CRICKET

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 103, 25 January 1939, Page 6

CRICKET

Final Plunket Shield Matches

WELLINGTON’S CHANCE

How Team Might Be Strengthened

(By

Burwood. )

In a little over a week’s time, the Wellington eleven will be called upon to meet Auckland, in Auckland, in the vital match for the Plunket Shield. Strong as the Auckland team is, there is no reason why Wellington should not record a victory and thus have a chance of taking the blue riband of cricket in New Zealand for the 1938-39 season. The match will start on February 3, and on the same day Canterbury and Otago will begin their shield engagement in Dunedin. Auckland is leading for the shield with 12 points, Canterbury having 10 points, Wellington 8. and Otago 0. It will thus be seen that Auckland, Canterbury and Wellington are all in the running, and the progress of the play will he followed with close interest by cricketers and followers of the game throughout the Dominion. The Wellington team could be strengthened by the inclusion of E. McLeod, captain of the Hutt club's first eleven, and C. K. Parsloe, of the Kilbirnie team. Bpth these players are experienced allrounders and both are in fine form. McLeod's last two knocks in the senior championship competition have been 47 and 57, and his right-hand leg-breaks would be of service to the Wellington Eleven. In addition, he is a smart fieldsman, with a safe pair of hands, and had had a wide experience of the game, having represented New Zealand several times since he first appeared against Archie MacLaren’s M.C.jC. team in 1923. Parsloe has also beep showing outstanding form with both bat and ball during the past few weeks. He scored 102 not out in the special match against the Public Service team at the Basin Reserve on Wednesday last, and followed this up with 91 for Kilbirnie against Karori on Karori Park on Saturday. Parsloe’s last deliveries would enable Pritchard to be spelled more frequently in the shield game, and his fielding would be of service. If McLeod and Parsloe were to replace Rice and Sheffield, the Wellington side would be strengthened for the critical match with Auckland nejt month.

Two Great Bowlers. It will be interesting to watch in the Shield mutch at Auckland the duel between the two fast .bowlers, T. L. Pritchard (Wellington) and J. Cowie (Auckland). Cowie, on the tour of England in 1937. took 114 wickets at the low cost of 19.9’5 runs each, and was declared by more than one English critic to be the best fast bowler in the world that year. Notwithstanding Cowie's outstanding ability, supporters of the game in Wellington are confident that in Pritchard the province has discovered a fast bowler who is the equal of, if not superior to, Cowie. A glance a., ttie performances of the two bowlers in Plunket Shield matches this season shows that Pritchard took seven wickets for 32 runs, and one ior 48 against Otago, and two for 61 and three for 62 against Canterbury, which gives him 13 wickets for 203 runs, an average of 15.61. Cowie took five for 60, and three for 63 against Canterbury, and five for 79, and two for 38 against 01 ago, which makes his tally 15 wickets for 240 runs, an average of exactly 16 a wicket. It will thus be seen that there has been little between so «tr thiw season, and they will have to renew the duel at Eden Park next month.. What a good bowler Pritchard is he proved in the Hawke Cup match at Nelson at the weekend, when he captured seven wickets for 68 for Manawatu in Nelson's first innings and accomplished the hat trick, dismissing Glover, R. Newman. and Du Feu with successive balls.

A Strong Team. Mention of Pritchard's performance with the ball serves to remind one that Manawatu are a cricnet Force to be seriously reckoned with. They completely outplayed Nelson in this Hawke Cup match, scoring 337 in the first innings, and 357 for seven wickets in the second innings. J. Murchison was in great form, hitting up 101 and 63. G. A. Robertson, the McVicar brothers, N. Gallichan and Campbell all scored freely. Manawatu is proving itself a veritable nursery of cricket. South Auckland will be hard put to it to retain the Hawke Cup this year.

Old Boys’ Day. Wellington College Old Boys’ lucky star was iu the ascendant at the Basin Reserve on Saturday afternoon when they ran up 284 against Institute Old Boys. C. 11. Wareham and V. 11. Du Chateau put on 110 for the first wicket, but if the luck had not been with them one wicket would have been down for three runs.

R. Crook opened the bowling for Institute and Wareham scored three off the first ball. Du Chateau cut the second delivery straight into C. S. Dempster's hands in the slips, but instead Of taking the catch the qaptain of the Leicestershire county eleveji took the ball on the end of his thumb, which was so injured that he took no more part in play during the day Wareham and Du Chateau then went on to score freely. Wareham did the bulk of the scoring, but lie also was lucky, as he was dropped by Bezzant behind the sticks and by Buchan in the slips in the same over by J. Boddy. Wareham scored 74 and Du Chateau 70. and both batted brightly despite the chances they gave. A. Thompson, R. H. Boyes and G. L. Whyte all hit courageously in the dying stages and helped to swell the total to respectable proportions. Crook (four for 76) and J. McKeown (four for 61) did the bowling for Institute, who lost one wicket for 14 runs, A. Lang being run out after a single had been scored. Why will batsmen risk their wicket in this manner for a sharplyrun single? One run is never worth a good wicket. Institute will have to bat well next Saturday to reach Old Boys’ score. It is reported that Dempster’s thumb will have healed by Saturday, but even with both hands sound be will have to rise to the occasion if Institute is going to maintain their unbeaten record this season.

Always Bat First. It was a strange decision which U. A. Whyte, captain of the Wellington team, made on Saturday, when he won the toss, and sent Hutt’in to bat on a firm wicket, fast outfield, and in a glorious light. Sir Pelham Warner, the one-time Middlesex and All-Eugland captain, and qditor of “The Cricketer." once gave this sound advice to cricket captains: ‘‘Always win the toss, and always bat first.” Hutt seized the opportunity to run up 252 runs, E. McLeod ami IL O. Gwilliam both passing the half-eentnry. Though E. D. Blundell ami It. J. Morrissey were back in the Wellington team, M. D. Meech proved himself the best bowler on the day. He kept a good length in taking five wickets for 47 runs off 10 overs. Blundell had to be content with two for 69. and Morrissey with two for 46.

Wellington made the vigorous response of 147 for three wickets. If he made a mistake in sending Hutt in on sqch a batsman's wieket, the Wellington ct plain went, far to redeem his error by hitting up 66 iu dashing style. His team may justify bis peculiar decision next Saturday by heading the Hutt total, but it will be a different story if the match has to be continued on a bowler’s wicket.

Kilbirnie Improves. Kilbirnie, who have won only one game this season, placed themselves in a good position on Karori Park on Saturday by running up 243 runs, and then getting rid of six Karori batsmen for 08 runs.

0. K. Parsloe, who reached 91, was the outstanding batsman on the Kilbirnie

side This plaver, like Du Chateau, of *th e Wellington College Old Boys team, has now learnt that it pays to combine defence with aggression. . Any hateman who attempts to score off every ball will soon find himself back m the pavilion—a sadder and wiser man. It is when defence and aggression are judiciously blended that long scores come. W. G. Bain, who has not struck lorm this season, played a good knock for 46, and K. Parkin, the Rougotai College colt, scored 29 not out as last nian in. Karori unearthed a new bowler ot merit in this match in T. Searell, who kept a good length and varied his pace cleverly in taking six wiekets for 68 runs. Searell is an ex-Nelson player, who represented Nelson in Hawke Cup matches about tour je KaroH, who had scored 328 in the previous match against University, found the Kilbirnie bowling too good for them, and six wickets had fallen for 68 runs when time was called. Parsloe took two wiekets tor 13 runs, Wilson one for 5, Parkin two for 13, and J. Ashenden one for 31. Parkin, who is a tall youth, who bowls slow left-handed spinners, promises to develop into a useful all-round player.

A Sound Knock. T. A. Harpur, who played tor Wellington against Otago in the Plunket Shield match at Christmas time, was in form for University against Midland on the Kilbirnie ground on Saturday. His 72 was put together very soundly. He was at the wickets for 105 minutes and hit a six and nine fours. W. Trickleblink, the Varsity captain, had a good day. scoring 45 with the bat and taking the two Midland wickets which fell at a cost of 56 runs. Midland did well to score 173 for two wiekets. E. W. Tiudill, the Wellington representative captain, maintained the excellent form be has been showing ’this season by hitting up 77 not out, and W. Hepburn, the Midland captain, shaped brightly for 64. This pair put On 120 for the first wicket for Midland.