CRICKET

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 1, 2 January 1915, Page 10

CRICKET

PLUNKET SHIELD MATCH. (By "Marylebone.") The match last week' hetween Canterbury and Otago (writes "The Native" in The Referee) may be voted one of the most one-sided and uninteresting games played for some time. It was confidently expected that Crawford would so immensely strengthen the visitors that they would at least make a good game of it, if they did not actually win. But the ex-Surrey man did not get going with the bat in either innings, and his bowling, though exceedingly good, could only keep one end going, and the howling at the other was very ordinary. It was expected that Crawford's presence on the side would give the others confidence, but their batting showed no signs of it. It was lifeless throughout. Most of the men showed a fair measure of defence, but there did not seem to be a. man on the side capable of going for the bowling. At any Tate they madeour bowlers look absolutely first-class. They certainly did bowl well. I think Reese was the best of the lot. He was accurate right through, and sent down very few loose balls. He always seemed to be "trying," and he mixed them up in such a manner that the batsmen were never at home to him. I have in mind one over he sent down to Crawford. The great batsman had to play every ball, and one could see that it took him all his time to do that. Bennett bowled exceedingly well, better, I think, on tho first day than on the second, though strangely enough he didn't get a wicket in the first innings. Sandman sent down some good balls, but many loose ones. In the second innings especially, his length was very erratic. Carlton, except for a few balls of indifferent length, bowled very well, the one that bowled Crawford in tlie second innings being "one out of the box." Last, but by no means least, Hickmott, who went on late in each innings, beat the batsmen in almost laughable manner. His length was by no means perfect, but when it was the batsman were absolutely at sea to him. With his sharp and pronounced break the batsmen "fell in" nearly every time they played at the pitch. Canterbury's fielding stood out high above that of the Otago men. There wasn't a slacker on the side, and several of the men did really brilliant work. .' . Several of the Canterbury batsmen showed good form at the start. Woods batted stylishly, and looked in for a good score, when a fast and perfect length ball cannoned off his pad into the wicket. Reese was also promising well when a very fast yorker — almost a full toss — found him unprepared. Hickmott showed a lot of good defence, playing Crawford very well, and he scored his runs by aggressive play, his pull strokes being of the best. Bishop played brilliant cricket at the start. His defence was very confident, and he got ,in several clinking shots. Later on he was curiously restrained, and he made one or two impatient and uppish strokes that discounted his innings. Eventually he allowed an overpitched ball from Siedeberg to get under his bat. Patrick, 1 as he invariabljr does in big matches, batted most stylishly, his scoring shots being crisp and neatly executed. Beal was the best ba.t on the side. None of the bowling taxed his defence, and he scored all round the wicket at a good rate, and by good strokes. Several of Crawford's overpitched balls he despatched to the on-boundary in really good style. Sandman played a sound and very useful innings. He curbed his desire for a hit, and showed good defence and scoring strokes. His partnership with Patrick was an invaluable one, and except for it, the side would not have had much- of a lead on the first innings. NOT UP TO STANDARD. The Marlborough match was a sad affair for the visitors, who neither with the bat nor the ball were up to representative standard. Still, they played the game, and a not unpleasant game it was to watch. Rogers was the hero on the Wellington side. In Marlborough's first innings he took eight wickets for 13 runs, and on top of this put up a splendid batting performance of 139. True, the stuff he was up against was not very strong, but Rogers took no liberties, and his iinings was practically faultless. One hardly saw a stroke that was not clean and neat. His work to the on was particularly noticeable. The Petone veteran had certainly a Merry Christmas of cricket this year. Towards the end of his big innings he began to tire very noticeably, and that, no doubt, contributed to his ultimate downfall. His club partner, Cate, gave him a good deal of assistance, and the seventh wicket partnership was something near a record, running close on 200. Both batsmen gave very attractive displays, and relieved an otherwise dull game. Of the Marlborough bowlers Lucas struck the writer as the most effective. In fact, he was the only bowler whom Cate and Rogers seemed to find at all difficult. The Marlborough captain would have done better to have kept Lucas on longer. When Marlborough went in again only Chisholm batted with anything like form and freedom, and he had hard lines in being run out. Five batsmen failed to break their ducks, and, apart from Chishohn, only Hylton reached double figures. Tucker did all the bowling in the second innings, and got his seven wickets cheaply enough for 29. Rogers had a spell. So far as Wellington were concerned, it waß an old stagers' match, and one would like to see the. Selection Committee giving younger blood a chance, such as they might get against a weak team like Marlborough. Still the old stagers are not back numbers, and the games both here and in Auckland show what cricket material and talent this city still possesses.