Between Overs

Press, Volume C, Issue 29671, 15 November 1961, Page 13

Between Overs

v Although the former Mew Zealand representative M. B. Poore has not done himself justice with the bat in the last few eeMom, he continues to bowl his off•spinners moot effectively. He took five for 10 on Saturday, and has had many other startling perfionnances. In 1964-56 ha took five for 14 against Lancaster Park, the next aeaoon seven for 43 against Sydenham, and in 1956-57 six for 18 against Sydenham. Last summer Poore took 44 wickets at only 11.7 runs each.

Wert Christchurch-Uni-veraity failed with the bet on Saturday, but there is unlikely to be much coanting of chickens by the Old Boys players before the dismissal of G. N. Gearey, 0 not out at the close of play. Since his first poet-war match in 1947-48, Geerry has averaged 48 against Old Boys. In the last seven of these innings he has scored 463 runs st an average of 66.3 —142, 42, 122, 44, 9, 38. 68.

Some of the hardest hitting in test Saturday’s lower grades was that of B. Andrews, playing for the Christ's College first XI against Marirt in the Second B grade. Christ’s College ran up 387 runs by 4.30 p.m. of which Andrews, batting late In the innings. contributed a swift 86 not out. In one over, he missed the first ball, but swept the next five over the boundary at square-leg for sixes.

The baek ground at Laaearter Park was the scene *f mas tremendous hitting eat Saturday, when the Old ToUegians president's grade team met Lam>aster Park B. In four hours an* a quarter, •97 runs were seared, and the tally might have been higher had net se much time been wasted retrieving the beU from backyard*. The pitch. prepared by Mr C. Barnes, was an rwrssinlty gee* one. an* Barnas himself made St not eat ta Lancaster Park's total of 3*6 for five wfriketc, B. Withers made IM. D. King an aggressive 9L OU Collegians started with M for the first wieknt, and when J. Tecker was eseen* out for M. the aeere was SW. Tte Old Coßegiaan* septate, B. flawed, earns la wHh his team aiadtag IM h N uiteuto* Sa a tasretsano nartnarMp witt C. Barman. 141 more runs wars made before stoops go give <M* Coilegtasui a memorable victory. .Barnum sews* a fine M an* Bummwi* Bl net oM.

Three sports were represented by Internationals when the Wesi Christ-ehnreh-Unlveraity’s team in the president's grade began Its Innings against St Albans on Saturday. The opening batsmen were J. L. Karr (a former New Zealand Cricketer) and F. G. Hobbs (a 1947 All Black). First wicket down was C. V. Walter, a former New Zealand hoekey captain. These three made nearly all the runs for their side, with Kerr quite outstanding. He scored 77 without giving a chance. The powerful square cut for which he is so well remembered was brought into play, and there was magnificent driving and hooking, with some per-fectly-timed sweeps oft the bowling of the former Canterbury representative.

A former Riccarton player, L. Moore, recently became the fourth umpire in Christchurch to acquire first-class match status, by examination.

A young left-arm fast bowler, N. F. Curtis, made a very good impression when he made his first senior appearance for Old Collegians on Saturday. From one ball short of 14 overs, Curtis took four wickets for 35 runs.

The entertaining innings ef 156 played by D. L. Gallop for file Sydenham senior* on Saturday was the highest foe the club's first team for nine

years. In the 1952-53 season, A. T. Burgess scored 158 for Sydenham against West Christchureh-Vni-versity. Gallop’s was a very fine innings, but it still finished short of halfway to the senior record set by another Sydenham player, J, Gray, nearly 45 years ago. Gray scored 343 not out for Sydenham against Christ’s College in 1917-18.

Playing in the mercantile grade in the Suburban competitions, the Commercial Travellers’ team owes much of its success to its outstanding bowlers, C. Henderson and N. Smith. Henderson, fast right-arm, took six for 15 and three for seven last week against Money Order Savings Bank, and Smith, slow-medium leftarm, claimed three for 10 and six tor 14, the other batsmen in each inning* being run out In the same match Smith scored 37 not out, and Henderson 32.

There were times last season when the pitches at Hospital Corner were almost lethal. But this summer players have been pleasantly surprised to note the vast improvement in the quality of the pitches for the lower-grade games.

Young cricketers would undoubtedly enjoy their cricket more if they had a better knowledge ot the laws, particularly the one on leg before wicket decisions. A senior Canterbury umpire was standing in a fourth-grade game on Saturday. Four times in an over a left-hand bowler, from over the wicket, pitched outside the leg stump and appealed for leg before wicket The law is not complicated. Before a batsman can be given out lbw, the umpire must answer all four of these questions affirmatively: (1) Would the ball have hit the wicket? (2) Did it pitch on a straight line between wicket and wicket or did it pitch on the off-side of the striker’s wicket? (3) Was it part of the striker’s person other than the hand which first intercepted the ball? (4) Was that part of the striker’s person in a straight line between wicket and wicket at the moment of impact, irrespective of the height of impact?

P. M. HUI did much towards regaining his former place in the Old Collegians senior team when he scored an exuberant 119 on Saturday for the club’s second B team

reached hi* century in 80 minutes and ta a thirdwicket partnership with G. R. J, Lewis put on 170 in 106 minutes. His last 83 runs read: 6,1, 6,6, 1, 1. «, 6. In all he hit eight sixes and II fours and from an over from J. W. Harliwich, a former Canterbury and senior player, HUI took 18.