CRICKET

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 138, 7 December 1912, Page 18

CRICKET

(By "Half Volley.") , In weather more suitable for football than for cricket another series of games in the senior championship was concluded last Saturday. ■ At Petone, " Hu'tt, arid Kelburne players shivered in the cold wind, all for the sate of the game. The East teams were uflable' to play on' the College ground, and a "two-point win was recorded for the A eleven. . Three series of matches have now been played by most teams — North and East Bhave one game uncompleted. On the present showing East A have a good lead in. points, having won all three matches with 7 points to their credit. The other teams stand as follow : North 4 points, Central, Petone, and South 3 points each, College, East B and Hutt 2 points each. North, with a reasonably certain twopoint win, endeavoured to wrest three points from Petone, but were not successful. Had they closed their innings a little earlier, and taken a risk, they might have done better, but as it was Petone had two wickets to spare when stumps were drawn. They lacked 78 runs of the total required to win. The most noticeable feature of the game was the almost complete collapse of the North batting. Excluding Blacklock and Crombie the total of runs and extras was 32 j no batsman, save the two mentioned, reaching double figures. With a little luck on the side of Petone the collapse might have been even m6re complete, for Blacklock, who subsequently compiled 72 more than all the rest of the team, gave a chance at 3. The return, however, was a hot. one, and Brice can be excused for missing it. Blacklock was usually looked to for spectacular batting, clean hard drives to the boundary, and so on, but this Saturday he showed that he possessed skill in another direction. Not that his innings was dull or devoid of boundary hits, but it was essentially the innings of- a captain who had to keep in, getting 'runs when possible, buti keeping in all the time. Crombie gave material assistance, but the other batsmen failed entirely. Blacklock was within one wicket of carrying his bat. M'Kenzie, Finlayson, and Brice took wickets, but Brice was knocked »boUt rather badly by Blacklock. In batting, the Petone bowling trio were again to the fore. Brice's 33 (not out) wag generally very careful cricket. The that Southall's bowling would wear out has not so far been justified, and the^ tall left-hander continues to get wickets and keep his average down. In the Petone match Bray was tried, and found very " useful. If his batting promises are fulfilled North will have cause to regard him as doubly Useful. , ' ' Blacklock was hit on the knee by a ball while batting against Petone, and had to have a player to run for him for the rest of the innings. The injury, though not of a very serious nature, was sufficient to keep the North captain off the field "in Petone's second innings. To-day the Basin Reserve is to be again available for matches. Though the weather has been, go bad it is expected that tho playing area of the field will be in good condition — much better, at least, than at the close of last season. Wellington is not alone in experiencing unseasonable cricket weather. "Such hail and rain as fell in Sydney and most of the suburbs at noon op Saturday is rarely seen in the metropolis," says the Referee. "The hail piled up in the gutters, on housetops, and in streets, and tho water overflowed. And at that hour cricket in the afternoon seemed as remote as the Arctic Pole. But after the deluge came the calm, with a bright, warm sun, and though' 'another shower fell at 3.30 p.m., some cricket was possible on the turf wickets, and a good deal on the matting wickets. The storm cleared the atmosphere, and then out in the open one felt it good to be alive." On most Saturdays in Wellington the joy of life has been more evident within four walls. Outside, the principal thing keenly felt has been the wind. In Christchurch, of seven Saturdays available for cricket this season, three have .been altogether spoilt by rain, one hour's play only being possible. Lusk will not be available for interprovincial cricket this year, as he intends to spend his vacation at his home in Auckland. On the other hand, Sims has arrived back from a lengthy trip to the Old Country, and should take his ' place.— -Canterbury Times. p. C. Collins— ckmble-blue of Cambridge, as cricketer, and oarsman— -has finished his course at the University and will return to New Zealand shortly. In what part of the Dominion he will reside and whether he will again take up cricket is not yet- announced. "Spofforth's suggestion that two runs be counted for every maiden over bowled for a, side during a match has not met with approval (states the Sportsman). Instead of brightening up the game, it would apparently make it more tedious and uninteresting than ever, for the bowlers would certainly bowl off and leg theory with a vengeance^ as each maiden they sent down would score two runs for their side. To the writer, the best way to make a batsman, liit ( is to give him something worth risking" his innings for, -via., double figures for a hit' over the fence. The pleasure of scoring a tenner, or several tenners for that matter, when approaching the century, would no doubt induce a. batsman to open out more freely than at present, and would work the onlookers up to a great pitch of excitement." If the alteration is to produce excitement it may not be wise to introduce it here. Wellington's spectators might suffer from the unusual sensation. • Brief mention of current reports is made by the Referee :— Reports have been made public through the Press to the effect that the conduct of some of the players on the tour in England and elsewhere has not been exemplary. These reports do not coincide with the interviews with the players and manager that have appeared. • But it may be found that those who have been lntervwnyed have* concealed the true state of anaira. The Board of Control is to meet oq 6th December at Melbourne, when, it will have the report . of Mr. G. S. Crouch, who as the paid official of the board will no doubt plaice before it a full statement affecting those members of the team whose conduct has been deemed censurable. In that case the matter may be left to the board to deal with. " . « ' All hope of persuading G. L. Jeseop to withdraw his resignation as captain of the county eleven has been given up by the Gloucestershire County Cricket Club, whicA has opened a subscription list for a public testimonial. The presentation will be. made at the .next annual general meeting. The maximum subscnptiort is to be £1 Is, but an original intention to /restrict the list of subscribers to members of the club has been departed ifrom. A match was played between ' the Johnsonville and Porirua Schools on the Mental Hospital ground, Porirua. on Thursday: afternoon, and resulted in a win, by 67 • runs, for Porirua School. The scores werp as follow : tlohnsonville 33 arkl 20 (Moore (8) principal scorer), Porirua 41 and 79 (Rene. 16 and 22 not out, Eastwood 23 not out, Stunell 10, and Windby 10 scoring double figures). Moore, Grierson, and Mills bowled best for Johnsonville, Harris, Stunell, and Lewis sharing the honours for Porirua. On Monday week the Porirua boys m^et a team from Petone District High SchoW.