N.Z. CRICKET

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 96, 19 January 1944, Page 8

N.Z. CRICKET

Canterbury Regains Supremacy

review of position (By Burwood.) The long ' spell of cricket supremacy which has been enjoyed by Auckland has been wrested from them this year by Cain terbury These two provinces hate lon D vied with each other for cricket and it is pleasing 'to see the, southern nrnvince take the lead once more. P In the match against Otago -at Christchurch at Christmas time Canterbury scored an overwhelming victory by .an and 67 runs. Canterbury totalled till) in their only innings, centuries being scored by F P O'Brien (164) and VV . A. Hadlee (iOj) and Uli Otago could .. ‘“ : 2 n . 201 and 242, D. Watt scoring 10a in Otago s Se \Vhen Auckland easily beat IV ellington by eight wickets at Wellington In the Christmas match it was considered that Auckland and Canterbury Would have a battle royal at Christchurch at the New Year, but here again Canterbury proied stronger, in every department of the. garni and won by the wide margin oi eight wickets. Auckland collapsed In their first innings for 13S, and Canterbury responded with 296. Auckland did, better m then second knock with 250, but canterbury hit off the 93 runs required to win for the loss of two wickets. Canterbury’s strength tins season lies as much in the bowling as the batting department. ■ In the match against Otago W. McD. Anderson took five wickets for <K) runs with his leg breaks. It was Butterfield who was the chief destroying ageut against Auckland. ’To show how strong the Canterbury attack proved it is ouiy necessary to state that 1. B. Cromb was iiot called on to send down a single over in the Auckland match for the first time since he was capped about 14 years ago. Wellington will be given a chance to .redeem their tarnished record when they play the return match against Auckland, at Auckland on February 11, 12 and 14. The sole selector. Mr. W. A. Baker, will have to make .some radical changes in liis team if- he expects Wellington to beat the northerners on their own Eden Park. On the southern tour this season Auckland -were without the services of their star batsman, VV. M. Wallace, who today is the best batsman in the Dominion. That he is in his best form he proved last week by hitting up 142 for Northern against Central Military Command at Auckland. First and foremost, ,T. Ashenden, the Kilbirnie right-hander, should go into the Wellington team as the stock bowler, and Chapman, the Hutt all-rounder, who took two for IS and six for 31 for Hutt against Midland-Wellington on Saturday, should be given his cap. A player who -would put a lot of life into the -batting is D. Alexander, the Wellington College Old Boy, who has scored 87 and 101 not out for his club in his-last two innings. An- . otjjgy all-rounder who would strengthen the team is N. Hoar, who did So well for Air Force against Army at the Basin Reserve 1 last week. It is pleasing; to see that F. H. L. Mooney, the wicketkeeper of the team, has never looked back since he hit up that glorious'lBo in Wellington’s second innings against Auckland at Christmas time. Since then he has scored 133 and 58 for InstituteSt. Patrick's in successive innings in senior championship games. The sole selector should see to it that the Wellington team which goes to Auckland next month will not have to rely on two .bowlers to put on over 100 runs for the ninth and tenth wickets as happened in Wellington’s second® innings against Auckland at the Basin Reserve. . In that match R. Buchan assisted Mooney to add 127 runs for the ninth wicket, and D. Knapp helped Mooney to put on 113 for the tenth wicket. The batting performances of these two bowlers in this innings must be surely a record for New Zealand cricket and will be talked about enthusiastically by followers of the game for many years to come. It must not -be forgotten, however, that it was -Dickinson who infused confidence into Mooney, Buchan and Knapp in this innings by coming in when six wickets were down for 62 and banging 18 oft the first over. he received from Burke, the googly merchant. He scored 30 runs -in about 18 minutes and this, inspired Mooney, who had been very subdued up to this, to open up on the bowling also, while Buchan and Knapp, like Lartius and Herminius, valiantly held the bridge with him.

TAXIMEN AT CRICKET

Auckland v. Wellington

Some bright cricket was seen at Kelburn Park, Wellington, yesterday, in a match between teams representing • the taximen of- Auckland and Wellington. The match was-a return for the visit paid to Auckland by the Wellington taximen last year. Wellington had first use of a fast wicket yesterday, but made an unpromising start in a blustering north-westerly wind. Four wickets were down for 27 runs, when A. Graham. (Grey Cabs) joined J. M. Marshall (Black and White) and, with lots of luck, made a stand which put on 115 runs for the fifth wicket. Here Graham, who had reached 84, Including three sixes and 10 fours, was dismissed. He played a dashing knock, but gave four chances. J. M. Marshall, the Wellington captain, went on to score 69, including nine bqf.ndary strokes, and J. E. Marshall (Grey Cabs) hit three sixes and four fours in running to 40. G. Kellett (Grey Cabs) also had a merry knock for 26 not out. The Wellington innings closed at 1.55 p.m. for the respectable total of 283. Renton (four for 88), Lee (three for 91), Vincent tone for 8), and Drumm (one for 54) took the wickets for Auckland.

The Auckland innings opened at 2.5 p.m., hut the northern batsmen for a time appeared to be out of their element in the Wellington wind. Seven wickets were down for 87 runs when J. Senior joined C. Vincent, and the pair stopped the rot by putting on 70 for the eighth wicket. Both presented the full-face of the blade to the good deliveries, but came down hard on anything short or overpitched. With ijie , to s a l . a t Senior, who had reached oS, including a six and six fours, was run out by his partner, who called him for an impossible run off a stroke to cover-point. Vincent went on to reach 52, which included one six and seven fours, before being bowled by a long-hop from Graham. r. Drumm had earlier shaped well for 34 which included seven fours. When stumps were drawn at 5 p.m. the Auckland score stood at 170 for nine wickets. Purcell, who took three wickets for 10 runs, was the most effective of the Wellington bowlers, and others to take wickets were Jeffreys .(two for 15), J. JI. Marshall (one for 33) and Reid (one for 17). The match will finish today when plav wi 1 start at 10 a.m. The Aucklanders ni"ht 6 ® utertain . e<l at a smoke concert to-

MERCANTILE FIXTURES

Following are the Mercantile Cricket League fixtures for Saturday:— A Grade: Fort Dorset v. Prestige A, Kllbirnic 5, A. J. tViksou; Justice v. W.M. Club, Newtown 5, G. Huss; Amal. Bricks v. James Smiths, Kelburn 3, W. F. Clark. B Grade: De Havilland v. Social Security, Kilbirnie 9, E. Killiek; C.S.T. v Seatoun, Kilbirnie 8. J. C. Cusack; Taxes A v. Sargoods, Kilbirnie 7, O. E. DormerN.C.F. Atlantic v. Comb. Taxis A, Newtown 7, P. Greig. C Grade: A.O.T.N. v. Printing A, Karorl 3. It. Brooks; Advances v. Empire Box, Karorl 1, L. J. .Smith; Centra] v. Comb, laxis B, Karori 2. E; W. Smelt; Grey Cabs v. Taxes B, Karori 4, H Denison • prestige B, a bye. D Grade: Comb. Distributors v. Printing B, Newtown 6, E. Upton; Area 5 v. Davenport, Newton 2, J. Mason: A.E.W.s' v. Love Construction, Newtown 1, G Harris ; M. W. Thomas v. M.T. Workshops, Newtown 3; Collier-Boalc, a bye. In a D grade match on Saturday, Love £?., ns^ uctlon -, 2C JJ for seven (Batiierwiek 73*’ Stott T 4O) lOr 87 ’ beat Are “ 5 ‘ 130 <LaW

ARMY CRICKET TEAM

The selectors. Lieutenant A. J. Postlce and Corporal M. L. Page, have chosen the following eleven to represent Army against Aavy in a match at Auckland on February 4 and □: Corporal M. L. Page (captain) Captain E. W. Tlndill, Lieut. A. J Postles, S/Sergeant W. M. Wallace, Bdr. G. A Richards, Bdr. L. Partridge, Sergeant G - . h. Hook, Lance-Corporal D. N. Afcßae Corporal N. Burtt, Sergeant R. H. Scott’ Sergeant E. T. Muicock, Sergeant J I> Murchison.