TOPSY-TURVY CRICKET

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 104, 27 January 1931, Page 7

TOPSY-TURVY CRICKET

Form in the Shield Games

HATS OFF TO CANTERBURY

(Notes by “Burwood.”)

After the inconsistent form which has been shown in the Plunket games this season it is clear that generally accepted ideas concerning the strength of New Zealand cricket must be revised. We had an idea that there was nothing much wrong with batting strength in the Dominion, but had grave doubts as to the bowling ability. The series of shield games has exactly reversed this opinion. Glancing back over the series, one can only say that New Zealand batting strength is either at a low ebb or that we possess bowlers of outstanding ability. On a batsman’s wicket at Christchurch Auckland fell in the first innings before the Canterbury attack for 164. This was a bad collapse .for a team which was supposed to be particularly strong in batting. Then Wellington fizzled out against Otago .at the Basin. Reserve at Christmas time for 189, and Otago replied with the footling score of 161. The climax came at Dunedin last weekend when the shield match between Canterbury and Otago was all over in two days. Canterbury compiled the very modest totals of 228 and 193, but all Otago could manage was 71 in each innings.

“They must have had a glue-pot wicket.” was the thought which flashed through one's mind when this news came through, but imagine the surprise of everyone who possesses any knowledge of the game when the Press Association informed us that the weather was glorious and the wicket excellent.

A Great Little Bowler. How is one to account for such deporably weak batting displays? Had Otago decided that the Boys’ High School team should represent the province in this Plunket Shield match the lads surely could not have done any worse.

The real explanation for Otago’s humiliation must be put down to that great little googly. bowler W. E. Merritt, who must rank with C. Grimmett and A. P. Freeman as among the cleverest slow bowlers in the game to-day.

When still in his teens Merritt sailed with the first New Zealand team to visit England in 1927. It was a bold experiment to send a youth to England, but

so splendidly did he rise to the occasion that he proved himself the star bowler of the side and headed the averages'with 173 wickets for 3341 runs, an average of 19.31. The bowler who came next to him was another slow specialist, Roger Blunt, who captured 94 wickets for 2306 runs, an average of 23.46'per wicket. The juvenile of the New Zealand team won golden opinions in England in 1927. “No day was too long for him.” wrote one eminent English cricket scribe. In addition to his remarkable success with the ball Merritt scored 680 runs with the bat, and, undefeated thirteen times, came out with a batting average of 25.18. It was this clever slow bowler who went through the Otago batsmen in such sensational style at Dunedin last week-end. Securing four wickets for 14 runs in the first innings, he captured six for 23 in the second innings, giving him the phenomenal figures of ten wickets for 37 runs in the match. ,

Does anyone want better proof that in Merritt the Dominion possesses as able a slow bowler as there is in the game to-day? In the three Plunket Shield games this season Merritt has captured 19 wickets for 399 runs, at an average of exactly 19. A Well-balanced Side.

While Canterbury possesses a most valuable asset in its googly bowler, it was all-round strength which won for it the right to be classed as the champion cricketing province of the Dominion.

In the first place it possesses an able leader in M. L. Page, who is not only an astute general but a leader who, by his cheerfulness and tact, gets the very best service from the men under him. Page is himself an able all-round player, and he has been at the top of his form this season. Against Auckland he scored 12 and 58, against Wellington 28 and 116, and against Otago 10 and 9.

It is due to its strong array of allround players that Canterbury is once more at the top of the cricket tree in New Zealand. R. O. Talbot, I. B. Cromb and S. G. Lester have been equally good with bat and ball this season, and behind the all-rounders have been able batsmen such as J. L. Kerr, I. M. Hamilton, A. W. Roberts and J. Jacobs. Faced with 473 runs to get to win against Auckland, Canterbury made light of the task and hit them off with four wickets to spare.

After being 137 runs behind Welling-, ton on the first innings. Canterbury hit up 519 in the second knock, and won the match by 137 runs. It has shown good fighting spirit in all its games this season, and thoroughly deserve the laurels. o o The Canterbury selector, Mr. M. p. Whitta. has shown wise judgment in giving youth a chance, _ Wellington, on the other hand, is in the transition stage. It takes a season for young plavers to find their feet tn big cricket, and the Canterbury lads have already got over their growing pains.

A Speed Merchant.

George Dickinson, of Dunedin, is the best fast bowler the Dominion has produced. Edgar Mayne, captain of the Victorian eleven, was admitted to be one of the soundest defensive batsmen in Australia, and yet when he toured the Dominion a few years back, he could not score a run against Dickinson. Every time he faced the Otago express, his sticks went flying. . , , Dickinson was at his best in the Shield match against Canterbury at Dunedin on Friday. The team, which had scored 473 for six wickets against Auckland, and 519 against Wellington, could only total 228 and 193 against Otago, and Dickinson was largely responsible for its downfall in both innings. Rocking them in at rare pace, the Dunedin express bowler secured six wickets for 45 in the first innings, and three for 54 in the second. Battle of Auckland.

It was .a fine performance on the part of the Wellington bowlers to dismiss such a strong batting side as Auckland on Friday at Eden Park for 297 runs. It was only a fighting stand by Weir and Matheson, who added 98 runs for the seventh wicket, which saved the day for the Northerners. Of . these, Matheson claimed 54, and once again proved that he is a fine forcing batsman, who can be relied upon in a tight pinch against the best of bowling.

Another young Aucklander who showed that he has rare fighting spirit, was G. L. Weir. When Matheson left, the score stood at 208 for eight wickets. Weir performed the amazing feat of carrying the total to 297 almost entirely off his own bat. Cleverly held the fort for an hour for 3 runs, and Hunt, the last man, failed to notch a single run. Weir went for the bowling, and ended up with the splendid score of 122. It was a performance which stamps the young Aucklander as a bulldog fighter. In this player the Dominion possesses a batsman of outstanding merit In the Shield matches this season, up to the close of Auckland’s first innings against 'Wellington on Friday, Weir had totalled 268 runs for five visits to the wickets. This, with one not out, gives him the splendid average of 67 per innings. . Weir also scored a century against Canterbury in the Shield match this season, Hitting up 134 in the second innings at Christchurch. He did well last season, hitting up 105 not out against Canterbury in the Shield match at Auckland, and scoring 77 for Auckland against the M.C.C. team. He played in the second, third, and fourth Test matches last season against the M.C.C. team, scoring 3 and 21, 27 not out, and 63. A Good Double.

A. M. Matheson once again demonstrated what a fine all-round player he is. In Auckland’s first innings, he hit up 54, and then captured four Wellington wickets for 53 runs. In Shield games this season Matheson has scored 170 for four innings, at an average of 42.50, and has taken nine wickets for 264 runs, an average of 29.33. Steady Bowling.

The Wellington bowling was very steady at Eden Park on Friday last. Blundell sent down thirty-one overs for three wickets and 69 runs : Massey bowled twenty-five overs for two wickets and 25 runs; Newman, twenty-.three overs for one wicket and 37 runs; and McGirr seventeen overs for one wicket and 40 runs. Lambert also rendered valuable service in securing three wickets for 72 runs off 12.2 overs. A study of these figures shows that about two runs an over came from‘the stock bowlers. This was accurate work on a good firm wicket.

A Long Tail. It was Wellington’s batting which let the side down badly in the first innings. D. A. Cameron, the Rangitikei representative, defended stubbornly for 263 minutes for 71 runs; Lowry hit up 61 in resolute fashion; McGirr reached 37 and Dempster 24. After this the deluge. James, Browne, Massey, Lambert, Newman and Blundell could only total It runs as a result of their joint efforts, and Wellington fell for 233. While full credit must be given to the Auckland bowlers, one cannot help thinking that it would have paid the Wellington batsmen to have adopted bolder methods. Matheson was easily the best of the Auckland bowlers, with four for 53 off 123 deliveries. Allcott, the Auckland captain, was on the spot, as his two for 15 off fourteen overs eloquently testifies. and Vivian must also have been very steady, as only 11 runs came off the nine overs he sent down, and he got Cameron’s wicket. Twenty Centuries.

W. A. Baker, the Midland captain, has a proud record as a batsman behind him, and he is going as well as ever this season. He created a record on Saturday by hitting up his twentieth century in senior championship matches. His 166 against Old Boys was a curious blend of dogged defence and rapid scoring. He took few risks till hr- reached three figures, and then hit five fours off successive deliveries from Paraloe. Had he opened ont in this fashion a couple of hours earlier he would have passed the double century. Baker has played a big part in Midland’s unbeaten record this season. Up till last Saturday he had , scored 418 runs in seven innings, giving him an average of 59.21 per innings, while with the ball he had captured fifteen wickets for 258 runs, an average of 17.20. Good Opening Pair. \

R. B. Ross and A. Biggar have made a name for themselves as opening batsmen for Hutt. They were at it again on the Hutt Recreation Ground on Saturday when they put on 10S for the first wicket against Wellington. Biggar ranched 57 and Ross went on to score 92. which included two sixers and ten fours. Birch, Lees and Warnes all got runs, and the tally was 240 for eight at drawing of stumps. Symes, an ex-Wnnganui College colt, was' the best of the Wellington bowlers with three for 61. Ross Newman, the youngest member of the famous Nelson family, made a first appearance for Wellington in this match.

After Hi hours’ ringing, 12 members of the Ancient Society of Painswiel. Youths succeeded in their fourth attempt at Pinswick, near Stroud. Gloucestershire, in regaining their record for the greatest number of changes on 12 .bells They were locked in the tower of the church ali day, and during the Hi hours they rang 17,687 changes.