POOR CANTERBURY!

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 18, 22 January 1938, Page 23

POOR CANTERBURY!

ROD IS NOT SPARED

An-Auckland'.writer is unsparing <n his criticism of Canterbury's dis-

play against Auckland, in the Plunket Shield match at Auckland. He could

quite easily be reminded .by Canterbury of rather dull patches in Auckland^ performance, notwithstanding the compilation of the big score against the southerners. If the recent display by Canterbury

was a true sample of Plunket Shield

cricket—fortunately it was not—then (runs the Auckland comment) colour

would be lent 'to the agitation, notably

ffom the'minor associations of the Wellington Province, for extending the scope-of the contest, restricted at present to the four major provinces. Canterbury's challenge this year did noth-

ing to enhane-3 the claims of big cric-

kef as a public spectacle. ■On the contrary, it produced all that was dull and uninteresting in cricket. "A local ." ■ club team Would have put up a better and more interesting showing than the Canterbury batsmen did last Monday," was'the summing up of a former South Island representative player, and there are many who will agree with him. Canterbury methods were open to criticism from the very start of the match when their leg theory bowler Mulcock commenced sending down ball after ball so far on the leg side

plcased to see H. G. Vivian bat so freely for Parnell last Saturday. It was Vivian's first match' since his return from the English tour, and in compiling 105 not out he displayed fine form. : Until Saturday he had had to stand down, owing to. an injury received during the tour to Great Britain. Besides adding to Auckland's already formidable batting strength, Vivian's inclusion in the Auckland side for the engagement with Wellington is expected to give the attack far more sting and variety. Commenting on Vivian's display last Saturday, an Auckland writer states that,he showed that his eye has lost none of its quickness, or his strokemaking, any of its polish. In making his runs in even time, he gave a sparkling display, although at times he was inclined to become rather reckless. He put so much wood into his shots, however, that whenever ,he did mistime a stroke the ball easily cleared'the heads of the fieldsmen close in. The manner in which he played his drives on both sides 'of the wicket was an object lesson. Getting well behind the flight-of-the-.delivery and using his I shoulders and,wrists to the maximum i effect, he .sent--the ball travelling | across the fiery ' outfield at a speed I which made, the fieldsmen apprehenA century was also scored on Saturday "by J.-E. Mills, the former Auck--1 land and New Zealand representative. ! Playing against King's Old Boys, Mills made 122 not but,- 12 runs, more than was compiled by the whole of- the op- , posing team. He hooked and drove freely, and his splendid timing was, it is reported, reminiscent of his form of some seasons ago.