CRICKET YOUTH

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32536, 20 February 1971, Page 19

CRICKET YOUTH

The Junior Advisory Board’s morning competition for primary school cricketers continued last Saturday in sweltering conditions. Most of the matches are played at Hospital Comer and this section of the cricketing area of Hagley Park was in splendid condition. The outfield was well grassed, especially in comparison with the very dry outfield at Hagley Oval and the pitches generally favoured stroke play with their even bounce and true pace. . . . Such conditions are vital if a young player is to acquire batting techniques as well as develop the confdence which permits attacking play. No team at Hospital Comer on Saturday displayed aggression and confidence in greater depth than the St. Albans A grade side. The St Albans batsmen gave evidence of the satisfactory conditions in their willingness to hit the ball hard. Darryl King, an opening batsman, produced several fine drives off the back foot, especially from the faster bowlers. Another St Albans batsman to impress was Andrew Guillen, an adept hooker, whose nimble footwork enabled him to attack the slow bowlers with a flowing off-drive.

St Albans’ opposition, East-Shirley B, fielded tenaciously in trying conditions and gave good support to fast bowler Martin Nicholson, who bowled the outswinger with some success, and ateo to spinner, Peter Grigg, a bowler with the ability to float the ball away from the bat.

On a day when fielding was made difficult by the extreme heat and the speed of the outfield, the Sumner player, Russen Payne, stood out for his enthusiastic chasing of the ball and his accurate throw. This player covered a wide arc from his position at fine leg to as far afield as deep point, at no stage giving any suggestion of lethargy.

Among the coaches and supervisors at the grounds on Saturday there was some dissatisfaction over the encroachment of winter sports into the cricket season. It would appear that some players are victims of a dilemma, in that they do not wish to give priority' to the demands of either their winter or summer sport Winter sport officials, eager to commence pre-season

training must be experiencing similar difficulties and possibly a meeting of the respective parties would produce a satisfactory compromise.

The C grade match between Old Collegians and Riccarton produced two very good individual performances. The Old Collegians medium-pace bowler, Donald McNeill, continued his fine pre-Christmas form in taking four wickets for only five runs. This bowler gave proof of his accuracy and control by clean bowling three of his five victims. The only Riccarton batsman to show any real defiance against a tight attack was John Queen, an opening batsman, who saw nine wickets fall for a total of 32 runs while he held up his end in scoring a determined, and whenever possible, a punishing 18 not out. The East-Shirley club continues to give evidence of its growing strength, not only by the performances of its adult cricketers, but also by the numerical power of its junior teams. The Club has eight Saturday morning teams, including a "nursery" side which draws on a pool of about twenty very young players. The club also publishes a “Boys Newsletter” which reaches all players and parents. The Club must be congratulated for this and other forward-looking schemes designed to forge a bond between the player and the club. And any attempt to incorporate parents and supporters more actively in the interests of junior cricket can only be of benefit to all concerned.