CRICKET

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 73, 19 December 1928, Page 9

CRICKET

By

"BURWOOD"

SIDELIGHTS ON THE SECOND TEST

WHO WILL TAKE THE PLUNKET SHIELD?

In these notes last week, I expressed the hope that the wicket would be fast for the second Test match at Sydney on Friday, that the outfield would give full value for every stroke, and that Ryder would win the toss and give Australia first knock on a glass wicket. Strangely enough, Australia was lucky in the matter of the toss, and hope rose high. Before the present series of Test matches commenced, everyone expected that heavy scoring would be the order of the day, and that all batting records would go by the board. Apart from England's 521 in the first innings of the first Test at Brisbane, scoring has been very moderate indeed. Of course, the wicket was badly affected by rain when Australia embarked upon their second knock at Brisbane, but conditions were ideal for run-getting at Sydney when the Australian captain won the toss on Friday, and supporters of th« Australian team were confident that it was now the Australians’ turn to smile, and that they would give the Englishmen at least a couple of days’ leatherhunting in the broiling sun.

Geiiry Springs a Surprise. Despite the fact that everything was in the batsmen’s favour, the Australians were on the defensive from’ the very start, and the Englishmen bowled and fielded with such fire and devil that the pride of Australia were laid low in less than a day and a half for the very moderate total of 253.

This was an inglorious showing on a perfect wicket for a side which included such batsmen as Ponsford, Woodfull, Kippax, V. Richardson, Hendry, Ryder, Nothling, Oldfield, and Grimmett. Had it not been for a stubborn stonewalling effort of 173 minutes for 68 by Woodfull the score would have been very moderate indeed, as next to the great Victorian came Oldfield’s bright effort of 41 not out. Hendry (37), Richardson (27), and Ryder (25) did moderately well, but apart from those mentioned six Australian batsmen failed to reach double figures on a batsman’s wicket. ’ This was a great tribute to the English bowling, fielding, and wicket-keeping. A New Bowling Star. While the Australians would naturally have their eyes focussed on Larwood and Tate, it was neither of these stars who routed the pride of Australia at Sydney on Friday. The man who did all the damage was the Leicestershire me-dium-paced trundler bf great' accuracy, G. Geary, who covered himself with glory by securing five wickets for 35 runs. This ‘ was a phenomenal performance against an Australian eleven in a Test match on a perfect wicket, and stamps the Leicestershire professional as a great bowler. Geary played for England in 1926, and in the fifth Test match at the Oval, in which England, took the “Ashes” from Australia, and in that historic game took no wickets for 43 and one for 15. Geary, for years past, has .been the bowling mainstay of his county, and last season took 71 wickets for 1287 runs, at the good average of 18.12. , At Sydney on Friday he trapped Woodfull and Ryder 1.b.w.. bowled Kippax off his pads, and clean bowled Hendry and Blackie. He must have been bowling particularly well to have dismissed Woodfull,'Hendry, and Ryder when they were well set.

A cricket follower who saw the Englishmen play New South Wales and the Australian eleven at Sydney early in the tour, told “Burwood” the other day that the Englishmen were immeasurably superior to the Australians. While their bowling was much more deadly, it was their splendid fielding which most impressed. The men moved at great, speed in the field, and very few shot; were allowed to get through no matter how hard they were hit. Heavy Casualties.

An extraordinary feature of the present series of Tests is the heavy casualties which have been suffered by leading Australian players. Gregory crocked up in the first Test at Brisbane, while Kelleway suffered a dose of ptomaine poisoning, with the result that the Australian team had to bat two men short in the second innings.

On the top of this comes the unfortunate injury to Ponsford in the second Test, which resulted from a rising ball breaking a bone in one of his hands, and causing the Victorian’s retirement after he had scored but 5 runs in the first innings. Though the cables do not tell us which bowler put the Australian recordbreaking batsman out of action, it can be taken for granted that it was H. Larwood, the young Notts express trundler, who can make the ball whistle on a fast pitch.

In 1021 it was the two Australian fast bowlers, Gregory and McDonald, who “put the wind up” English batsmen with their fast rearers on English wickets. It was said that year that English batsmen did not like fast bowling. This reminds me of the story we used to hear in Flanders in 1916 that the Germans did not like cold steel. I have yet to meet the batsman who did really love a bowler who sent them down so fast that an occasional one would whistle past his nose. Larwood played havoc in the first Test at Brisbane, when he secured six wickets for 22 runs, and he followed this up by taking three for 77 at Sydney on Friday. A bowler who can make them rear fast enough to break a bone in a batsman’s hand on a good wjcket on the Sydney cricket ground must have rare pace and devil. Was Kippax Out?

best of feeling exists between Australf.'.n and English players. It was a nice spirit which prompted the Sydney public to remember Jack Hobbs’s forty-sixth birthday on Saturday, and to present him with a sovereign for each year, as well as a memento tn the form of a boomerang. What a great ovation the star English batsman must,have received as he walked round the ground in company with M. A. Noble! Hobbs celebrated his forty-sixth birthday by batting for 105 minutes for 40 runs. A Great Catch. Writing of the cricket debacle at Brisbane, M. A. Noble says: Australia commenced the long trail towards England’s score at a dangerous time, when surprises often happen. That was soon exemplified. Woodfun was magnificently caught lefthanded at tine point by Chapman off a bumping ball. It Hashed faster than the eye could follow, and jumping sideways with hand extended. Chapman just reached the ball. He was the only man on either side who could have accomplished such a feat. Ponsford hit over a half volley and was bowled. Kippax was shaping confidently and playing well when he was easily caught and bowled by Tate. When Kelleway was bowled it added to the discomfiture of Australia. It certainly'was Australia's disastrous hour. Too Many Antediluvians.

In caustic comment on play In the first Test at Brisbane, the Sydney "Bulletin” says: ‘“Kelleway provided some excellent batting practice for the visitors. It Is interesting to consider that one of the proven best bowlers in Australia during the past four years, It. Oxenham, was relegated to the pavilion as twelfth man, while the English batsmen pasted the antediluvians who were preferred to him. Disaster fell upon the opening Australian batsmen. Within ten minutes playerwriters Woodfull (0) and Ponsford (2) were out to Larwood. After every allowance has been made, our men have been beaten in every department of the game. Too much mixing of playing with writing, perhaps.” Plunket Shield Prospects.

Reports from Dunedin state that the Otago selectors had the greatest difficulty in .getting a team together to travel to Wellington for the Plunket Shield match. Mr. W. Mackersey told the members of the Cricket Association that no fewer than seven players who were asked to make the trip informed the selectors that they would not be available. The notable defections are Shepherd, McMillian, and Dickinson, all of whom are players upon whom Otago has depended to a very large extent in the past. The province was regarded at the beginning of the sea-

son as having an excellent chance of regaining the Plunket Shield, but it must be admitted that the possibility of Otago holding the coveted position of champion province this season is now not so great. Canterbury supporters are not too sure how their eleven will turn out this season. A writer in the Christchurch “Star,” after devoting a couple of columns to reviewing the wealth of talent ottering, winds up in this yes-no strain: “Whatever the ultimate selection may be, the Canterbury team will be a strong, evenly-balanced side capable of good performance. There is an element of ‘iffiness’ about the team, and the Canterbury eleven will be one which may or may not rise to the occasion. It is one that might just as easily make 500 runs as 200 runs, and one that might prove only a fair bowling team, or else prove a dangerous attacking side. In consequence it is somewhat difficult to sum up the Shield prospects.” The following thirteen have been chosen from which the final eleven Canterbury representatives will.be- announced on Saturday next: —E. Brosuahan, C. G. Crawford, C. E. Evans, J. M. Hamilton, ,T. Newman, R. Read, S. Yates. R. C. Burns. W. R. Cunningham, G. R. Gregory, W. E. Merritt. M. L. Page, A. W. Roberts.

A great hubbub appears to have been caused by the peculiar manner of Kippax’s dismissal. The cable messages are a little hazy bn the incident, but it seems that the last ball of an over from Geary touched the batsman’s pads, and hit the leg stick. Hele, the umpire at the batsman’s end, did not notice that the wicket had been broken, and walked away. Duckworth, the English wicketkeeper, then appealed to the umpire at square-leg, who game Kippax out. Against this version, Archie MacLareu declares that the umpire at the bowler’s end gave Kippax not out, and if this was so there could have been no appeal to the , other umpire. We shall have, to wait for the true facts of the case before passing judgment upon a regrettable incident, which caused the crowd to hoot and boo the English wicketkeeper, who was quite within his rights in appealing if Kippax’s wicket had been hit. No doubt what happened was that the umpire at the bowler’s end, not having seen the wicket hit, left the decision to his brother umpire, who had no doubt but that the batsman had been bowled. Australian crowds are demonstrative, and they get angry when things are going against their own men. The cricket world has not forgotten the hostile demonstration which was made by the crowd against Bob Crockett when he gave Clem Hill run out in that memorable Test match at Sydney. A Fighter. Oldfield, the Australian wicketkeeper, showed something of that fighting spirit which has made Australians famous on the cricket field. Going sixth wicket down on Friday, when things were going badly, Oldfield batted doggedly tor 102 minutes, and was left unbeaten with 41 to his credit when the innings closed on Saturday for 253. No doubt, the ex-New Zealander, Grimmett, would have kept Oldfield company for some time had not a magnificent return by Tate run him out. It Is this brilliance In the field which makes te English team so formidable. A Popular Veteran. Though the Australian crowds occasionally get a little worked up on occasion, the

The opening shot in the season’s Plunket Shield campaign will be fired at the Basin Reserve on Monday next, when Otago will make an effort to wrest the trophy from the holders, Wellington. The local eleven will be a good one, well up to the standard of previous years. It is pleasing to see that T. C. Lowry has been appointed to lead tlie side. He has had more experience in big cricket than any player in New Zealand, and is a good general. In Badeock, McGirr, Henderson. Rotherham, Gallichan, and Lambert, he will have a quintet of bowlers who, if not particularly dangerous, can be depended upon to keep the batsmen quiet. The batting will be exceptionally strong, with Lowry back in his best form, and Dempster. Foley, Lambert, Gallichan, Badcock, Rotherham, and James to support him. Auckland will be the most serious challenger for the shield this season. The northerners have a well-balanced eleven, and have not been afraid to give some of their youngsters a chance to gain experience. Bowley, the Sussex professional, is batting in bis best style this season, and with Mills, Alleott. Langridge, Whitehead, and Weir all going well, they should get a lot of runs, while their bowling will be well varied. Short Runs.

The veteran S. G. Smith appears to have taken a new lease of life at Auckland this season, and is batting and bowling as well as ever again in club matches. The ex-Northamptonshlre captain hit up another century on Saturday, when he scored 110 not out for Ponsonby against Y.M.C.A. Smith holds the record for the highest individual score made in Plunket Shield matches, having hit up 25G for Auckland against Canterbury In January, 1020. Originally a West Indian, Smith played for some years in England, and represented Auckland and New Zealand for several years with distinction. E. R. Neale, who played for Country against Town at the Basin Reserve on December 7 and S. hit up 11.3 not out for Nelson against Waimea in a Newman Shield match at Nelson on Saturday. B. B. Wilson, the veteran Yorkshire batsman, who is now coach to the Taranaki Cricket Association, gave a taste of his quality by hitting up a century in each innings for Taranaki against Wanganui In the recent Hawke Cup match at Wanganui,

S. I,ay, the famous javelin thrower, also notched a century for Taranaki in tlie second innings of this match, and, with Wilson, put on over 200 runs for the second wicket in Taranaki's second innings. It was a lucky thing for Wanganui that rain came on and stopped this prolific partnership, as the pair had the bowling well collared. Wanganui owed their narrow victory by three wickets to a Wanganui College lad, Giesen. who rattled up D(! and 50 not out. Wanganui College has always been an excellent cricket nursery, and it is pleasing to see that the old school Is still turning out lads of mettle.