CRICKET YOUTH

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31936, 13 March 1969, Page 7

CRICKET YOUTH

The first-term section of the Junior Advisory Board’s Saturday morning cricket matches for primary schoolboys reached the half-way point on Saturday. In fine weather and on good pitches

some fine scores were recorded and bowlers had to work for their wickets.

Lancaster Park South was the scene of some phenomenal rungetting on Saturday when Lewis Hudson (Park) scored an outstanding century, including 90 runs in powerfully hit boundaries. However his side was beaten comfortably by Marist-Maire-hau whose mainstay, Gerard Stokes, scored 80 runs in fine time with some punishing stroke play. Two batsmen who also prospered on the good batting wickets were the Xavier boys, Paul Hooper, who is a fine driver of the ball, and Paul Emery, who stood but for his high backlift and bis watchful defence.

Although many of these boys are just beginning to play cricket, it is still never too soon to teach them some of the small, but important, features of the game. In this context the explanation and naming of fielding positions would be of great value, if not immediately, then when the players move into higher grades. Gary Cookson, of St Thomas of Canterbury, did not return great figures on Saturday with - his slowmedium bowling, but his devotion to the maxim of keeping the ball well up to tbe r bat suggests that success will soon come his way. A bowler who could pitch

the ball up more often, bu' who enjoyed a feast of wic kets on Saturday, was Tonj Mulholland (Sydenham C) who took seven for 12 because he bowled at the wickets. One of the most mature batsmen seen on Hospital Corner this year is Stever: Donaldson (Riccarton) whc scored freely on both sides o; the wicket with well-placed, well-hit shots. Many batsmen are return ing home on Saturdays bearing the tale that they “stayed there for five overs but did not score.” Footwork is often the answer to lack of ability to score. If the ball is short, step back; if it is well up to the bat, step forward, then it is only a matter of hitting and runs will come. Two cricketers who look as though the best part of their season has yet to come are Paul Kench (Lancaster Park), a hard-hitting batsman, and Robert Farrar (St Albans) who bowls lazily with good control of length and occasional movement off the pitch. There will be no play next Saturday, but it is expected that most of cricket’s youth will be present at the test match to enjoy and perhaps learn from some of the greatest cricketers of this decade. Lately rumours have been heard suggesting the decline in the numbers of players this term is because of the emphasis certain winter] sports are placing on preseason training. It is to be hoped that boys who are so involved will be able to strike a compromise with their winter sports clubs, so that they do not let down their clubs i and team-mates while cricket Jis still in progress.