LOCAL CRICKET. THE 1911-12 SEASON. A. REVIEW. (By "Half Volley.")

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 77, 30 March 1912, Page 14

LOCAL CRICKET. THE 1911-12 SEASON. A . REVIEW. (By "Half Volley.")

Tlie autumn winda, which are piping just now, , lemind * cricketers that the 1911-12 cricket season 'is fast nearing an end.' Footballers "and followers of other winter sports are already bestirring themselves, and in less than a month the vaious Rugby, soccer, and hockey competitions will be in full swing. So far as the Wellington Cricket Association is concerned the season is to end with the conclusion of the senior matches commenced last Aveek. Therefore, given fine "weather the curtain will be officially rung down on Saturday afternoon next. Taking everything into consideration the season has been a fairly (satisfactory one. The standards of play in the senior competition has not- shown any signs of deterioration, and financially the a^oda-. tion is in a much sounder position than it was at the end of last season. By the time the end of nest season comes round, it should be ireo from debt. In the senior competition East A and Central early singled themselves out, but unexpected reverses at the hands of Petone and Victoria College respectively brought them back within striking distance of the other teams. However, they managed to maintain their lead, and at present are engaged in a final struggle for supremacy. Up to the present East A, out of seven games played, have won two outright, and three on the first innings. The other two games — against Petone and Central — were lost. Central's /"ecord is a similar one. South have won two outright, and two on the first innings, Victoria- College doing likewise. Petone have won two outright, and one on the first innings. East B have not gained a single full-point win, nor hav^ North and Hutt. .Sast B, however/ nave won three games on the first inninga aa agiaaat two by North and Hutt. The outstanding feature of the East A's play has been the bowling of Hickey and Gibbes. Prior to the repretentative games these men carried all before tnW. Tucker, Baker, Gibbes, Mahoney, and Midjane have been the mainstay of the batting. Blamhes, Beechey, Naughton, Robinson, and Jackson have been the principal factors in Central's successi, all showing fair form. with, the bat. As a. bowling side the team 1 is weak. Souths success has been due to Burton, Walters, and Grace (batsmen), and Fenton (bowler). Dickson and Saunders have been the bright particular stars in the Victoria College eleven, splendid bowl-ing^figui-es being obtained by both. As a batting team College were weak. North's position is hard to explain. The team, on paper, is a good one, but for some reason the players have failed to show their true form. Phillips, Crombie, and Finlayson have be-»tt the most prolific batsmen, and good crops of wicke&s have been obtained by Luckie, Finlayson, and Findlay. The last mentioned player commenced splendidly, but fell away badly after Christmas. Brice, Nunn, M'Kenzie, and Barber (Petone), and Judd, Aldersley, and the Pringlos (Hutt) have shown best form in the suburban teams. Among the lower grade players conconsiderable dissatisfaction has- existed throughout tho season, owing to the association not classifying certain' players taking part in the junior and third-class 'competitions. For instance, the thirdclass championship . has been won by a team capable of defeating 95 perc ent, of the junior elevens. Tho saj*s state of affairs' existed in the junior competi-tion,-only one district - team (Central) 4>eing able to hold its" own with the juniw clubs. Included in. one cf these teams" was an OCago representative player and a played who fiad been selected.for the North Club's senior eleven. The" matter shduld be one for earnest consideration by / the executive next season. "'As matters stand at present many junior . and •' third-class ' players have intimated that they intend playing in the junior • outside 'association in future. True wickets are one of the 'essentials of cricket and one' can say without fear of contradiction that the', wickets provided during the season have been better than at any time in the history of the game in Wellington. In this respect alone Saunders has justified his appointment". , With regard to the standard of cricket as compared with other centres it is safe to say that Wellington lags little behind Auckland and Canterbury. Both these provinces sent strong team 6 here during the season and only succeeded in winning by the narrowest of margins. The form- of the visitors was in no way better N than that of our own players ; in fact, not a single batsman showed better form than Gibbes did. On this ypatfs play Gibbes must- be classed as one Of ' l the soundest batsmen in the Dominion. Two promising colts in Robinson and Grimmett, were unearthed in the Auckland game. As a fast and slow bowler respectively theso playefe promise to develop _ into _ representatives who will worthily aesist tlie province in future big j games. , Ont) matter' for regreii in connection with the management of ' the game in Wellington was the 'decision of the delegates not. to support a proposal to &end a team to Australia next year. It was a somewhat dog-in-the-manger policy as the decision has practically damned the proposal.Wednesday cricket, which languished a few yeais ago, took on a new lease of life during the season with the result that the competitions lia.ve been the most successful in the history of the mid-week cricket. There is eWry reason for the belief 'that in a few yearn the " btandard of play will be quite as good 'as that in the Saturday competition. ( House cricket was very popular during tho year, fully a dozen tuch games being played each Saturday. A cup has already been offered for competition next year when an ' effort will be made to form a House Association. , During the past two months there has been talk of the Saturday Association reverting to the club system next year. • Although the game languished during the first two years of the-district cricket, yet there is reason to believe that tho tide has turned' and that the scheme will yet make Wellington cricket. " How-^ ever, a readjustment of the boundaries" is an absolute necessity, as the position at present is nut an equitable one. Premier teams Tor the season are as follows : Wednesday Competition, Union isenior and junior) ; Saturday Competition, senior grade.' incomplete ; junior, St. Mark's ; third class, Templars. Evans Bay art- leading in the outside junior competition. The death of Mr. Eric D. Hacon, at Auckland, last Monday, removes a young oarsman of good physique and grit. Hk rowing was always full of energy and vigour. Much regret was felt at the Star Boating Club, of which he waa a t jopukr member since 1905, when the newt came to hand. The battle between "Harry" Lewis and the "Dixie- Kid," in which the latter j was bouudly trounced, was .reckoned to be oiio of tho must brilliani< battles over j &6en. Lewib was surpritiugl}' ciever and | enduring.. " j