CRICKET YOUTH

Press, Volume C, Issue 29682, 28 November 1961, Page 25

CRICKET YOUTH

a square cut off the buck foot tor tour and a square dnve from the next bail for a single, were two shots played by Redger Scett for Old Collegians B grade section I team against Riccarton on Saturday, that were executed in a manner that would have done justice to a player twice his years. When backing up to take the easiest of singles he was called to go back and had the wretched luck to be run out for eight.

The medium-paced leftband bowling of Brnee Sandford was the outstanding feature of the West Christchurch -University - Sydenham A grade match. He took seven for 18. and showed s«rae ability to move the ball off the pitch. He also has some claim to being an allrounder. The previous day in a school match, he scored 50 not out. One of Robin Black's three wickets for Riccarton against Old Collegians in a B grade section I game on Saturday was from a brilliant catch off his own bowling. Having to turn and run for about 10 yards to take a lofted straight drive Robin dropped the ball on to his knee and in a desperate dive he managed to catch the ball onehanded only inches from the ground. It took Mevnell Robertson and Michael Borrows only 12 overs to dismiss the Old Collegians B grade section n team for 28 on Saturday. Bowling for Riccarton Meynell finished with six for 4 and Michael four for 10. Michael also has some ability with the bat, and even if he does play across the line of flight he made a hard-hit-ting 23. The Saturday morning cricket scheme could be of the utmost benefit to the guns* if it was given a little more support. But it is not only a lack of adults to look after the boys which is reducing the value of the cony>etition«. There have been a good many occasions when the boys have been disappointed to find opposing teams' defaulting without notice. Sometimes, too. team coaches of playing equipment have failed to arrive. With a few more enthusiastic men prepared to devote two hours or so to the boys on £afurday mornings. the scheme would flourish.

Philip WlM’a medium-pace i bowling won some early successes for Old Boys against I an caster Park in the second grade A section match on Saturday. He kept the ball up very well for a lad rather lacking in inches, but his length dropped later in the innings. Tlie best innings played for Lancaster Park in the second grade A section match on Saturday was the 32 from Dick Jones. He showed the virtue and value of playing straight in scoring slowly but steadily while the other batsmen came and went But at the end of the innings he showed an appreciation of the situation by hitting out vigorously. He was last man out in an innings which totalled SO. A Lancaster Park batsman, Alan Smythe, recently made a very sound and stylish half-century against Xavier College. The Saturday morning cricket for boys will suffer a sharp loss with the departure of Mr J. Torrens for Auckland in a few weeks. A member of the Lancaster Park club. Mr Torrens has coached boys’ teams for three years, and has enjoyed outstanding success with his sides. One of the most spectacular innings played in the boys’ games was a recent effort by Alan Gibson, of the Lancaster Park second grade B section team. Against Sydenham B he scored 103 not out in half an hour, with 17 fours and a six. The match was played on the back ground at Lancaster Park, and Gibson’s straight drive for six cleared the number four stand and landed on the oval. Gibson is a firm hitter, but a good stroke-maker. Leg spinners are relatively uncommon in boys’ cricket. Tony Lye took four for 16 for Bumside against Riccarton in the C grade and showed fair control of his leg-spinners.

Richard Anderson only batted for about 20 minutes for Old Boys against Lancaster Park in the A grade but he scored 30, with six fours. Very strong on the leg side, his big hitting caused some consternation among the fieldsmen in the game on the next pitch.

A stylish innings of 35 was played by Berry Baxter for Riccarton against Bumside. He scored has runs with a wide range of strokes until he retired. Also a wicketkeeper, he has caugnt eight batsmen already this season. TTie Hadlee family featured in a different role when Richard Hadlee was the outstanding bowler for the Old Boys C grade team, in his first seven overs he took three wickets for 2 runs. With his easy action, he looked a medium-paced bowler of some promise. Undaunted by the non-ap-pearance of their opponents, the Lancaster Park B team in the C grade quickly organised a game among themselves. Unlike other “hit ups,” the boys took the practice seriously. Even with the hot day the fielding was as keen as if it was a proper match. An opening batsman for the Old Collegians B grade section I team, Peter Moore, is particularly strong on the leg side. Playing against Riccarton on Saturday, he brought off a towering ondrive for six in an innings of 19. A catch worthy of a Lock or a Benaud was taken by John Scanlon for Sydenham against West ChristchurchUniversity in the A grade. Fielding at short gully, about four yards from the bat, he caught a full-blooded square cut one-handed. David Stmthridge. Riccarton B. scored exactly half of his team's total of 74 for five wickets with a hard hit 37. Most of his runs were scored on the leg side, but he made some deft placements through the slips. Robert Winter, who bowled with speed and vigour for West Christchurch-University on Saturday, shows promise of developing into a fast bowler. Big and powerful for his age. Winter is bowling a trifle too fast for some opposing batsmen, who were tending to lose confidence and move away from him on Saturday. Brian O'Sullivan, captain of the Sydenham B grade second team, took a brilliant cateh in slips, and also bowled well for his side on Saturday. J. K. MacLachlan. a keen fieldsman, shows promise of developing into a useful bowler for Old Collegians. His father represented Canterbury in Brabin Shield matches.