QUEST FOR CRICKETERS

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 65, 10 December 1930, Page 19

QUEST FOR CRICKETERS

All’s Well in Wellington

TOWN AND ’ COUNTRY FORM

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What signal service the Wellington Cricket Association did for the game in the province when it inaugurated the annual Town v. Country trial of strength. This year’s fixture, which took place on the Basin Reserve, was one of the most interesting of tlie.jwbole series, as it revealed some youyg players of class, who for years to crime will-not only be able to materially assist, the province in Plunket Shield games, but are good enough to merit inclusion in overseas teams.

A Solid Quartet. It was to first-class bowling that the Country eleven owed its superiority over the Town team. It . is- questionable .if the Couhtry team ever had a better bowling string than A. Newman, N. Gallichan,. H. B. Massey/and T. P. Reaney provided at the Basin Reserve last weekend. It may be said that the Town colts failed with the bat, but it must be ad-, mitted that they failed in-good company in the first innings. C. S. Dempster was only able to score a modest 11 in the first inniiigs, and J. R. Lamason, who reached 70, was extremely fortunate, as he was dropped early in the slips. It was the variety of the Country attack which made it so deadly. In A. Newman and Massey the side possessed a pair of right-hand medium-paced bowlers, who not only kept a length, but made the ball do something all the time. Reaney, the stalwart Napier colt, is a fast-medium right-handed bowler of distinct promise. Bowling into the northerly breeze late on Friday afternoon, he made the leather swing ' the width of the sticks, and even proved too much for Dempster. Of fine physique, this tall Napier lad has the stamina to -bowl for long stretches without losing length or pace, and would be a serviceable man on an arduous tour. He is a good fieldsman, as he showed when he brilliantly caught J. Newman at extra long-on off Gallichan in. the second innings. The left-hander swung hard on to the drive, and it looked as if the ball was soaring over the fence for a certain sixjj. when Reaney jumped into the air and took a remarkable catch right on . the pickets, ' An Outstanding Athlete., But the distinct find of the match was unquestionably the discovery that in Alee Newman, the 21-year-old Nelson righthander, New Zealand possesses a genuine ,spin bowler of class. Nelson people,for some seasons past have known that this youngster was an outstanding player, and they will be delighted that he so convincingly proved .his worth at Wellington headquarters. It was a brilliant sustained display of bowling he gave in the Town team’s first innings. In all, the Nelson right-hander sent down 164 deliveries, bowled seven maidens, and captured seven wickets for 42 runs. Tall and of fine physique, Alec Newman has an easy advance to the crease and a natural delivery which allows him to bowl well within himself. He is like a bowling machine, and could go on like the brook without losing perfect command of the 1 ball. Best of all, he is that rara, avis among modern trundlers —a genuine finger spin bowler, who, can turn them from both sides, and who uses subtle changes of pace to tempt batsmen to their undoing. He certainly met with outstanding success at the Basin Reserve bn Friday and Saturday last. Going in last in the Country team’s only innings, he shaped quite well as. a batsman, hitting up 21 and assisting O’Brien to add 37 for the last wicket. Then, on the Friday afternoon, he secured two wickets for 2 runs, and took a couple of really smart catches in the slips, which disposed of Dempster and Airey, off Reauey’s. fast-medium deliveries. • ’ . . In the Town team’s second innings, A. Newman sent down thirteen overs for two wickets and 26 runs, • which gave him the splendid tally of nine wickets for 68 runs in the-match. Alee Newman is an outstanding athlete. He holds the Wanganui College record of 10 3-ssec. for the 100 yards, and for two years in succession carried off the cup for the. best all-round athlete at • the college. Going down to Lincoln col■vlege, the youthful Nelson lad scooped the pool at the athletic sports that year, carrying off nine championship events, and taking nine cups back with him to Nelson. It will thus be seen that Alec Newman can not only bowl and bat with unusual ability, but can move at rare pace' in the field. A Useful All-rounder.

~ In -N. Gallichan, the tall Palmerston North left-hauder, the Country team had a most serviceable all-rounder. His 48 with the bat was a finished display, and his left-handed slows lent variety to the attack. He was somewhat expensive in the first innings, when 31 runs came from the six overs he sent down without securing a wicket. It has to be remembered, however, that he had to face Lamason, when the Old Boy was in his most aggressive mood. T. C. Lowry, the Country captain,, showed his confidence, irr Gallichan, however, in the Town team’s second innings by keeping the slow left-hander on for thirty-one overs. They hit him, it is true,' but they paid the penalty, as he bagged five wickets for 112 runs. The Manawatu slow’ bowler kept the,bull well upto the bat, and turned them sharply from leg to the right-handers.

A Good ’Keeper. In W. E. Norris, of Manawatu, the Country team was well served behind the sticks. He is also a finished batsman, as he showed by the stylish knock for 45 i he contributed in the first innings. He very much resembles Jacky Mills, of Auckland, in the graceful way in which he makes his left-handed strokes. It was, bad duck that'he was injured in the second innings in stopping a fast one from Iteaney, which reared up and injured <me of his hands, compelling him to hand over the gloves to Lowry. Leader in Form.. It was very pleasing to see that Tom .Lowry, the Country, Wellington, and •New Zealand captain, had struck something, like bis best form so early in the season. His innings of-55 was the effort of a batsman. The Country team was in a •bid way when the captain came in, but he at once set about giving his men confidence by attacking the bowling. It was a treat to watch the variety of the captain’s strokes. Full-blooded drives alternated with crisp square-cuts, hooks, pulls, and deft leg strokes. When Tom Lowry opens his shoulders, there is little chance of intercepting, the leather. It was. a brilliant catch, too, with which Lowry dismissed Lamason off Massey in the Town team's first innings. Lowry was standing close up in the gully, and the ball came ..smoking hot off the bat, but it was gathered in as easily as if it had been 'a ’‘sitter.” ,

Dempster Iri.yForm. . On the eve of tlfb Pluuket Shield campaign, Wcllingtou supporters were pleased to see C. S. Dempgter sparkling in something like his best style. Though he fell for 11. in the first innings,, he made no njistuke’in the second knock, when he scored 105 against really good bowling. He was more subdued than usual, but was as sound as a rock throughout. There was plenty of wood behind the one sixer and eleven fours he hit before being well taken by O’Brien off Gallichan at long-on. The Town Colts.

Considering the quality of the bowling, the Town colts did not do so . badly. Warnes showed sound defence for his 23 in the first innings, and Hepburn (32) and Crook (25) shaped brightly in the second knock. . Standidge, the Midland colt, defended well in the first innings, when he assisted Lamason to add T 9 for the fifth wicket. J. Newman, the Midland left-hander. Mine out with the bowling honours for the Town tilde, securing four for 57 off 32 overs. He kept an immaculate length,

and turned them sharply at times at a good pace. Blundell had to be content with two for'B4 off 29 overs, and Crook, the Kilbirnie colt, accounted for Naismith and Lowry, at a cost of 64 runs, off 20 overs.' It was a splendid delivery which bowled Naismith.’The ball swerved away from the bat,--and then broke back sharply from the off to Hit the sticks. Crook’s time will come, as he has the cricket in him. • Speed Up the Fielding.

The one feature about the play which was not up to concert pitch was the fielding. The players stopped the ground shots all right, but rarely did they pick the leather up cleanly. Then there were many shots which could have been intercepted bad - the fieldsmen moved faster. The great weakness of the New Zealand team in England in 1927 was its fielding, and it is clear that more attention will have to be paid to this important de- ; partment of the' game. / The blip catching- was good, A. Newman (2), Naismith (2), Massey and J. Newman all taking smart catches, but here again more practice is required. Reaney suffered through two chances being dropped off him in the slips in the Town team’s second innings. Catches which come chest high in the slips should not be dropped. , Race for Premiership.

Petone and Midland are the . only teams with unbeaten records in . the senior championship competition. Kilbirnie fell from the leading ranks when Midland scored a win by 48 runs on the first innings. Bramley bowled well for Kilbirnie in taking five for 68, but could not prevent ■ Midland from reaching 222, of which L. 'G. Clark scored 68. " The feature’of Kilbirnie’s second innings, which realised 183, was a bright knock for 102 by the colt 8. Ward, who found the boundary fifteen times. This youngster has a bright future before him ■ in the game., ■ yDeadly Bowling. Len’Beard was in deadly bowling.trim for Hutt aganist University on the Hutt ground on' Saturday. The students could do nothing with his devastating deliveries, which were swinging in all directions. ’Varsity fell for 125, of which Beard claimed seven for 42. Beard hit the sticks of each of his victims-in their ■ second knock, which' realised 114 for two wickets, Nelson scoring an even halfcentury unbeaten, and Harrison reaching 27. „ Petone’s Superiority. Petone goes on its match-winning way. Thanks to sound batting by E. Roberts (79), M. Nicholls (67), G. A. Rotherham ,(58). and C. Smallwood (43), Petone ran up 299 for nine wickets against Old Boys on Saturday, and then applied the closure.

Old Boys totalled 139 for five wickets in their second knock, L. V. Browne (50), and James (32) doing best. A. W. Duncan bowled well for Old Boys-in .taking six for 130. Petone won by 110 runs on the first innings. . t . . Even Batting.

The Institute batsmen were all in form at Kelburn Park on Saturday, when they totalled 214 for nine wickets, to beat Wellington by 83 runs on the first innings. Eight batsmen reached double figures, Banks leading the way with an even half-century, and Dempster, Wareham, Foley, and McLean all reaching the twenties. D._ Morgan did well with the bat in this "match, as he scored 47 in the first innings, and -47 not out in the second. When he develops a few scoring shots, this colt will make, many long scores, as he has, stacks of defence.