CRICKET AND ITS PLAYERS

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 39, 9 November 1932, Page 3

CRICKET AND ITS PLAYERS

Promising Start to England’s Tour

SOME BIG SCORES ARE EXPECTED

(By

“Burwood.”)

The English team has started its 193233 campaign in convincing fashion in Australia. The players have done so well as to point to the fact that they will hit up some tall scores when they get their land legs after the voyage. After overwhelming an Australian eleven at Perth, the Englishmen took the transcontinental railway as far as Adelaide, and Friday last gave South Australia a taste of their quality by hitting up 341 for five wickets. The two Yorkshiremen, H. Sutcliffe and

M. Leyland, proved that they are going to be an ideal opening pair in the Tests, by putting on over 200 runs for the first wicket against South Australia, and this against the bowling of Clarrie Grimmett. The googly bowler got them both eventually, but it was not- until Leyland had scorecT 127 and Sutcliffe 154.

As Sutcliffe hit up 54 against West Australia, and 169 against an Australian eleven at Perth, it is clear that he is going to be a hard nut to crack in the Tests. Sutcliffe is the type of batsman to break any bowler’s heart, as he is in no hurry to score runs. He simply lets the open-

ing bowlers trundle them up against a broad barn-door till after the tea adjournment, and then he may decide to make a few runs. Such phlegmatic opening batsmen are a great asset to any side. Leyland is of a different temperament; he is not averse to hitting a sixer in the opening over if he gets a half-volley. He scored at a merry rate at Adelaide on Friday. As he is a left-hander, he will worry the Australians, as they will have to change the field after every run has been scored. Jardine's First Century. The Englishmen went on on Saturday to amass the solid total of 634- for nine wickets before applying the closure. Jardine, the English captain, hit up his first century of the tour, and R. E. S. Wyatt (Warwickshire) and H. Larwood (Notts) also contributed solid scores. Larwood is a fearless hitter, as he showed at Adelaide in smacking up 81. A batsman like this is a nasty customer to fall upon tired bowling. He is supposed to be a bowler, but it would appear that he is a useful all-round player. Clarrie Grimmett must have been a tired man at the end of the innings, as he had 176 runs hit off him, for the four wickets he captured. Jamieson had to be content with one for 113, and Waite with two for 108.

South Australia made a spirited reply with 145 for two wickets, Victor Richardson, the captain, scoring 72 not out, and Nitschke 69. Australia’s Reply. Australia’s reply to this was Victoria’s 306 for six wickets against New South Wales in the, Sheffield Shield match at Sydney, of which J. H. Ponsford claimed 163 not out, and W. M. Woodfull 74. It would appear as if England in the Tests will score a million runs, and Australia a million and one. There should be an orgy of scoring in the coming Tests such as the game has never seen before. New Zealand’s Nest-Egg. The annual report of the New Zealand Cricket Council states that, the Council’s 1 funds, after providing for the loss on the English tour in 1931, slightly exceed £5OOO. The committee has placed £4OOO to a special touring reserve.

I’lunket Sliield Programme. The following is the Plunket Shield programme for the present season :— Otago v. Wellington at Wellington, December 24 to 28. Auckland v. Canterbury at Christchurch, December 24 to 28. Canterbury v. Wellington at Christchurch, December 31 to January 4. Otago v. Auckland at Auckland, December 31 to January 4. Wellington v. Auckland at Wellington, January 20 to January 24. Canterbury v. Otago at Dunedin, Fel>ruary 3 to February 7. English Team’s Visit.

The English team, after the completion of the Australian tour, will arrive in Wellington on Monday,- March 20, and will play a match against Wellington on March 21 and 22.

The players will leave for Christchurch on March 23, and play New Zealand at Christchurch on Friday, Saturday and Monday, March 24, 25 and 27. The visitors will .return to Wellington on Starch 28, and leave that day for Rotorua, and will spend March 30 in viewing the thermal wonders. They will leave Rotorua at 4 p.m. on March 31, aud will play the second Test maten against New Zealand at Auckland on Saturday, Monday and Tuesday, April 1, 3 and 4, and leave Auckland by the S.S. Aorangi on April 5. Bacit to Form.

It would appear that Dennis Blundell, the Wellington bowler, has come right back for form this season. He secured seven for 52 and one for 47 against Kilbirnie in the opening match, and followed this up with five for 34 against Wellington College Old Boys at Kclburn Park on Saturday. He has thus taken thirteen wickets for 133 runs in three innings, which gives him the good average of 10.30. The best thing about Blundell is that he prefers to bowl into the wind, when most bowlers naturally prefer to rock them down with the breeze behind their arm. There was a perfect gale raging on the exposed Kelburn Park on Saturday, but Blundell fairly revelled in bowling again it. He made them swing both ways, and none of the batsmen could do anything with his puzzling swingers. A Good Colt.

V. H. Du Chateau, the youthful Old Boys left-hander, has developed into one of the most dependable opening batsmen in the senior competition. He opened the season with 80 against Midland, and followed this up by going in first against Wellington, and remaining' unbeaten with 48 to his credit at Kelburn Park on Saturday. As he is an active fieldsman, and can serve up n ball with considerable spin on it, his career will be followed with interest.

One of the Best. In C. S. Dempster, professional coach to the Wellington Cricket Association, the province possesses one of the world’s best batsmen. “Wisden” in 1931 included him among the “Five Cricketers of the Year,” and he is still pursuing the even tenor of his run-getting way. In the two innings he has played this season in the senior competition, he scored 70 against University and 105 against Midland on the Petone Oval on Saturday. It matters little what the state of the wicket or the calibre of the bowlers, Dempster can be depended upon ■ for a solid score. He has reduced defence almost to a mathematical certainty, and possesses a wide range of scoring strokes. He has proved himself the greatest batsman the Dominion has produced, and is now at the very zenith of his powers. A Clever Slow Bowler In M. Browne, the Wellington College Old Roys’ player, the club possesses a slow bowler who promises to go far in the game. He spins the ball well, nnd can turn them both ways. The Wellington batsmen could do notn-

ing with his tricky deliveries on Kelburn Park on Saturday, when he bagged .fix wickets for 39 runs. He captured live Midland wickets for 78 run& in the opening match, and thus has secured the big tally of eleven wickets for 124 runs in two matches.

A Good Batting Side. The Hutt team appears to have a good batting side this seasou. It was a good

I performance to hit up 227 for eight wickets in the rain last Saturday against University. A. Biggar, the wicketkeeper, is one of the dependables of the side now. His 61 was soundly compiled, as was F. Warnes’ 42. F. Birch, E. J. Aim, Gwilliam, and Monk also did well with the bat. Lopsided Score. The Institute total of 165 against Kilbirnie on Saturday was a lopsided effort. B. Hankins was responsible for 55. Like Biggar, of the Hutt team, he is a wicketkeeper, and stumpers who can wield the bat as this pair do are valuable assets to a side. Owen aud Aldridge both ran into the thirties, but the rest were nowhere. H. N. Lambert was an absentee, and his steadying influence was missed. A Useful All-rounder. A. E. Morris, of the Kilbirnie team, is a valuable utility man. He smacked up 80 odd a week ago against Wellington, and last Saturday he seized the ball, and knocked over four Institute wickets for 34 runs. MERCANTILE LEAGUE . As a result of the heavy rain upsetting calculations on Saturday, very few Mercantile League games were played. The most important result was the defeat of Shell in the B grade by Combined Press. Brooks was again the outstanding performer for the newspaper men, as he made 25 with the bat and captured three for 2. Kyle, the Shell wicket-keeper, sustained a nasty knock over the eye while keeping wickets. He was taken to the hospital, where the wound was stitched. Kyle, returned to the ground and batted pluekily for Shell, who were up against it.

. Two fine bowling performances were registered in the B grade game between Telephone Exchange and State Fire. Morgan, of the former team, captured four for 25, while CHmo, State Fire’s leading trundler, went one better in collecting six for 53. In the C grade, Milk Department accounted for Hutcheson, Bowman and Johnston, while Taxes played a draw with Whitcombes. Two players in the latter team to perform with credit were (TGorman (61) and Robertson (five for Pensions got the better of Gas Co., in a low-scoring D grade game. Baynes took four for 27 for Pensions.

With about five Saturdays, at the most, for play, before the selectors meet to pick the representative team, those in the running will have to get busy and show their wares. On form to date, the selectors will have difficulty in passing over the claims of Roberts, Murphy, Whinham, Brooks, and Brough, of last season’s team. Alec Martin, the representative wicketkeeper, has not appeared behind the stumps so far this season He is still keen on keeping his place, aud will probably fill the role for his club next Saturday. The league possesses two or three very promising wicketkeepers, of whom Swiney will be Martin’s most dangerous rival. Of the newer players to the league, O’Connor (Customs), Ruscoe (Cowans). Brooks (Press), Crisp (Press), Jupp (Roseueath), and Mohan (Taubmans) will be the strongest contenders for places, neither can the claims of Pickering (Booker), Tilyard (Customs), Wynne (Health), Thompson (Shipping), Melville (Nivens), and Churchill (Nivens) be overlooked. Thus there are possibilities in front of us. though when the numbers go up the side will probably be chosen from Roberts. Muroby, Whinham. Brooks, Brough, Tilyard. O’Connor, Martin, Wynne, Tilyard, Thompson, Jupp, and Churchill, though some of the others may, in the next two or three weeks, play themselves into the team. The Mercantile Cricket League Umpires’ Association is endeavouring, in some measure, to see that every game in the league’s competitions has two efficient umpires. With a limited number of umpires, this has been impossible up to the present. Club supporters who are willing to take on this important and pleasant duty are earuestly requested to communicate with Mr. J. Cusack, 199 a Sutherland Road, Lyall Bav.