CRICKET FEATS

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 80, 2 October 1933, Page 11

CRICKET FEATS

RECORDS M LEAGUES

DEMPSTER AND MERRITT

BIG AGGREGATES

The extent to which Now Zealand cricketers have made themselves conspicuous in League cricket in Lancashire is indicated in a budget of cricket news to hand from England. For instance, one feature of an August afternoon'h cricket carries the following, headlines: "Dempster Smashes a Eecord—Another Century and Highest Aggregate." That has to' do with Bibblcsdalc League erielcet, in which Dempster has been playing as a member of the Blackpool .team. Turning to Lancashire League cricket there is featured "Hewitt's Great Honour—First to Take 100 .. Wickets—lnspired Spell Against Church.'' And lator the fact is j recorded that. Merritt 'had broken a 32-year-old record in taking; over 115 wickets in a season. ,'..'>' .It was previously mentioned in "The Post" that Dempster and.Massoy had been doing such unprecedented scoring for Blackpool that both batsmen had amazingly high averages. Massey, through ■ haying-been dismissed only once, had an average at one stage of over 400, while Dempster's average was over 200. Since then Massey has been losing his wicket on occasions, but Dempster has still been scoring heavily. A score of 107 not put on August 5 gave Dempster ; his -fourth "not out" cen- [ tury in tho Ribblesdale League and brought his aggregate to 786, an achievement never previously made by any player in the Eibblesdale League. His average then stood at 157.20, and Massey's having dropped to 146.50, Dempster ' took pride of place in the batting .averages' list for the League. STRONG INFLUENCE. \Of Dempster's feat one writer states: "C. 8. Dempster, whose services Blackpool are Jiicky enough to enjoy, and who has without question infused new life into tho Ribblcsdalc League, in a merry knock against the leaders (Leyland Motors) passed the League record aggregate formerly held by Claughton. i the' Darwen professional, who. in 1929 ! scored 747 in 21 innings. As Dempster has had only ten innings, the measure of his performance can be appreciated. All the more outstanding is it in view of tho fact that this is his first season in English League cricket. s His is" a record which . should stand for many [years to come. Three successive notput: centuries had put him in the running for his achievement. Up to now he has only twice been dismissed for less than 50. With Massey, he has made Blackpool one of the strongest batting Sides in League cricket throughout the country." • It is stated that in .compiling his 107 not out Dempstjjf was once- again in great form, scoring at a''terrific speed. In humid heat a magnificent holiday crowd of over 2000 saw a game which ha,d a yital effect On the ultimate destination \of tho championship. Somo extracts from the aeeount vbf. the match are: Dempster opened in characteristic fashion Vby hooking Small to the boundary .over Jiis shoulders. . . . Having got his eye in, Dempster batted with great abandon. A huge 6; off Shakespear was followed by two successive 4's. . . . Merrily Dempster went on, and with two successive 4'a at the expense of Shakespear passed the record aggregate for the league. This being only ■his tenth innings, it was a magnificent performance'even for a batsman of his talent. By the end of tho season ho should have put up figures which will stand for years. . ;■ . Dempster went on the century way imf>erturbcdi> His not out: score of 107 included oho f§ and sixteen 45."... '..' '•'■ , ■••' '■' Another ifeiu, l'ofcmiVg'rto a. previous match, reads: C. S. Dempster, the New Zealauder, hasj.a big drawing power, a clear proof of this being seen at LeyJajid when the visit; of Blackpool !attracted the. largest attendance seen on the ground for many years. Dempster is. a. personality in the ' Eiddlesdale League similar to what Constantine is in; the Lancashire League. Dempster, who scored 33 before ho 'was given' out Ibw, is a fine cricketer, his footwork being remarkably good, arid the mannei in which-ho placed his shots pleased the crowd; who followed every stroke with keen interest. He made; one remarkably fine drive but of the ground for six. '. «' MERRITT'S ALL-BOUND FORM. Of W. E. Mcrritt's success on tho same dny as that on which Dempster created a new rocord, tho' "Sports' Telegraph" states:-—"Bill" Morritt, of Rishton, is the first bowler in'the Lancashire League to take his'century of wickets this season. He had 93 wickets when: the game commenced against Church, and taking five 'for no more than half a dozen runs in his last three overs ;-he finished the match with eight and;, made his, aggregate/ 101. Last season ho got, 102 wickets, apart from over 20 in Worslcy Cup matches, and with fire more matches to: play he' has an excellent chance .of breaking the club record at/present held'by Harry Riley, who captured 115 League wickets at a cost-of 11 runs each in 1901. (Mefritt subsequently brbkp the record.)"^ ' / .. :/ Mcrritt also . had • a.gueat match against Lowerh.ouse, Apart from taking five wiekets/h'i registered an exceptionally fine performance with tho bat. On a account states:—"There was some

heavy scoring in the Lancashire Leaguo games on Saturday; and'in a reftiarkable match at Rishton Lowerhotise, after declaring.at 205 for eight wickets, were defeated by the home side, who did not lose;a wicket. In the Lower* house innings, which lasted 110 ■ iriinutes, St. Hill scored 115 not out and made eighteen boundary ; hits. Even that, however, was beaten by the professional on the opposing side, Merritt making 149 not out. With J. Marsden as his partner Merritt made 50 of the first sixty runs, and the pair stayed until they-had Avon the match. :The last 77 were scored in twenty-four minutes and the winning-hit was made three minutes from time. Merritt hit twenty-three boundaries, eight of them off tho last nine balls he leeeived."

The other two New Zealanders in Lancashire League cricket, A. W. Roberts and, I. B. Cramb, have been doing quito well; •in fact, Roberts has' performed much better thaa his'omission from' the'cabled scores would suggest. At the beginning- of' August Boberts (playing, for. Churcli) held uinth^lace in the Lancashire League-batting averages. In 18. innings (twice not-out); he had made 528 runs, and his average was ■ 33.00. Merritt had - madfr' 485. (average 28.52) and Cromb 304 (23.35). Merritt was in elevonth place ? on" the bowling list with an average of 13.35, but he moved up a little in his next match. Roberts was just behind with 38 wickets at an average of 14.44, but Cromb was a long way behind with 24 wickets and an averago of 23.08.