MERCANTILE LEAGUE

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 29, 4 February 1939, Page 22

MERCANTILE LEAGUE

NOTES AND COMMENT

Matches under the control of the Mercantile Cricket League produced some high scoring and close finishes last Saturday. In the A grade, Taubmans and Amalgamated Bricks each secured three-point wins, and are now leading in championship points with 27 each.

E. Pickering and J. Ward (Amalgamated Bricks) performed well, and K. Hatch (Taxes), the ex-Manawatu representative, scored 110, and took seven wickets for 103 against Taubmans. Hatch has had a consistent record this season in Mercantile League and would be a candidate for higher honours in association cricket.

H. Lowe (Hannahs) compiled a fast 86 against Harbour Board, and G. Rait was again prominent with the excellent figures of nine wickets for 49. F. D. Kilby, the ex-AH Black captain, batted well to score 80 against Prestige Hosiery, and Donovan, also of Jasco, took seven wickets for 58. Jasco made a determined effort to force a draw in this game, but failed by a narrow margin. v

Customs Agents appear to have had a lapse of form this season, but possibly this is accounted for by difficulty in fielding experienced players.

Lower grade games produced high scoring, notably in the B grade, where another Mercantile League record was established. The first-wicket partnership of C..L. King and A. S. Barr (Celtic) realised 317 runs against Telephone Exchange. Of this total King scored 196 not out and Barr 104—a meritorious performance.

In the C grade, Ross and Glendining, the grade leaders, beat Atlantic Union, Brice (Ross and Glendining) compiling 96 and Ellis 70, and Jeffrey making 69 for Atlantic Union. Individual efforts of Still 81 (Ferguson and Osborn), and W. Hickling.9o (Berhampore) were also worthy of note in this grade.

D grade games provided some, close scoring, particularly in the match between Shipping (187 for seven) and Labour Bureau (179), the veteran Mclntyre, with 82 not out, being the top scorer for Labour Bureau.

Patience (Self Help) scored 68 and took five for 27 against H.M.V., and Chamberlain (Milk Department) contributed 1.14 towards a total of 240 against Star. Stores—another close scoring game.

Customs Department still leads in the E grade by 2 points. Against National Bank, F. McMillan (Customs) scored 94. Duthies, who are next in the grade, had another 3-point win (over Lands and Survey), Scott contributing 81 not out. The two Insurance teams met, the B team with a total of 336 (Caulton 89 and Trott 86) scoring a convincing win and compiling the highest total of the day.

Harbour Board lead in the F grade. Woollen Company had a 5-point win over Moore Wilson, their totals being 141 for six and 25 for two against MOore Wilson's 48 and 112. C. Nunns (Woollen Company) made 60 not out and bowled well, taking six wickets for 29. Ryder was also prominent, taking four for 17 in the first innings and five for 48 in the second.

In the G grade City Council, the leaders, beat Dominion Motors on the first ininngs, Wallis taking six for 40 in the first innings and Reid five for 44 in the second. F. Holtz was again prominent for Colonial Carrying, scoring 83 against Taubmans. Taxes Department beat P. and T. Stores in a close game, McSweeney (Taxes) taking six wickets for 18 runs.

Conditions at the Polo Ground, Miramar, continue to be unfavourable, the bad wickets there accounting for poor games. The shortage of grounds in Wellington is acute, and players have to accept these conditions or else forfeit their "day's cricket. It is to be hoped that in the near future the situation will be relieved.