Cricketing Autumn: F. F. DAWSON

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29994, 1 December 1962, Page 9

Cricketing Autumn: F. F. DAWSON

I F cricketers depended for their runs and wickets on vainglory, F. F. Dawson of Riccarton would not have won a place in a fourthgrade team; he is the quiet man of Christchurch cricket. He played in the senior side for fifteen seaons. he represented Canterbury. but his greatest gift to the game has been his many years of unobtrusive and diligent labour on the Hagley Park grounds committee and, even more important, his staunch devotion to the highest priciples of sportsmanship. Dawson is a man of considerably more than six feet in height, and he was a line-out forward for South Canterbury just before the war, and for the Linwood club just after it. But he is extraordinarily quietly-spoken, which is in keeping with his character. Even between the overs, his tread is so light it seems he is afraid of damaging the turf he had helped maintain so well.

Dawson's first recollection of cricket is batting, in the back-yard, against the bowling of older brothers, and the enthusiasm they instilled in him has survived the years, and flourished. As a boy, he played at Waltham Park, with the late E. A. Gasson, a Canterbury opening batsman, and with W. Fright, later to become a very noted Rugby referee. At the Christchurch Boys’ High School, Dawson was a p eminent first eleven batsman. and by that time he was beginning to emerge as a very accurate mediumpace bowler. So to the Riccarton senior team, and he was in good company—A. W. Roberts, J. L. Powell, J Jacobs, G. H. Stringer, C. K. Jackman, D. M. Dunnett, S. Andrews —all of them provincial or New Zealand representatives. As early as 1937-38, Dawson was in the representative practice, batting with calm efficiency, but not quite well enough to win a position against such players as J. L. Kerr, I. B. Cromb. W. A. Hadlee, R. E. J. Menzies, Jacobs and D. N. Stokes. After three senior seasons, he went to Timaru, and played both

cricket and Rugby for South Canterbury. Then there was the war, and after it, another 12 seasons in the Riccarton senior team, which brough his senior aggregate to beyond 4000, his wickets to more than 100. Dawson scored only one senior century, but made half-centuries 19 times. The tall figure of Dawson became part of Hagley Oval, and the batting was

like the man—quiet and efficient. He seldom thrashed the bowling, but often persuaded it to cooperate. He never regarded himself as anything more than an occasional bowler, but he was remarkably effective. With his height and accuracy, and his in-swing, he was very hard to get away. Once he bowled 11 successive maiden overs in a senior match. Against East Christchurch in 194950, he had a match analysis of 29, 19, 24, 4; and a season later he sent down 16 overs against Sydenham for one wicket—and only 11 runs.

Almost as soon as the war ended, Dawson became a member of the Hagley Park grounds committee, and it is very much to his credit that the ground is in such fine order today. He was the prime mover, planner, organiser and worker in a group which put down nearly 2500 feet of pipe for a new watering scheme, some seven years ago. The pipe varied from two-inch diameter to three-quarters

of an meh. and it was a Herculean task. The results can be seen, every day. Just a year ago, he helped install a further 1500 feet at Hospital Corner. Apart from these years of invaluable service, Dawson has served on the management committee of the Canterbury Cricket Association for 12 years, he was Riccarton’s club captain for many years, and is now the club president. And no-one would ever hear him suggest that he has done more than his share, or that cricket owes him anything. Although he is reserved, slow-speaking and easy-

going, Dawson has a sense of humour, and he recalls with particular delight a day of burning heat in Cairo, when he was playing for a Commonwealth team against an England eleven. The Hampshire lefthander, S. Pothecary, batting on a docile pitch,' bore the burden of the day, batting on and on, and never advancing his bat beyond his right foot all day. The temperature was 120 degrees in the shade, and the weather and the batting had a decidedly sporific effect. Suddenly Pothecary, facing the New Zealand fast bowler T. L. Pritchard, lost all self-control and tried to drive. From the edge the ball flew wide of Dawson at second slip, but he contrived to make the catch. Pritchard came down the pitch, grinning broadly. “You must be some slip when you’re awake, if you can catch them like that in your sleep” he said. Dawson was a good senior player, good enough to play Plunket Shield cricket in 1950-51, and to score 46 not out against Auckland and 54 against Central Districts. But he is not alone in thinking that there were probably more strokemakers and cricketers of colour in his early days than since the war. One he admired particularly was J. L. Powell, one of Canterbury’s greatest hitters. Batting with him, Dawson says, was an experience a young player did not easily forget. Apart from the prospect of blazing straight hits coming down the pitch at the non-striker, there was the encouragement Powell always offered. the confidence he in-

spired. At Lancaster Park, Riccarton, on a treacherous pitch, was 20 for three wickets against Lancaster Park when Powell came in to face R. J. Read, an almost legendary figure now, but in his long day perhaps the most accurate medium-pace bowler Canterbury has had. Conditions were made for him: but Powell walked in, chattering to everyone, and in his massive right hand his bat looked like a match stick. Three times he hit Read over the old score-board, and then, driving again, he got one off the outside edge. It went over cover for another 6. A moment later a good one beat and almost bowled him. From the slips I. B. Cromb, never slow to seize a tactical advantage. said “Well bowled, Reg, well bowled.” Psychological warfare meant nothing to Powell. He whirled round and informed Cromb that his remark teas lurid rot. “He’s never bowled a good ball ini his life,” he said. Since the 1956-57 season, Dawson has not played senior cricket. For two seasons, his gentle example as captain helped a young second grade team. Now he is in the president’s grade, and last season he exceeded 500 runs. This summer he is again scoring well; but not saying much about it. Anyone at Hagley Oval wanting to know something of Dawson’s service to cricket need only look about him.