CRICKET T. B. BURTT TO RETIRE

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27591, 23 February 1955, Page 14

CRICKET T. B. BURTT TO RETIRE

FINAL MATCH NEXT WEEK LONG ’AND NOTABLE CAREER (By R.T.8.) T. B. Burtt has announced that the present season will be his last in firstclass cricket. Thomas Browning Burtt has won a lasting place in the affection of New Zealand cricketers, as well as in the history of the game. He is the familiar friend of every small boy and every elderly gentleman who watches the game, because he has come to symbolise all that is best in the game—good nature, humour, fair play, determination, and an unquenchable enthusiasm which took him through the longest and most trying day. Burtt played his cricket according to the modern techniques, and he played it with exceptional success. His is a record which will not easily be surpassed. His first-class aggregate, 404, is the best by a New Zealander; his 33 test wickets stand second only to J. Cowie’s 45; his 38 Plunket Shield wickets in 1950-51 is another of his records. Burtt came into senior cricket in the 1933-34 season, and bowled 15 unremarkable overs for 66 runs, without earning a bowling average.* In his 21 Christchurch club championship seasons to date —he had one brief one in Wellington during the war—he has taken 636 wickets, and from his entry into the Canterbury team in 1943-44, he was an outstanding success. He has taken part in 35 consecutive Plunket Shield matches for Canterbury, and in them he has taken 187 wickets. In all his club championship and rep resentative cricket, he has bowled—so far—744o overs and three balls, which means that his busy run to the wicket and his quick walk back have taken him some 355 miles. 1949 Tour This, then, is some small measure of his eagerness and stamina. One of his greatest feats was in England in 1949, when he was one ball short of 60 overs for 98 runs and six wickets against England’s best. On that tour, he became a great bowler; his pace quickened sufficiently to baffle and muzzle the most talented of his adversaries, and his accuracy was something at which to wonder. His 128 wickets on that tour—a New Zealand record—measure his ability in strict terms. As a batsman, he was always entertaining. Often his perky walk to the

wicket was a prelude to a display of his two favourite offensive strokes—the deflection off his toes, or the chop wide of slips, with head down and run started almost before the stroke was completed. He once opened for New Zealand in a test match, with distinction; it is a pointer to his cricket character that his provincial batting average is better than his club one, and that in tests he did better still. For years Burtt moved into the silly mid-on position for Canterbury as of right, and it was from this hip-pocket range that most new batsmen were introduced to him. He was 40 last month, and still has more stamina than many of more tender years. Figures tell only half the story, and hold no hint of the humour for which Burtt is noted, but they make a satisfying record, for all that. In his club championship matches, Burtt has bowled 3580.4 overs, 903 maidens, for 10,272 runs and 636 wickets, at an average of 16. His first-class career is summarised as follows: matches 83, innings 122, not outs 28, highest score 68, aggregate 1608, average 17; halfcenturies 4; catches 35; overs 3859.5, maidens 1245; runs 8971, wickets 404, average 22; five wickets in innings, 29 times, 10 wickets in match, 5 times. So Canterbury’s match with the M.C.C. team will be Burtt’s last firstclass fixture, unless the New Zealand selectors do what an unyielding core of enthusiasts will inevitably demand they do for several more years, and put him in the test team. LANCASTER PARK WICKETS “NO COW MANURE USED ” “The requests in your letters of December 4, 1952, and April 29, 1954, nave been complied with; no cow manure has been used and practice wickets have been top-dressed.” This information on the wickets at Lancaster Park was received last evening from the Victory Park Board by the management committee of the Canterbury Cricket Association. “We understand that the statement was made at a meeting of your committee that the painting of the stands interfered with the ground maintenance, and the wishes to state that this was not e case,” the letter continued. “It would i. e appreciated if. in future, any comp!a.nts by members of your committee are lodged through the normal official channels, instead of direct to our groundsman.” Mr W. E. Mappiebeck denied that any statement such as that reported in the letter had been made at the association’s last committee meeting. Mr T. W. C. Tothill said the statement, as he recalled it, was not that the ground maintenance nad been neglected, but that the groundsman was being overworked. The meeting agreed to hear in committee an explanation of the reference to complaints being made direct to the groundsman. The competitions committee had fined High School Old Boys 10s for late starting on the first day of the St. Albans-Old Boys’ match, Mr W. E. Mappiebeck reported on behalf of the committee. HAWKE CUP MATCH NELSON’S CHALLENGE FAILS (New Zealand Press Association) WANGANUI, February 22. Wanganui retained the Hawke Cup in a three-day cricket match which ended today, beating Nelson by 164 runs. Wanganui made 131 runs in the first innings and 290 in the second. Nelson, having second use of the wicket, made 198 and 159. When play ceased last night Wanganui in the second innings had made 238 for the loss of eight wickets. That total was carried to 290 today just before lunch (H. B. Cave 86, B. G. Hamilton 46. B. L. Jones 45; D. Spence five wickets for 58). Nelson was dismissed half an hour after afternoon tea for 159 (L. Reade 38, N. Hoar 37; H. B. Cave three wickets for 45). This is Wanganui’s thirteenth consecutive win in Hawke Cup matches, counting the match against Nelson in 1953, when the cup was won from that association. R.N.Z.A.F. COMPETITION DECIDED (New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, February 22. Whenuapai won the Royal New Zealand Air Force inter-station cricket competition by beating Headquarters Unit eight wickets today. The outstanding player was Raddick, who had an aggreoate of §7 russ sed Bins wafctto

DRAW FOR NINTH ROUND Following is the draw for the ninth round of matches to be played on February 26 and March 12:— First Grade.—Syd v. HSOB, at Syd 1; LP v. St A, at H 1: West v Rice, at H 3; OC v. East, at Elm 1. Second Grade A.—HSOB v. West at H 2; LP v. Rice, at H 6; BRS v. Syd, at Str 1; St A v. WOB, at H 5. Second Grade B.—CC v. TOB, at Ens 1; LP v Xav C, at LP 3; Mar v. Vty, at P 12; SBC v. St An C, at SBC 1. Second Grade C.—St. A v. Vty, at H 4; OC v. East, at LP 2; Syd v. West, at Syd 2; WOB v. HSOB, at P 4. President’s.—First day: Vty A v. Rice, at P 2; liar v. OC, at P 3; West v. Syd B, at HC 3; LP v. Syd A, at Syd 3; TOB v. Vty B, at Ens 2; St A v. HSOB, at HC 4. Second day: Vty Av. HSOB, at P 2; West v. Mar, at HC 4; LP v. OC, at LP 1; Vty B v. Rice, at P 3; TOB v. Syd B, at Syd 3; St A v. Syd A, at HC 3. Third Grade A.—PTOB v. LP, at P 5; Rice v. West, at HC 6; HSOB v. St A, at HC 5; Mar v. Syd, at P 6. Third Grade B.—Lp v. OC A, at Elm 2; Rice v. East, at LP 4; WOB v. Mar B, at P 1; Mar A v. OC B, at Elm 4. Third Grade C.—WHS v. St An C, at St An C 1; BHS v. PTC, at Ldgs 1; CTC v. CC A, at CC 1; CC B v. SBC, at CC 2. Fourth Grade A.—First day: WOB v. LP, at P 9; HSOB v. St A, at HC 1; Syd v. West, at Syd 4; Mar v. East, at P 10. Second day: WOB v. West, at P 9; East v. HSOB, at HC 2; Syd v. St A, at HC 1; Mar v. LP, at P 10. Fourth Grade B.—First day: Syd v. St A, at HC 2; Rice v. TOB, at Ens 3; Mar v. L.P, at P 7. Second day: Syd v. Rice, at Syd 4; Mar v. St A, at P 7; LP v. TOB. at Ens 2. Fourth Grade C.—First day: CC A v BHS C, at Str 3; WHS v. BHS A, at HC 9; St An C v. CC B, at St An C 2; SBC B v. CTC, at SBC 2; BHS B v. SBC A, at Str 2. Second day: BHS B v. CC B, at Str 3; WHS v. CC A, at CC 4; SBC B v. BHS C, at SBC 2; SBC A v. CTC, at Ens 3; St An C v. BHS A, at Str 2. Stumps at Polo Grounds.—When Polo Ground teams meet, the first named are to provide stumps. Polo Ground teams should provide stumps when the opposition team’s home ground is not the Polo Ground. When two teams meet whose home ground is not at Polo, then stumps should be drawn from and returned to the shed at the back of the Christ’s College pavilion. Result Forms.—Result forms must be put in the box at the rear of the "StarSun’s” office in Gloucester street before 6.30 p.m. —Advt. MALVERN MATCHES COMPETITION WON BY SHEFFIELD Sheffield, with an unbeaten record, won the Malvern Cricket Sub-Association’s competition for 1954-55. Sheffield finished 13 points ahead of South Malvern, but in the third round, in a separate shield competition, the points were level, and there will be a play-off at Sheffield on March 12. The final positions of the teams are:— Sheffield 83, South Malvern 70, Darfield 52. Greendale 29, Hororata 20, United 10. In the last round on Saturday. E. H. Richards achieved a good double for Hororata against South Malvern, making 77 runs and taking five wickets for 49. G. T. Wright, the mainstay this season of the United I atting, scored an excellent century, making 109 not out'in a total of 134 for five wickets. Sheffield, left with 35 minutes to score 103 runs to beat Greendale outright, came within nine runs of this target, and the loss of six wickets justified the sporting declaration made by Greendale. In this match N. Slaughter (Sheffield) scored a total of 67 runs without being dismissed. A. F. Wright and G. E. Wright each took five wickets for Sheffield. Results were:— Sheffield 60 for three wickets declared (N. Slaughter 39 not out) and 94 for six wickets (N. Wright 19, N. Slaughter 28 not out; R. Churton two for 41) beat Greendale 42 (A. F. Wright five for 23, G. E. Wright five for 19) and 120 for eight wickets declared (G. Shipley 22, R. Churton 27, S. Kay 20; D. Clark three for 30, N. Slaughter two for 31) on the first innings. South Malvern 157 for nine (T. Bates 40, R. Stuart 34, H. Joyce 18; E. Richards five for 49) beat Hororata 118 (E. Richards 77, G. Wilson three for 14, R. Stuart three for 59) on the first innings. Darfield 95 for four declared (J. Gunn 20, D. Gunn 43 not out, G. Loe 18 not out; R. Mackay two for 34) and 42 for four wickets (G. Musgrove 16) beat United (G. T. Wright 24, G. Revely 15 not out; D. Gunn twp for 16, D. Waghorn three for 11) and 134 for five wickets declared (G. T. Wright 109 not out, I. Ryburn 15, D. Gunn two for 25) on the first innings. Malvern is to meet Dunsandel in a Masefield Shield match on February 26. D. M. Deans and E. H. M. Richards were not available. The team selected, is: A. F. Wright (captain), N.' Slaughter, J. G. Gunn, B. Ridgen, G. T. Wright, R. Stuart, R. E. Gunn, N. Q. Wright, D. S. Gunn, K. ,H. Jarman, O. Stuart, G. E. Wright (twelfth man). The match begins at 10 a.m. sharp. Players are to bring their own lunch. Advt. CENTRAL DISTRICTS’ TEAM CHOSEN (New Zealand Press Association) WANGANUI, February 22. The following team has been chosen to represent Central Districts in a cricket match against North Districts at Hamilton on March 11. 12, and 14:— H. B. Cave (Wanganui), captain; B. G. Hamilton and B. L. Jones (Wanganui); I. Colquhoun, D. Beard, N. Harford, D. Tarrant, and D. Bowden (Manawatu); E. Meuli (Taranaki); I. Leggat, J. Guy, and D. Spence (Nelson).