CRICKET

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 114, 7 February 1935, Page 14

CRICKET

Wellington’s Crowded Week

GIRLS ENTER ARENA

Conference With Country Players

(By

Burwood.)

Wellington will enjoy a regular cricket carnival this week, sueh as, unfortunately, only too seldom comes along. On Monday and Tuesday the annual match for the Lauehlan Cup was played between teams representing the Christchurch and Wellington tramways, and resulted in a victory for Christchurch by five wickets. On Tuesday, the English ladies’ touring team introduced women’s cricket so successfully that they attracted a crowd of 3000 spectators to the Basin Reserve to see them beat the Wellington girls by an innings and 75 runs. On Friday and Saturday the inter-island match wll be played on the Basin Reserve,, and on Friday night a conference is to be held between the Wellington Cricket Association ami representatives of the nine minor associations under Wellington’s wing on the vexed question of the inclusion of country players in Pluuket .Shield teams. It is long since the city has enjoyed such a banquet of cricket, and it has* come as rich fare in lean times. North v. South.

The North Island v. South Island tussle this week should provide some good cricket and form will be watched closely in view of the New Zealand team’s next tour to England. The New Zealand Cricket Council would have done more service to the game if they had included the two professional coaches, L. F. Townsend, of Auckland, and F. T. Padcock, of Otago, in the teams. Townsend has proved himself an outstanding spin bowler hi the Plunket Shield matches this season, and on Saturday he hit up 121 for Ponsonby against Grafton at Auckland. Such a player would try out the quality of the South Islanders in the match, to say nothing of the draw he would be to the gate takings. Badcock’s presence too, would have added to the interest in the game, and raised the standa'rd of i>lay. New Zealand shaped very weakly against tbp South African and English teams recently in this country, and what they require is stiffening up by bowlers of Townsend’s class. It does not mater greatly whether the North beats the South, but it matters a good deal how our players will shape on the next tour of England. They should learn all they can from Townsend while this able bowler and batsman is in this country. Still, the inter-island contest should produce some bright cricket, as there is good material in the following teams: — North: H. G. Vivian (captain), V. S. Sale, J. Cowie, M. Wallace, P. E. Whitelaw, M. Sharp (Auckland), J. R. Lamason, E. I). Blundlel, E. W. Tindill, J. Ell, and W. Tricklebank (Wellington). South: A. W. Roberts, W. A. Hadlee, F. W. Bellamy, S. Andrews, M. Graham, C. J. Elmes. D. A. R. Cromb, C. K. Jackman (Canterbury), and C. J. Elmes, D. A. R. Maloney, K. T. M .Uttley (Otago). Girls Enter Arena,

Women’s cricket was placed firmly on the map by the match between the English girls’ touring team and the Wellington women’s eleven at the Basin Reserve ou. Tuesday.

So great was the interest created that a thousand spectators were present tvhen play started at 11 a.m., and the crowd gradually swelled until fully 3000 were present in the afternoon. It was a bigger attendance than patronised the Plunket Shield match between Otago and Wellington on the same ground at Christmas time.

No doubt many of those who attended came along in a spirit of mere curiosity, and were a trifle sceptical as to women’s ability to make a decent pretence of playing cricket. The game had not been long in progress, however, before the crowd became wildly enthusiastic, and it is many years since so many and such hearty bursts of applause were heard at Wellington headquarters of the game. These English girls can play cricket all right. There is little they do not know about the game, and they possess several outstanding players. Any Wellington senior eleven would be glad to include in its ranks a fast bowler who can control the ball as well as M. I. Taylor, who can hind each ball on the proverbial threepenny piece. Maintaining a fine turn of speed, this wonderful little Gunnersbury Club player sent down twelve overs for four wickets and six runs. in the first innings, and six overs for three wickets and three runs in the second innings, thus securing seven wickets fo r nine runs in the match.

JI. Jlaclagen, from the Royal School at Bath, is the O’Reilly of the English team. With a nice easy action, she can turn the ball both ways with her slow medium deliveries, which gained for her two for 21, and four for 22. J. Partridge, of St. Mary and St. Anne’s School, is the freak howler of the side. She tosses slows high in the air, but they are by no means so innocent-looking as they appear. They had the Wellington girls completely mystified, and Partridge took two for 6 and two for 9 with these deceptive donkey-drops. In E. H. Child, of St. George’s School, Harpenden, and G. Morgan, the reserve wicketkeeper, the English team possess two able batswomen. The former hit up G 4 on Tuesday, and the latter 47, and both made many finished strokes. E. A . Snowball, of St. Leonard’s School, St. Andrews, is also an able wicketkeeper-bats woman, but she stood down for the Wellington match. The Wellington girls, considering this was their first important engagement, shaped quite creditably, despite the fact that they were beaten by an innings and 75 runs. They are as keen as mustard, and chased the leather to the last ditch. They will do better when they unearth a fast and slow bowler; at present there is not enough variety in their attack. Women’s cricket has come to stay. Wellington’s Problem.

The conference which is to be held to-morrow night between the Wellington Cricket Association and representatives of the nine minor associations under Wellington’s wing will clear up the vexed question as to the right of country players to be included in Plunket Shield teams. No one knew the association's policy in regard to the question when the time-honoured Town v. Country fixture was dropped this season, but the protests from the Hawke’s Bay and Manawatu associations have brought a belated pronouncement of policy from the Wellington association. The chairman of the management committee, Mr. P. B. Broad, at Monday night's meeting, unequivocally declared where he stood. ‘■Our duty is to the city players,” he stated, “and if we did not consider them first they would kick us put, and rightly kick us out." Mr. Broad went further. He stated that when the New Zealand Cricket Council informed the major associations some years ago that they were at liberty to include players from the minor associations in Plunket Shield matches, this was intended as a privilege, and was never meant to be a duty. However, all of the members of the management committee were not in agreement with Mr. Broad

Mr. A. Ronaldson said if Wellington unearthed a good player every five seasons the playing of the Town v. Country match would be worth while. Mr. J. H. Phillips favoured the playing of a country trial match at some centre, such ns Palmerston North, from which a Country eleven could be selected to meet the Town. Mr. E. C. Wiren, also put in a word

for consideration ror the players from the minor associations. Jlessrs. P. B. Broad, W. A. Hammond, and J. H. Phillips were appointed to represent the association at the conference, and it was also decided to request Mr. T. O. Lowry to attend. As Mr. W. H. Winsor, secretary- of the New Zealand Cricket Council, will also be in attendance, the round-the-table talk to-morrow night should do a power of good for cricket in Wellington, which is undoubtedly languishing at the present time.

Boy Prodigy. The Hutt Club has unearthed a boy prodigy this year in W. Jarvis, who. is only 13 years of age. Starting off in the Junior I> team this season, Jarvis scored 25 not out, 7 not out, 22, 59, 127. 19, 33, and 28. This gained him promotion to the Junior B2 team, for which he promptly scored SG. 07, 50, and 3. He has this season aggregated 502 runs at nu average of 50.2. As he is going to the Hutt Valley High School this year, his service's will be lost to the Hutt Club.