Between Over

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28820, 14 February 1959, Page 5

Between Over

So far 87 senior cricketers have played five innings each or more this season, and of this considerable number only three can claim to have defied the bowlers sufficiently well to have kept their stumps intact throughout the season. They are J. W. Kiddey, of Riccarton, C. G. Smith, of West Christchurch - Univerversity, and J. A. Hammond, of East Christchurch.

Kiddey’s eagerness to hit the ball is indicated by the fact that he has been caught nine times in 11 innings. He has been once lbw and once not out. Smith has been run out three times, not out three times, and lbw once. Hammohd has perhaps the best defensive record. He has been run out once, caught three times, and not out five times—not even an lbw to suggest he might have been bowled.

Although the tally of. slip catches taken by J. Hutchinson, of St. Albans, is still well behind that of last summer, his total of nine is still the best in the senior grade. Hutchinson is an exceptionally quick and agile fieldsman, and his very presence is an encouragement to the bowlers.

Although Peter May has an average of 48.7 in the tests against Australia this season, it has low-

ered his career record in these matches. May has now scored 1284 runs against Australia at an average of 51.4, and of all those batsmen who played 10 or more innings for E n gl a n d against Australia, he stands sixth.

The best averages are those of H. Sutcliffe (66.85), M. Leyland (57.16), L. Hutton (56.46). J. B. Hobbs (54.26), and W. R. Hammond (51.85).

In a season or two, C. Hazeldine should be one of East Christchurch’s most successful players. He is a batsman of considerable potential, he fields well and he should be encouraged to keep on with his slow left-arm bowling.

B. M. Pankhurst is to be congratulated on his first senior century on Saturday, and the Ricrartnn rlnh tn

carton club is to be congratulated too. For the last two or three seasons, Pankhurst has played for Riccarton’s senior side, with only an occasional minor success to support the promise of his good stroke-mak-ing. But Riccarton

persevered with him and this season he has repaid the debt, for, apart from his century, he has passed 50 three times and now has the good aggregate of 358.

Outstanding figures were returned by Bryce Woodham in the junior grade of the Suburban Association’s competition last Saturday. He took nine wickets for two runs—and the opposing side was one man short. Woodham bowls fast-medium and moves the ball both ways. He joined the Riccarton Club in 1951 and won the McAlpine trophy for the most promising player in 1952. He also played for the Association in Junior Cup matches. This season he has taken 46 wickets at an average of 5.3, returning some other notable figures such as 7 for 30, six for 26, and six for 16.