HUTT VALLEY NOTES

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 55, 6 March 1937, Page 23

HUTT VALLEY NOTES

With three matches to be played to complete the Hutt Valley Cricket Association's A grade championship, the prospects of taking the honours .and the Wilford-Kerr Shield are stili open to four teams. At the head of the ladder are General Motors and Gear United (winners of the shield for the past two seasons) with 25 points each; then comes Bell Park with 24, and Empire, who have a game in hand, have 21 points. .General Motors have yet to play Gracefield, .Todd Motors, and Trafalgar Park (the latter team today), and much depends upon the result of this match, for it appears likely that General Motors will at least register two first innings1 wins m their other two matches. ; Gear United have yet to play Meadows, Bell Park, and Empire,,so they have a much harder task than General Motors, for at the best it appears as though they can only record two wins and a draw with quite a possibility that Empire, who appear to have the "Indian sign" on them, will, as they did in the- first round, score a convincing win. Bell Park's chances will probably be decided today when they meet Empire. Their other two engagements are against Gear United and Gracefield. The latter of these two engagements appears to be a certain victory, but they will have to be at their best to withstand the challenges of Gear United and Empire. Empire in fourth position have a | slim chance, for if they should win other remaining games they then will have a chance to meet Gracefield if they are within four points of the leaders. On the above analysis it would appear, however, that General Motors and Gear United will be the finalists. Had J. Duffy, captain of Todd Motors team, not been late last Saturday, Meadows may not have scored as many runs as they did, for when Duffy arrived the score board did not present a bright prospect for his side. However, Duffy immediately took the ball, with good effect, for Meadows were all out shortly afterwards, Duffy claiming five wickets at two runs apiece.

Of the batsmen R. Dunn (32) was the only one to appreciate the slow wicket, which was ideal for his powerful hooking.'

In rej^, Todd Motors lost two wickets for none, which'started a procession that did not end until the last batsman was back in the pavilion, with the score board showing the moderate total of 69, 19 of which came from the bat of J. Duffy.

For their engagement witn ~astbourne. at Eastbourne. Gracefield's team comprised only five men, who were dismissed in their first innings for 18 runs. Eastbourne's reply, was little better, for with a full eleven they could only muster 61 runs. Gracefield, in their second innings, gave a splendid performance to- score 89, 39 of which were contributed by the lefthander W. Henshaw, whose consistency in recent matches has been a feature of Gracefield's fixtures'.

Eastbourne, in their second strike, followed Gracefield's example, scoring 51 runs on this occasion for the loss of only one wicket. Of the General Motors batsmen, Fox did best with 40. For Empire, F. Selby batted very soundly, as did the Nicholls' brothers, "Mark" and Ginger, the former being top scorer with 20.