C. Samuels. Mr S. M. Cassidy will be manager and Mr G V Furby an umpire.