THE CRICKET FIELD

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 103, 28 October 1939, Page 20

THE CRICKET FIELD

CHAMPIONSHIP COMPETITIONS

PROMISING FORM IN FIRST MATCHES

(By "Not Out.")

Only one' senior team experienced anything like.a crash, but.it made an impressive recovery when it batted a second time, and,denied its opponents the opportunity of starting off the season with an outright win. This was in the Hutt-Wellington match, which was commenced on the Hutt Recreation Ground and finished on the Basin Reserve. Wellington, despite the.fact that A. Wiren (back from University) held up one end throughout the period of the innings, could make but little headway in their first knock when sent in to bat: by the Hutt captain, E.G.-Mc-Leod, who won th 3 toss. Some of then: prospects were ruined by, an old enemy —lbw,—who knocked a; big hole ih the batting., But there were "also the conditions (not good enough ;fbr Hutt to take first strike) and the; bowling by Buchan, the ex-Institute senior.

There Were good length:and plenty of life in Buchan's bowling, .which accounted for seven wickets/at the small cost of 21 runs. This; player, made a splendid debut for his new club, and to his -bowling performarice he added a; very useful batting knock. He was one of the tail-end batsmen who set Wellington a problem.- i.-.

Hardest Hutt man to dislodge was Champness. Although not an elegant batsman, Champness can use the bat to good purpose, and this he did against Wellington. An ,82 as a first-pf-s.eason effort was something worth while..: '..;, "'■'.'• -'

Helping Wellington to better batting figures in the second innings was W. F. Airey, a former Wellington representative who should never have left senior cricket. A. forceful left-hander, Airey often goes a long -Way in a Short time. He made a packet of runs last season, and he looks like doing the same this season. There is no lack of cricket action when' he is on the job at the crease, and things were lively from •his end on Monday. Heading well for a quick century, he fell lbw at 79. I. A. R. Symes, back from Nelson, was given the lion's share of the attack for his old club, and he accounted for half the Hutt wickets. It is unfortunate, however, that his former i : ; "sparring partner" with the ball, E. D. Blundell, is not on hand for the old effective combination to be resumed. Denis Blundell is now on more important duty, and in this he has cricket's best wishes, as have the Browne brothers and the other, cricketers in the service of their country. The concluding details-of the HuttWellington match were omitted from those published on Tuesday. They are: • . HUTT—First Innings. ., Kemp, c. Airey, b Symes ~..., 0 Gwilliam, c Ell, b Symes . v...;.» ,31 -Capstick, -c Wiren, b Meech .'.»■* 16 Stehr, c Whyte, b Morrissey ... 2

The "carry on" order to sport resulted in-a very satisfactory beginning of the wartime cricket season in Wellington, the first series of senior championship matches, commenced last Saturday and concluded on Monday, revealing form that promises well for the competition if circumstances do not have any upsetting effect. In some cases the form was really excellent for the start of the season, the number of individual efforts of note being considerable for a first outing. Generally the team totals appear to be on the moderate side, but actually these totals compare more than favourably with scores in senior cricket in Australia. The tendency here has been to^rate as moderate such scores as are reckoned to be well up to average in inter-club cricket in Australia's main centres. The highest tean* total in this season's first round in Melbourne was 203 by Melbourne, and the lowest was 58 by V.C.A. Colts, with Carlton also .failing to reach the 100 mark. ■ t

Aim, c Ell, b Symes ~ 0 McLeod,-h Symes 19 Gillies, st Whyte, b Meech ... 6 Champness, c Morrissey, b Ell .. 82 Muir, c Thorpe, b Symes 27 Buchan, not put 28 1 Fowler, b Meech 14 Extras 28 Total 253 Bowling.—Symes five for 79, Meech three for 42. Morrissey one for 48, Ell ' one for 52, Morgan none for 4. . WELLINGTON. First innings 87 1 ■. Second Innings. R. A. Whyte,.c Champness, b McLeod ....... 22 A. G: Wiren, run out 0 J. Ell, c Gillies, b McLeod 20 R..T. Morgan, c Gillies, b Buchan 12 W. F. Airey, lbw, b Champness ... 79 E. Kuhn, lbw, b Buchan 19 J. W. Thorp, st Fowler, b Cap- -,-■;- stick 35 :P. Henley, c McLeod, b Champness 2 M. Meech, c.and b McLeod 2 R. Morrissey, not out 21 I. Symes, st Fowler, b Capstick .. 16 Extras ..' 11 Total 239 Bowling.—Buchan two for 43, Chariip- • ness two for. 53, Muir none for 32, McLeod three for 24, Gillies none for ' 29, Capstick two for 32, Kemp none for 15.