SOMETHING LIKE CRICKET

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 146, 17 March 1931, Page 7

SOMETHING LIKE CRICKET

Some Rare Batting on Saturday

WELLINGTON PREMIERSHIP: ONE MORE MATCH

After the unenterprising play seen this year in the senior championship competition, it is strange that it has been left to the very end of the season to take advantage of the new rule which awards eight points for an outright win. Captains have been content to go along on safety first principles, with the result that far too much stodgy batting has been seen aud far too many drawn games and wius on the first innings. A Daring Leader.

Ken James, captain of the Old Boys eleveh, demonstrated at the Basin Reserve on Saturday that it is well worth while taking a risk in order to gain eight points, and prevent the opposing side from scoring any. On the opening day of the match Hutt had scored 21X5, and at drawing of stumps Old Boys had 174 on for the loss of six wickets. Realising that all his fastscoring batsmen had been dismissed, the Old Boys captain on Saturday adopted the bold course of declaring his first innings closed straight away. This sporting challenge to a fight for the outright win was promptly accepted by McGirr, the Hutt leader, who at once decided to rattle on as many runs as possible on top gear, and allow time to get Old Boys out a second time. Taking Biggar in with him, McGirr gave his men instructions to force the pace. The plan of campaign was sound, but in cricket, as in warfare, you have always the enemy to consider. In this particular case the enemy, represented A. Dunean, the veteran Old Boy trundler, who beamed with satisfaction when he heard a rumour to the effect that the Hutt men were going to hit. his every delivery over the roof of the Caledonian Hotel. "That’s the time to catch ’em,” murmured Alf., as he gave a hitch to his cricket pants, and pranced up to the bowling crease with that graceful. natural little run of his. McGirr never saw the ball which bowled him neck and crop before he had notched a solitary run. The delivery was a beauty, as the ball not only swung in the air, but uipped (jack after pitching sharply from leg. What Dunean had done to the Hutt captain, he continued to do with such effect that the strong batting Hutt side in less than an hour and a half found themselves all back in the pavilion, gazing in some bewilderment at a strange-looking board, which read : 132—10 —20. Good Bowling.

Better bowling has seldom been seen at headquarters in Wellington. The wicket was firm and true, the outfield fast, and the light perfect. Yet Dunean secured seven wickets for 34 runs in fourteen overs. He clean-bowled McGirr, Biggar and Phillips, and had Wnrnes. Birch, Heap and McKenzie eaught off his deliveries. To show what a really outstanding left-hand bowler Duncan is, it is only necessary to state that this season he has taken 47 wickets in senior championship games, which gives him the good average of 17.04 a wicket. Ross played a bright innings for 39 for Hutt, and Aldersley and Beard also reached the twenties, but these were the only Hutt batsmen to do anything ot note. ■ Dashing Batting.

Old Boys possess a number of batsmen who can force the pace, and it was refreshing to see the enterprising manner in which Lambert. .James and Linnason rattled on the 165 required, to win. Lumbert hit two sixes and four fours in running to 48 in half an hour, and James was at the wickets for just over an hour for his 62 not out. The Old Boys captain has developed into as able a batsman as the Dominion possesses, and

he should make many runs on the English tour. How to Score Runs. The Wellington batsmen gave a useful object lesson in how cricket should be played on the Kilbirnie ground on Saturday. There has been far too much patball this season, and an illustration of this was afforded by the Institute eleven in this match. Batting for the whole of qne afternoon, Institute'scored 280 for the loss of six wickets. This was a sorry total for over four hours at the wickets. Of course, they had not enough runs on, and continued the innings until 2.55 on Saturday, when the closure was applied with six down for 330. H. Foley was left unbeaten with 159 to his credit. It is pleasing to see this fine left-handed batsman back to form. Had he started off the season as he is batting now, he might be. packing his grips for England, as he is a first-class slip fieldsman. Hurricane Hitting. The Wellington batsmen showed the Institute men how runs should be scored on a fast, firm wicket. Wellington opened their knock shortly after 3 o’clock, and by 6.10 had hit off the runs required to win for the loss of only three wickets. After Boilings and Morgan had been run out, R. de R. Worker, of Napier, and R. A. Whyte cemented a partnership which provided the most exhilarating display of rapid scoring seen this season. Whyte, in particular, hit with great freedom and power. As the tens mounted at a great rate it was seen that Wellington had a fighting chance of winning the match, but it looked a forlorn hope when 110 were still required at 5.30, with only an hour left in which to get them. Whyte and Worker, however, delighted the fair-sized crowd of spectators bv hitting off the 110 required to win in forty minutes .It was delightful cricket. After the Winning hit had been made Worker was caught by McLean off Bilby for 124. The Napier left-hander showed that he can bat as well as ever. Included in his score were sixteen boundary strokes. , Worker is one of the best-known players in the Dominion, as he has played at various times in Dunedin, Christchurch, Auckland and Wellington. bor the past few years he has been on the teaching staff of the Napier High School and has served the Wellington representative team well when given an opportunity to do so. In the 1927-28 season he scored 23 and 62 for Wellington against Auckland in the Plunket Shield match at Auckland, but he rose to even greater heights the next season when he won the shield match for Wellington at Auckland by scoring 151 and 73. No man in the Dominion possesses sounder defence. , , J There is no more popular player in the game here than Bob Whyte, and no man who can score runs faster. His 171 not out on Saturday was a delight to watch. He was after runs all the time, and it did not matter whether they were fast or slow, s.wingers or spinners, be hit them and kept on hitting them good and hard. He found the boundary no fewer than twenty-five times, and also sent three clinking shots for six, each spinning over the line. Whyte learnt his cricket at Christ s College, and, as he plays the game for the game’s sake, there is always sportsmanship in the matches in which he is a leader. He is also a first-rate wicketkeeper. Midland’s Consistency.

Midland took a long time to head Kilbirnie's modest total of 202 at the Basin Reserve on Saturday. A solid 87 by W A. Baker and a spirited stand by L. G. Clark, the Midland captain, and F. Bryant, which put on 97 for the seventh

wicket, were features of the innings. Bryant scored 55 and Clark 48. and both batted well. Midland totalled -81, and thus won by 79 runs on the first innings. Ball in Ascendancy. The ball triumphed over the bat in the game between Petone and University, on the Petone Oval on Saturday. Petone scared 147 and 151 for six (declared), while the students replied with 116 and 99 for five wickets. , H Lilburne seems to be a useful recruit for Petone. He scored 2 and 33 with the bat. and captured one for 13 with the ball. , . . T. B. Nelson played a good innings for 42 not out in ’Varsity’s second innings. in which Rodger bowled well for Petone. in capturing four wickets for 46 runs. The Last Round. With only one more match to go. Midland is leading for the senior championship with 44 points, followed by Old Boys with 40 points. Kilbirnie 38, Petone 3b. Hutt 36, Institute 32. and Wellington and University, with 31 each. In order to displace Midland from top position, it will be necessary for the opposing team to secure an eight-point win, as even if beaten on the first innings. Midland would still take the championship Midland is such a strong all-round eleven, however, that any team will have to play well to register a win. It can he taken for granted that Midland will be keen to maintain its unbeaten record tor the season. Congratulations to Hospital. The Hospital team, which has its habitat at Porirua, is to be heartily congratulated upon having won the junior Bl championship. It defeated Johnsonville in convincing fashion on the Johnsonville ground on Saturday by seven wickets Hospital scored 323 and 44 for three wickets, and Johnsonville replied with 236 and 123. Jeffery scored 121 for Hospital. and the veteran E. Windley 49. D. Law (92). Turner (68). aud Neal (52)1 batted well for Johnsonville.