ON THE CRICKET FIELD

Dominion, Volume 19, Issue 86, 6 January 1926, Page 6

ON THE CRICKET FIELD

.(By

“Burwood.")

NEW ZEALAND’S FINE SHOWING IN AUSTRALIA

' BRAVE DOINGS IN PLUNKET SHIELD GAMES

With the advent of the year 1926 'dawns a new and brighter era for cricket in the Dominion. The fine showing which has been made by the New Zealand team on the /Australian tour has been most gratifying and has proved that New Zealand can now place a team in the field capable of making a creditable fight of it against any of the Australian States, and fights which the public would be quite content to pay to see. Queensland, like New Zealand, has been coming on during the past few years, and may ere long be admitted to Sheffield Shield status. All credit must be given to the little band who, by their sterling play in Australia, have done so much to raise the prestige of New Zealand cricket. It just shows how strong cricket in New South Wales is when the . second eleven, with the stars all away in Melbourne playing Victoria for the Shield, could' run up 531 against New Zealand. Andy Ratcliffe, who captained the New South Wales eleven, and who ran up 128 against New Zealand, is no stranger on this side of the Tasman. He toured the Dominion with the Australian team in 1921, and came over regain with the New South Wales team in 1924. . Ratcliffe has always been overshadowed by such wicketkeepers as . Carter and Oldfield, but many good

judges consider that he is a better batsman than either of the pair meutions ed, good as they undoubtedly proved themselves to be. Brown, who scored 168 for New South Wales against New Zealand at Sydney last week-end, is another of that army of good club batsmen who only occasionally get the chance of a 'knock in an international match. Faulty fielding by the New Zealanders contributed to tire heavy score amassed by New South Wales. The cables told us that Patrick, the New Zealand captain, dropped Nicholls off Alleott fiom the third ball sent down on Saturday, and a little later the same fieldsman should again have caught Nicholls, hut ■was too slow on the more. Nicholls scored 47, when he was lucky to get into double figures. Cunningham has proved himjclf the best bowler New Zealand possesses, and he put up a sterling performance on New Year’s Day and the following day by taking five wickets fo: 125 in an innings of 531. The ea’.'es said that Cunningham was the best bowler of the innings. He has the heart of a lion, and can plug away for hours, keeping a wonderful length, and flighting the hall headfly all the time. He would have had even better figures had he been better supported by the fieldsmen. Alleott is another man who has taken advantage of the tour to prove himself as good an all-round player as the Dominion possesses or has ever produced. He secured two for 112 in this innings, and the cables said he bowled splendidly. Following up his 107 against Victoria, Alleott, when stumps were drawn at Sydney on Saturday night, had 51 not out to his credit after batting for two hours, and helping Patrick to add 100 runs in as many minutes. Up till last Saturday night Alleott had played ten innings on the present tour, being unbeaten four times, and had aggregated 325 runs, which gives him. the nice little average of 54.16 per innings. With the ball; he has taken fourteen wickets for 486 runs, an average of 34.71 per wicket. The fine stand by Patrick and Alleott for the seventh wicket, which took the score from 162 to 282, was an excellent performance. This effort was all the more meritorious by reason of the fact that rain on Friday night had affected the wicket, and the outfield was slow No matter what may .happen now, the New Zealanders have proved their right to a place in the sun, and no one will be more pleased than the Australians, who have at all times held out the friendliest of helping hands to New Zealand cricket. In the gratifying ends achieved by the present team, the New Zealand Cricket Council is entitled. to share in the credit, as few governing bodies would have had the courage to go on with the tour in face of the disappointments encountered when organising the side. The present team has done splendidly. The news of the splendid stand made by Patrick, the captain, and Alleott, in

the New Zealanders’ first innings, z makes excellent reading, and puts the seal ou the most successful tour ever undertaken by a Dominion side. For each man to get a century when runs were badly wanted was a sterling feat. It is seldom indeed that any side makes such a spirited reply as did the New Zealanders when faced with such a solid score as the New South Wales eleven piled up against the wearers of the silver fern. Patrick at last shaped like a leader, and his 143 was a crowning performance to a long and illustrious career. It is .however, to Alleott that cricket caps must be doffed. To score centuries against both Victoria and New South Wales is a feat which has never been approached by any other New Zealander, and places tlie Aucklander on a pinnacle. Don Reese scored 96 and 130 not out for New Zealand against South Australia on the 1913-14 tour, but lie could only manago to get 6 and 5 against New South Wales and 47 and 12 against Victoria.

INVITATION TO SOUTH AUSTRALIA Mr. J. F. Peake, manager of the New Zealand tonring team, sprang a surprise on the South Australian Association at the luncheon at the Adelaide Oval (states the “Globe”) by informing them that he had been deputed to the "New Zealand Cricket Council to request that a South Australian team be sent to New Zealand in 1927. Victoria and New South Wales have already toured the Dominion, and now South Australia is asked to do likewise. It is practically certain that New Zealand will bear the expense, and there is every likelihood that the request will be complied with. The only stipulation made is that the team must be the best possible, in order that it will prove a good drawing card. The whole matter is still very much in the air, but it will be considered later by the South Australian Association, and if there is a possibility of a team being able to make the trip negotiations will then be opened with New Zealand to settle details The Plunket Shield.

Early in the season, the opinion was expressed in this column that the Plunket Shield would come to Wellington this year. This prognostication was based upon the fact not so much that Wellington had only contributed one man to the New Zealand team as upon the knowledge that the majority of Wellington’s leading players were back into form. Hiddleston last season was distracted by travel, which included a trip to England. McGirr was temporarily out of form owing to u strain. This season these two able players arc themselves again,, whicn means a great deal to the side'. Wellington proved that they have a very strong batting side this season

by running up 497 against Canterbury at the Basin Reserve on New Year’s Day. After Tattersail had been run out with only 8 runs on the board, Hiddleston and Kortlang' paved the way for a long score by squatting on the pilch and wearing the bloom off the Canterbury attack. It was not until the pair had put ou 143 for the second wicket that Kortlang fell to a catch at mid-off by Talbot off Findlay. Kortlang’s contribution was a modest 30, but it was worth much more to the side. It was a tribute to the excellence of Findlay s bowling that Kortlang, though well set, fell to the very first stroke he made in an attempt to force tne pace. He jumped out to drive Findlay, but the ball found an easy resting place in mid-off’s hands.

At the Top of His Form. In the meantime Hiddleston was playing the best knock of his career. He was confidence personified from the verv start, and never made a faltering stroke. He met every ball on the full face of the blade and brought into play that wide variety of ‘shots which has made him one of the ablest batsmen in the Dominion. ' The merit of his display was that he scored off goodlength deliveries, hooking and pulling with certainty balls that many batsmen would have been content to P' a y Dempster helped Hiddleston to add 66 for the third wicket, of which the Institute man claimed 29. It was a particularly good ball from 1 albot which found his sticks. The brightest partnership of the day was the 126 added by Hiddleston and McGirr for the fourth wicket. Here were seen two excellent batsmen at the top of their form. The bloom had been taken off the bowling by this time, and Hiddleston and McGirr aroused enthusiasm by the speed at which they hustled the scoring along. A powerful on-drive by Hiddleston sailed over the fence at mid-on. giving him his double centurv. With the score at 343, Hiddleston’s brilliant innings, which bad lasted for 260 minutes, was terminated by Brunton taking a neat catch behind the sticks off Sandman’s bowling. In his 212 Hiddleston hit a sixer and found the boundary on seventeen occasions. It was a great knock, which was deservedly' .accorded an ovation from all round the ground. This is the third double century recorded in Plunket Shield matches, the others being S. G. Smith’s 256, hit up for Auckland against Canterbury at Auckland in 1929, and rhe 204 scored by A. Cox for Canterbury against Otago at Christmas time.

McGirr plaved a sterling innings for his 106. He was at the wickets for 115 minutes, and (lit a sixer and ten tourers. Some of his off drives were gems of shots the timing being perfect and the ball travelling to the fence like a streak of light. As he also hit up a century against the Country eleven on December 29. .McGirr thus scored two centuries in the one week. This will give some indication of the form this fine batsman is in at present. The 212 scored by Hiddleston against Canterbury on New Year’s Day was his Sith three-figure innings in Plunket Shield matches. Mis other ' scores were:— 144—v Auckland, 1921. 118—v. Otago, 1922. 163—v. Auckland, 1923. 150—-v. Otago. 1924. McGirr scored 117 against Otago at Dunedin in the record high-scoring game in 1924. Lambert (25), Banks (32 not out), Henderson (14), and Brice (18) all gave the Canterbury bowlers trouble, and helped to swell the total to 497. An Impossible Wicket. It was a thousand pities that such heavy rain poured down ou Friday night and Saturday morning, and thus robbed the Wellington public of witnessing some stirring cricket. As it was, the wicket was impossible when the match was resumed at 12.15 on Saturday. Canterbury fell in the first innings against the bowling of McGirr and Badcock for 37 runs, and could only reach 128 in their second innings. McGirr, Badcock, and Brice are good bowlers at any time, but on such a a wicket they were unplayable. Badcock secured ten wickets for 60 runs in the match; McGirr five for 39; and Brice four for 15. It was like ravening wolves harrying new-born Jambs. Both Sandman and Talbot failed to score a solitary run in the match, and A. Cox, the. promising colt, who hit up 201 against Otago, could only manager to notch 5 and 4. Small Scores. »

Small as Was the 37 registered by Canterbury in the first innings on Saturday, it is quite a big total beside some of the collapses which have taken place on bad wickets in first-class matches in the past. The lowest recorded is the 12 put on bv Oxford University against M.C.C. aiid Ground, at Oxford in 1877, Oxford having one man absent. Northamptonshire also fell for a modest dozen against Gloucestershire at. Gloucester, in 1907. Nottinghamshire were dismissed by Yorkshire, at Nottingham, in 1901, for 13 runs. Coming nearer home, Victoria, with one man absent, were routed by the English team, at Melbourne, in the 1903-01 season for a total of 15 runs. The lowest total recorded in New Zealand was the 13 runs scored by Auckland v. Canterbury, at Auckland, in the 1877-78 season. At Auckland, in the 1862-63 season, Wellington were dismissed for 22 and 2-2 by Auckland. It will thus be seen that Canterbury have no reason to be downhearted. When a rain-soaked wicket is starting to dry it is good-bye to any. chance of making runs. It does not matter whether you attempt to play the rock or hit, you will get out. It is not so much the bowler as the wicket which gets the batsmen out. I have always thought that the best policy on such a wicket is to lash at every ball sent down. You might fluke a few this way, but you will get out quickly in any case, no matter what you try to do, so get as many as you can. while you have the good luck to remain at the wickets. Gasson was the only Canterbury batsman to reach double figures, in each innings, and he did wonderfully well to get 17 and 27.

A Length Bowler. That fine left-hander, Torrance, of Otago, added another notable feat to his long string of bowling achievements by capturing seven Auckland wickets for 90 runs on Friday and Saturday. In all he sent down 42 overs, of which eleven were maidens. He is one of the best length bowlers in the Dominion. Auckland put up the tidy score of 333, Horspool, Mills, Smith, Sneddon, Cooper, and Anthony all shaping well. Otago fell for 131 in their first innings, but made a good fight to retrieve the position on Saturday afternoon, when the tallv at drawing of stumps was 209 for three wickets. A capital stand was made for the fourth wicket by Rev. E. O. Blamires, the captain, and Zimmerman, the Oamaru representative. The skipper had 63 and Zimmer-

man 75 to their credit when sticks were pulled. The success of the Oamaru man should encourage the Otago selectors to try out a few more of their country players. There are some good men in the rural centres. A Friend of Youth.

IJ. M. Beale, of Auckland, may justly be termed a friend of youth. For many years past, he lias organised Auckland touring sides during the holidays, which have gone far afield. These teams have always included a good sprinkling of young players, with a few veterans to supply experience. The Auckland team, which is playing a team of Wellington colts at Kelburii Park just now, contains that distinguished player, L. G. Hemus, who in his day was as capable a batsman as New Zealand possessed. Four centuries in Plunket Shield games stand to his credit. In December, .1907, He scored 148 for Auckland against Can terburv at Christchurch, and in IJR> he rah up 109 for Auckland against Otago. In 1911 he flogged the Canterbury bowling again to the tunc of 142, and against the same province lie lul up 116 in 1920. He was a member of the New Zealand team which toured Australia in the season of 191.-11. He plaved sixteen innings, once not out, aggregating 375 runs giving him an average of 25, while with the ball be captured two wickets for 51 Hemus by scoring 38 and 28, played his. part in the defeat New Zealand inflicted upon Earl De Trafford’s English team at the Basin Reserve in March, 190 , when New Zealand won bv ao tuns. This was the match in which Arnold Williams (72 not out) and Alf. Haddon (71) came to light in the second innings, and Arthur Fisher, of Dunedin bowled so well -u securing four for 25 and five for 61. Ernie Upham bowled very ably >n this ing six English wickets for 84 in tlie first innings.

Day of the Colts. It is extremely pleasing to see that the South Australian colts are continuing to justify the confidence reposed in them by the selectors. “It was the dav of ’the colts,” remarked the cable man in describing the play m the Sheffield Shield match between Victona and South Australia at Melbourne on Saturday. “Rvmill and Alexander thoroughly trounced the bowling, each batting in fine, free style, scoring all round the wicket. Alexander is the eighteen-vear-old Adelaide \ arsitv Colt, who hit up 130 run out against New Zealand. Rymill had 104 not out and Alexander 74 not out when stumps were drawn at Melbourne on Saturday niglit, and the score was 321 for six wickets. There is nothing like giving sonic of the youngsters a chance; South Austtalia’s policy will pay in the years ahead.

Will Hornibrook Get a .Place? Keen followers of cricket watched very closely tlie bowling of P. M. Hornibrook, the Queensland lefthander, on Fridav (states a recent issue of the “Referee”). Every cricketer knows that a slow to medium lefthander is generally much more dangerous on English than Australian wickets. The form of any bowler of that type, who is a candidate for the tri]> to England, is rarely judged by what he mav or mav not be able to do on Australian wickets. On Friday, the Queenslander did not show anything'like his form of a few years ago, l.ut this must have been due, in some degree; to the fact that he played in the inter-State match in Brisbane, and hurried off on the long and tiring train trip for this match. ’That sort of hustling evidently played up with the wicketkeeping form of W. A. Oldfield, and, no doubt, it affected Hornibroolc. On Saturday, in the second innings, Hornibrook'again started rather weakly, but after an oyer or two, lie began to bowl in something like his old form. He bowled splendidly on Monday. It will probably be found that, if selected, he will work into bis best on wickets that give him a chance to turn the ball, and in an atmosphere that helps to make the ball flighty.

A Tall Story. A recent issue of the Sydney “Referee” contains this illuminating paragraph: “B. L Kortlang, the muchtravelled cricketer, tells a story of the Aucklander. Wellington were in the field against Auckland in a Plunket Shield match at the Basin Reserve, when Dacre hit a catch to Kortlang at cover. Just as he was shaping to take the ball an earthquake spasm was felt, and tlie ball struck the fieldsman on the shoulder. Kortlang. recovering from the. shock, saw the players speeding off the field, scattered by the ’nunkc. Dacre had then -made '4O and finished with 143.” |No wonder Aus'ralians refer to New Zealand as “The Rickettv Isles” when these sort of stories are circulated.]