Exciting Contest In Wellington

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30058, 16 February 1963, Page 9

Exciting Contest In Wellington

VVITH the first round now ’’ completed ,and the championship divided into two sections, each of four teams, the senior cricket competition in Wellington promises to provide the closest and most interesting finish for many years. The top four teams, each of which will now play the other three, are separated by only four points. Midland leads with 43, followed by Kilbinnie 42, University 41 and Last year’s champion, Karori, 39. In the series which finished last Saturday week—the new round Last week could not be started because of rain and will now be confined to one day—Midland lost a chance to secure a good lead, being beaten on toe first innings by Kilbimie. The rival side was 166 for nine wickets at stumps after Midland had declared to give it a target

RUNNING IN AUCKLAND.—The former president of the Canterbury Road Runners* Association, W. L. Hobbs, who will miss the Canterbury marathon championship today as he is a guest competitor in the Auckland marathon championship. The Auckland championship is being conducted in conjunction with a sponsored event at which it had been planned to have the Ethiopian Olympic champion, Abebe Bikila, compete. But Bikila advised the Auckland Centre he was

of 224 in 150 minutes. The last two batsmen survived the final eight minutes to deny Midland outright victory and a championship lead of 11 instead of one point.

In Kilbirnie’s second innings N. A. Huxford, the pace bowler who wrecked West Christehuinch-Univer-sity at Hagley Oval when the annual fixture was last played in Christchurch, finished with five for 68. Huxford, who took eight wickets in an innings at little cost two years ago, will play again this Easter. He has enjoyed another good season with consistent success for Midland—including seven for 38 in the first series after the holidays—and for Wellington B on its northern tour. He is considered to be extremely unlucky that Wellington has R. W. Blair and B. D. Morrison. to open its Plunket Shield attack.

not available for the race. Hobbs was nominated for the event by the Road Runners* Association and last week he received advice his entry had been accepted. Now nearly 34, Hobbs, who came to New Zealand from England in 1957, has taken a keen interest in raising the standard of road racing in Canterbury. He was the prime mover in forming the Road Runners* Association and was its president from its inception in 1959 until he declined office this year.

P. Tindill, son of the double All Black, E. W. Tindill, may also play for Midland against West this Easter. He featured in a fine leg-side stumping off Huxford during the final critical stages of the match with Kilbimie. Tindill has been in Christchurch this week, keeping wickets for the Wellington team in the sponsored under-23 tournament.