CRICKET

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 120, 16 November 1929, Page 25

CRICKET

MERCANTILE LEAGUE

A review of the season to date shows a distinct tendency towards supremacy of ball over bat in the Mercantile League, some of the more prominent teams being dismissed for exceptionally small scores. This is not due to a falling off in the batting, but is a result of particularly good bowling, the league this year being unusually well off in this department: Brooks (Cowans)? Toms (Pastimes), and White (Customs), in the A grade, are all bowlers of outstanding ability, and regularly collect their quota of wickets, whilst in the B and C grades the batsmen's activities have been considerably curtailed by the accuracy and wiliness of Cragg and Dowdell (City Milk Department), Shaw (State Advances), and Hodge (State JFirej. On a recent Saturday Cragg bowled five maiden overs out of seven, and secured five wickets for 8 runs. The same player took eight wickets for 9 runs the Saturday' previous. In the batting department Rpberts (Smith and Smith) has struck form early, securing only four short of his Century in the first match, and compiling a splendid 125. not out in the next. Studholme (State Fire) is another player who has got amongst the runs early, this player last Saturday following up bis century of the Saturday before with a splendidly-played 93. Hill (State Advances) and Baker, of Maeky Logan's, are also amongst the century scorers, the former's 120 not out against James Smith's being of outstanding merit,- whilst Baker's 111 against Dalgety's turned the tide for his side. It is also pleasing to note that C. Tilyard (Customs) is again showing his true worth. Tilyard is a good man, as was evidenced by his 112 against Health Department two weeks ago.' Hart (of Cables) has now recovered from his injury, and, given a few weeks nursing with the bowling, will soon- be able to skittle .the best of them. The A grade is still a matter of doubt, with Cables slightly in the lead, but the C grade appears a foregone conclusion with Brownlee's well in front.