“Single-Wicket” Only In Name

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30919, 27 November 1965, Page 17

“Single-Wicket” Only In Name

Although the cricket tournament to be held at Lancaster Park tomorrow is designated “single-wicket,” this does not mean only one stump will be used.

The laws <rf cricket will be observed strictly in most eases although the nature of the tournament demands some dispensations. One will be that the bowler will deliver consecutive overs, but from different ends. Another amendment of the laws provides fo rthe batsman to walk back to the batting end if he runs a single. Otherwise, all the trappings of a normal cricket match will be on show. There will be a full set of fieldsmen, a wicket-keeper and a padded player to run with the batsman. The bowler will place the field and this should post an interesting situation when R. C. Motz is bowling. The fieldsman are from Motz’s colts’ squad and should one of these young players drop a catch off his bowling, or another catch Motz when he is batting, could some changes be made in the composition of the squad?

Single-wicket cricket, popular in England in the nineteenth century, was revived in 1963 at the Scarborough Festival.

That year, K. E. Palmer (8 not out from 16 balls) beat the West Indian, W. A. White (7, off 15 balls), in the final.

Among the defeated were such prominent test players as T. E. Bailey, C. G. Borde, F. S. Trueman, D. B. Close and B. R. Knight. However, in 1964, Palmer did not get past the first round and Knight won the final by one run from C. Milburn (18 runs to 17). Bailey, Close and Trueman again were knocked out in the first round, as were notable figures of the post-war years, R. Benaud and G. S. Sobers.

The possibility of similar happenings tomorrow leaves the Canterbury Cricket Association’s tournament steeped with interest.