CRICKET

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25448, 20 March 1948, Page 8

CRICKET

COLTS’ GAME WITH HUTT VALLEY

R. HITCHCOCK’S GOOD BOWLING

Brilliant bowling by the Cahterbury slow bowler, R. Hitchcock, who in six overs before the luncheon adjournment took four wickets for 9 runs, and a last wicket Hutt Valley partnership of 52 runs in 28 minutes, marked the first day's play in the colts' cricket match at Lancaster Park yesterday between Canterbury and Hutt Valley. The visiting team made 206 in the first innings, and at stumps Canterbury had scored 138 runs for the loss of four wickets.

In the morning the scoring was very slow, and when the first wicket fell after 65 - minutes play only 38 runs had been scored. Hutt Valley’s first 50 took 86 minutes, and the' 100 150 minutes With the exception of W. Fraser (33), who appeared well set when he miss-hit a fulltoss from P, O’Malley and was caught in the slips, none of the earlier Hutt Valley batsmen showed confidence Against the Canterbury attack. Hitchcock’s bowling was particularly accurate, and his clean-bowling of both K. C. James and the promising North Island colt, J. Reid, was a real feat. In the afternoon Hitchcock was much more erratic and the batsmen found little difficulty in scoring freely off him. R. Brennan, a hard-hitting left-handed batsman, showed promise and gave no in scoring -51. He revealed a sound defence to good length balls, but dealt severely with anything that was not of a good or off the wicket. He was particularly strong on the leg side. Both the home team's stock bowlers, G. Coull and F Collins, got through a lot of hard work without any reward in the morning. When he came on again later in Hutt Valley’s innings in the afternoon, Collins took two wickets with his first two balls and was more troublesome than he had been <n the morning. Couil deserved better figures.

The Canterbury team was perhaps fortunate in scoring the runs it did with the loss of only four wickets. None of the colts played either Lockett or Langham with any degree of confidence, and Cromb, .who scored 74 not out, was dropped four times. His score included 10 fours and one six. Collins showed improved batting to score 33, but started off very shakily. The fielding of the home team was good and only one chahce, a difficult one in the slips, was dropped. A. Bailey was outstanding in the field, his ground work and returning to the wickets being excellent. The Hutt Valley fielding was Poor and many simple chances were missed. The match will be concluded to-day. Scores:— . HUTT VALLEY First Innings R. Nightingale, st Davey, b Hitchcock 20 J Coulson, b Hitchcock .. 24 J. Reid, b Hitchcock .. .. 3 W. Fraser, c Collins, bP. O’Malley .. 33 K. C. James, b Hitchcock .. 0 T. Minihan, c pavey, b D. O’Malley 26 R. Brennan, c Bennett, b Coull .. 51 R. Marvelly, b Collins .. .. 6 L. Judd, b Collins .. 0 R. Lockett, c Cromb, b Collins .. 11 N Langham, not out .. .. 17 Extras .. .. .. .. 15 Total .. .. '206 Bowling: R. Hitchcock, four for 34; F. Collins, three for 37; P. O’Malley, one for 13; D. O’Malley, one for 32; G. Coull, one for 29; N. Bennett, none for 27; I. B. none for 19. CANTERBURY First Innings J. Reece, b Langham .. ..1 P. O’Malley, b Lockett .. .. 7 F. Collins, b Minihan .. .. 33 G. Coull, c Nightingale, b Lockett .. 1 I. B. Cromb, not out .. ..74 R. Hitchcock, not out .. ... 7 Extras .. .. .. 15 Total for four wickets .. 138