With Bat and Ball

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 96, 20 October 1934, Page 22

With Bat and Ball

With the official opening of tho season set down for today, many of tho Mercantile League clubs took the opportunity last Saturday of holding practice matches. Individual performances in mauy instances were' really' : good and showed that' practico had not been altogether neglected during the winter months. Bowlers, generally, were tired at the end of the day, but a few turns at tho practice nets "will soon tune them up.

The prospects are for a highly successful season. Much new blood has come into the league, and this, with the present representatives , offering, to say nothing of hidden talent, will cause the selectors, Messrs/ E. Casey, A. Jennings, and J. Roberts, much, anxious thought before their representative teams are completed. Every effort is being made by the fixtures committee to leave no stone unturned in ensuring that harmony will exist among clubs and officials. Club supporters can, therefore, look forward with confidence to a most interesting and, no doubt, exciting season. LEAGUE STALWARTS. At this week's meeting of the management committee a letter was received from the Mercantile League Umpires' Association stating that Mr. J. Young had been unanimously reelected the association's representative on the management committee. This will be Mr. Young's fourth year in the position. During the whole period ho has rendered yobman service to the league botli as an umpire and as a manager of representative teams. In all, he has been actively connected with the league for eleven years, practically from its inception. For three years ho was chairman of the management committee. His advice and counsel have been of inestimable value on numerous occasions in elucidating the league's many problems, while his personality and knowledge of cricket rules have won him the friendship and rospcet of many. He has done much to crcato and cement that happy relationship 5 which exists today between tho Wellington Cricket Association and the Mercantile League.

Another league stalwart, Mr. P. Laurenson, who has done a great deal of work in the furtherance of Mercantilo Cricket, was fittingly honoured this week when at tho annual meeting of the Mercantile League Umpires' Association he was elected the first life member. Mr. Laurenson has occupied tho chairmanship of the umpires' body since its inception.

During the past few seasons the standard of play in the Hutt Valley Cricket Association has been gradually improving, and this has no doubt been brought about by tho inclusion of old cricketers who at their best had been prominent in tho gamo in various parts of the country. Today'there are many promising young players in the-associa-tion who would probably do quite well in higher-class cricket. Many of the teams aro strengthened for this season by tho inclusion of players from other associations as well as by tranafprs.

Meadows will again bo able to field a strong eleven •with !R. Dunn, J. Dunn,

TALENT PKENTIFTjL IN THE lEAGUE

HUTT VALLEY C.A.

B* "Not Out."

H. Dunn, H. Jones, L. Harvey, T. Lang; ford, J. Halligari, ■ and others.'-; This team has always been hard to beat, and indications are that they will again be playing a prominent part in this season 's competition. Eandwick, although not so strong as they wore last soasou, will still bo able to field a solid eleven, which will include A. Leggatt, 0. Brown, Tyrail (2), Green, Lowe, and Thomas. Two notablo absentees will be F. Thorn and C. Elliot. • 'General Motors have broken records in th,e association by entering four teams this season, and by all accounts their first eleven will.bo very strong, particularly in bowling. This team will include Dibley, Williams, Popporwell, Abbot, King, Laraey, Bramley, Hedges, Bolton, Love, and Bailie. Bell Park have been promoted to the A grade this season and should give a good account of themselves. 'Besides last year's members they have B. Blackwood and B. Morris.

Empire will again be fielding a strong team particularly in batting. The^r bowling has been strengthened by the inclusion of T. Sherlock and A. Bryant. Of last year's members again turning out thore are J. May, A. Wood, E. Roberts, A. White, F. Jones, R. Cate, and M, Philp. Now meinebrs are Fitz- ■ simmonds' (from Canterbury), G. Martin, and B. Kerr. Gear, runners-up in the A, grade championship last season, have entered two teams, and according to reports their first eleven will again bo hard to defeat. This team will include J. Asplett, M. Cumrnock, C. Parata, E. MeLeod, C. O'Halloran, H. R. Pollock, B. Greer, and G. Collins. V.M.C.A. is a new club in the association. The club's B team will consist of players of eighteen years of age an# under, and the A team of players o* nineteen years and over. Another new club, stated to be ver.y strong, is Trafalgar Park, which wil? play in the A grade. C. Elliot and Pj Thorn, who played for Randwick last season, are meinbors of this new club. Mcttors United havo entered twf teams this season, and judging by the?^ membership they will have a reafijf good first eleven,'which will include 14 Chudloigh, A. Chuclleigh, A. Leslio, A» Hillock, S. Crass, S. Brace, Browi^ Hainos, Toombs, and Murphy. Waiwhetu (two teams) should again record good performances. The first eleven will bo much the same as it was last year. The socond eleven will be captained by J. Beagle. ' Woollen Mills (A grade) have the same material offering as they had_ last yoar. A now member "s J. ""wf (from Empire). They should moula into a good combination this season. Central, another new club in the association, has in its ranks J. Wilson, A. Koown, J. Everson, F. Foreman, W. Hartley, T. Sweeney, G. King, and H. Elandford, all of whom played for "Chronicle" last year. The team shduld bo one of the hardest to beat in the B grade. Wills Js, last season's winners of th» Wilf orcl-Kerr Shield and A grade championship, have suffered' badly through! many of their leading players transfer-. I ring, and they have entered only one team, which will play in the B grade. GraceficUl is another club to have suffered through the loss of prominent players, and as it will tako this club some time to i-ebuild its team, th« entry is in tbo B grade.