CRICKET. CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHES.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 94, 18 October 1909, Page 3

CRICKET. CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHES.

DEAD WICKETS— DULL CRICKET. 0 East B, 59, \i. Central, 80. East k, 105, mt. North, 64 for 2. South, 110, v. Petone, 48 for 7. Hutt, 59, v. Victoria College, 58. HOWOUR BOARD. Upham (North), 5 for 3». Laws (Central), 4 for 27 Patrick (South) 3 for 14. Miller (Easi 3), 4 for 18. Kinvig (Central;, 4 for 14. Senior (P«tDue), 4 for 33. Monaghan (Victoria College), 7 for 34. Pringle (Hutl), 4 for 16. Saturday, 16th October, 1909, is likely to be a membrable date in the annals of Wellington cricket. For on that date the much-criticised district scheme of cricket, as opposed to club cricket, came into being in real earnest. Time will prove> of it« efficacy or otherwise for the doubtful ones, while for those with a working knowledge of 1 the new idea of things in other parts, under ordinary circumstances and conditions, there is little likelihood of tne "otherwise." On Saturday no batsman expected to make a hundred, and anticipations were realised. At this time of the year we have the early wickets with us, and the early wickets are- not conducive to fast run-getting. The rain towards t"ae week-end assured them being dead and slow (in the nain) on Saturday, and as a consequence the bowlers get on the honour board first. The outfield was just as dull, and there blew all the afternoon a bitter -south wind that never desisted, and which took the edge off the players and pat it on the noses and ears of the spectators. Some two or three thousand of these braved the opening, and stood round the fence muffled with overcoats or with hands stuffed deep out of the way of the searching wind. The sun shone bravely, but the southerly predominated easily. The seating accoTimodation in the stand was filled, and in an upstairs room adjacent bright-eyed tea-brewers and cup-bearers administered cups of soothingly wai'm rafreshment. For the almost unseasonably reasonable charge, of threepence the outsider could make his heart glad and his nose warm, and patrons were numerous. Within the precincts of the press-box there was little joy, for a rude hand had made two body-large openings in the bay windows facing the south, and through these the wind rushed maliciously, freezing the indefatigable scorers and scribes. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh vi the morning, and by next Saturday there will doubtless be neither southerly nor' unnecessarily and superfluous holes in the glass. For the former there \vill be no tears. THE GENERAL PLAY. Three matches were played on the Basin Reserve, and at least three are going to provide close and interesting finishes. Most interest centred on No. 1 wicket, where East A and North clashed. The personnel of these elevens included such true and tried veterans as Tucker, Upham, S. Hickson, Williams, Mahoney, Hales, and Luckie. In this game quite the most interesting feature was the welcome reappearance of E. F. Upham, whose retirement has been advertised so well. The fast bowler could not restrain the call, and demonstrated that local cricket can hardly do without him yet. Bowliny against the wind, he had the honour of bowling the first ball (in championship 1 competitions) for the season, and of bagging the .first wjeket (Midlane's).. The.ex-Y.M.C.A. man scored the first run, ;md Ken Tucker, who followed him later, the first fonrer. Mahoney and Tucker batted a long while for a few runs, but the wicket was. tricky, many balls keeping low or kicking, and Upham was bowling really well — in quite his old form. His average worked out at five for 33 off nineteen overs. M<Gill (22), ex-Old Boys, got top for East, Tucker (17) batting as carefully as of yore. Luckie (North) bowled moderately, and fielded somewhat worse, Wj'nyard, too. North tried a fast lefthander in J. Moore, and he got one past Mahoney. It looked like a low yorker. Shortly after, Upham bowled Tucker neck and crop. J. P. Blacklock is playing with North, who loot two wickets early. Wynyard, slow between the wickets, jnst failed to get home in ( time, and Arnold Williams slid into /the crease on both knees, only to find the fiatr against him. Williams and Stan 'Hickson each made a beautiful drive off Hales' s fast stuff — two of the finest strokes sesn during the day. The East trundling looks like being on the weak side. On No. 2, Laws and Kinvig (Central) sent East B to the rightabout for a paltry 59. This was a case in which merely' moderate bowling was greatly assisted by merely moderate batting. Here, again, the wicket was dead. The successful bowlers wheeled up all sorts of lengths, Laws * reiving on a break either way to "foozle" through. Murphy took a fine 4 catch, stopping Day, while Laws also bagged a hot one. Central took the bat with but little to beat, and on paper, a strong batting team, including Laws, Birch (who was run out in an absurd attempt to steal a run), C. Hickson, Beechey, Bruce, Hawthorne, Naughton, and Kinvig. But with the exception of Hawthorne and another they gave an ignomonious display. Young R. Miller, who played for Wellington last year, gathered scalps with a medium' ; fast ball, some of which had a tendency to ."perform," thanks to the wicket. Collett, ex-Wadestown, at the western end, bowled a few good ones. Naughton, when aggressive, while trying his pet leg swing was caught brilliantly almost on the grass by Wil; son at fine leg. A long way distant, on No. 3, Petone and Wellington South had a deal of fun, if not exciting cricket. By the shuffle "of circumstances, the evergreen Cobcroft (South) found himself playing against Brice (Petone). Taylor and Cobcroft, with 20 and 21 respectively, made what looked to be a lt>ng stand for South, Taylor especially putting on the wood. Senior made an auspicious debut for Petone this season, Brice assisting. Cobcroft evident-ly knew the weak points of the suburban eleven, as most of them found his insidious slows a problem somewhat too involved for them. At one stage he had four for 9. Petone, with seven down for 48, have to do something big to got the points here. Victoria College and Hutt had abittei battle (on a funny wicket) at Waiwetu with the result that the Collegians arc one behind on the first innings. Monaghan began with a good (comparative] double — 16 (top score) and seven foi 34. Wilson and Aldersley made a promising start for Hutt, and then Monaghan went through the rest. Play did not begin on the Basin or Saturday till 2.40, tnough the recognised time of starting is, with fifteen minutes' grace, 2.15. The other matchci began some minutes later. It would perhaps, be wise for the association t* fix the time at 2.30, with a penalty foi unpunctual teams. Two o'clock, or 2.15 stems a little too early for players whe have to §0 home out to the suburb: after leaving; business.

Scores are as follow :—: —

JUNIOR MATCH. Templars 29 (Brown 14), and 24 for 8, Wanderers 49 (Webster 29). Garnet, 5 for 15, Wallace, 5 for 8, and Cattanach, 4 for 11, bowled most successfully for Wanderers, and Brown and Blenkinsop for Templars.

Monaghan, 1.b.w., b ii J rmglo 16 Dempßey, b Pnngie 2 Poster, Lb.w., b Pringle 13 De lrti Mare, b Collyer 0 Ward, b Ooilyer „. 1 Berendson, run out 2 Griffiths, b Pringle v ... 1* Darcach, not out 6 Broad, b Judd 3 Miller, o Aldersley, b Judd 2 Extras 2 Total 58 Bowling Analysis. — Pringle, four wickets for 16 runs ; Collyer, two for 17 ; Jxidd, two for 9 ; Piloher, nil for 14. HDTT.— First Innings. Wilwin, b Mona.gh»n 22 Aldersley, b Foster ..! 16 Prmgle, Lb.w., b Foster ... ... ... 1 Judd, b Monaghan 5 Olliver, b Monaghan 0 Staples, b Monaghan 7 Rodgers, o Dempsey, b Monaghan ... 1 Sanderson, c and b Monaghan 1 Matthews, c and b Miller ... ... 3 Pilcher, o Ward, b Monaghan 0 Collyer, not out 0 Extras 3 Total 59 Bowling Analysis. — Monaghan, seven wiokets for 3* runs ; Miller, one for 8 ; Foster, two for 14. Umpires: Messrs. D. M. Yextte and W. Donnelly. (

VICTORIA COLLEGE v. HUTT. VICTORIA COLLEGE.— First Innings.

Cobcroft, b Bowman 21 Vare, run out .. ... ... ... 5 Burton, b Senior 3 Taylor, 1.b.w., b Senior 20 Schnioll, b Senior 0 Patrick, o Cale, b Senior 6 Plimmer, st. Cato, b Bennott ... 13 M'Kay, c Nunn, b Bennett 16 Waters, 1.b.w., b Brice 17 M'Gkwan, 1.b.w., b Brice 2 Howe, not out „. 0 Extras 7 Total 110 Bowling Analysis. — Senior, 4 wickets for 35 runs; Brice, 2 for 35; Bennott, 2 for 19 ; Bowman, 1 for 15.^ PETONE.— First Innings. Cate, c and b Cobcroft 9 Nunn, l.b.w. b Cobcroft 0 Senior, c Patrick .. ... ... 5 Brice, b Patrick 0 Powell, b Cobcroft 0 Joyce, not out ... 11 Reynolds, b Cobcroffc 0 Dalgleish, 1.b.w., b Patrick 4 Bowman, not, out ... 4 Extras 10 Seven wickets for 44 Bowling Analysis. — Cobcroft, 4 wickets for 20 runs; Patrick, 3 for 14 runs. Umpires — Messr6. S. Lambert and W. Brooks.

EAST B v. CENTRAL. EAST B.— First Innings.

Wilson, b .Laws 10 Wills, o Beechey, b Kinvig 8 E. Claridge, b Laws 0 G. Day, o Murphy, b Kinvig 2 M'Lennan, b Lawb ... 0 "A. Day, c and b Kinvig 0 Mason, si; Condlilfe, b Laws ... 0 Nash, not out ..._ > H Cqllett, c Laws, b Kinvig 11 Miller, run out ... 6 Johnston, c Laws, b Miller 8 Extras 3 Total *fi9 Bowling Analysis. — Miller, 1 wicket for 15 runs; Laws, 4 for 27; Kinvig, 4 for ! 14.. CENTRAL.— First Innings. C. Hickson, 1.b.w., b Na6h 6 Beechey, b Collett 8 j Birch, run out 8 Naughton, c. Wilson, b Miller ... 17 Bruce, b Collett 4 Laws, b Miller 1 Hawthorn, not out 17 Murphy, c Nash, b Miller 0 Kinvipc, c Nash, b Miller 2 Cqndliffe, b Miller 35 j Miller, run out . . .. 2 Total 80 Bowling Analysis. — Naoh, 1 wiokot for 21 runs; Collett, 2 for 25; Miller, 4 for IS. Umpires — Messrs. D. M'Konzie and A. F. Wiren

SOUTH v. PETONE. SOUTH.— First Innings.

Mahoney, b Moore „. 14 Midlane, b Upham 2 Hutchings, run out 0 Tucker, b Upbam 17 Bowles, b Upham 4 M'Gill, o Wynyard, b Phillips ... 22 Gibbes, b Phillips 8 Lpmax, 1.b.w., b Upham .'. ... 5 Little, not out 9 Quinn, c and b Upham 1 Hales, o Manson, b Phillips 4 . Extras 19 Total 105 Bowling Analysis. — Upham, 5 wickets for 35 runs ; Luckie, 0 for 16 ; Moore, 1 for 19; Phillips, 3 for 18. WELLINGTON NORTH.— First Innings. Williamp, run out X Wvnyard, run out 2 S.'Hickson, not out 89 Phillips, not out - 3 Extras 6 Total for two wickets 54 Umpires — Messrs. J. Vartham and W. R. Bock.

EAST A v. NORTH. I EAST A. — First Innings.