CRICKET

Evening Star, Issue 19522, 1 April 1927, Page 12

CRICKET

[By Mid-oh.]

MOTES AND COMMENTS

IRiere still appears to be some doubt as to whether Albion have won the competition or not, but they certainly deserve to do so. At the beginning of the season it looked, as if nibe bowling would let the side down, end it was pointed out that it would be necessary for the north-enders to put up a big tally iu order to have a chance. _ The trundling was not so weak as it at first appeared, while on the other hand the hatting proved stronger than the team’s most enthusiastic supporters dared to hope. Shepherd’s repeated failure notwithstanding. The team was ably led by Frank Binney ; who has done exceptionally well with the bat—in fact, it was his best season for many rears. Albion have some of the most promising youngsters in the competition, and providing a coach comes along next season it is not difficult to predict e big future for some of them. S. Duncan is a player who would do well providing he was taken in hand, lie has performed very disappointingly in representative games, and will continue to do so unless. some .of his obvious faults are corrected. Blair is another player who can do well in chib games and fails consistently in more serious cricket: but there is always hope for a man who can bat as attractively as - Blair does. He is rather a wily bowler, who might develop into more than a useful change. Caskie finished up with the fine average of 48.25, and if he returns to Dunedin next season is sure to find a place in the representatives. He is a timorous vype of batsman, but he has plenty of attractive shots. (Houston, the ex-Victoria College hoy, has been a big disappointment, ns ho has only made 30 in five innings: but he is well worth persevering with, and might also be hoard of ns a bowler. There are few more likely ones than Vorrath, while two young players in K. Wilson and J. Allen should be real assets later on. The club is fortunate in possessing a number of very promising players in the second grade. What they badly want is a first-class bowler; but then, again, so do all tho other clubs. Carisbrook_ owe their position largely to the batting and the bowling of Blunt. With Dickinson at anything like his best_ the side would have won the competition, but unfortunately the fast bowler has Lad a decidedly off season, 'hich has been disastrous to both bis club and the province. Douglas was not in much demand earlier in the season, owing to the success of Blunt, but later he showed that he is even a better bowler than in previous years, and has had a number of sterling performances to his credit. He has also made a real improvement as a batsman. Gourley and Holden are a likely pair, the former developing into a fairish bowler. It was particularly pleasing to see “Jerry” Austin return to senior cricket after being an absentee for.ten years, t and be demonstrated more than once_ that he has not lost any of his old-time prowess with the willow. This club is also lucky in possessing several _ promising players with all their cricket before (them. Grange have had a very lean time of it, the loss of Galland being a serious blow to last season’s competition winders. Most of the younger players have been obviously out of their class in senior cricket, and the club is faced with a serious problem next season. She skipper, Knight, did not show anything like his true batting form until late in the season, though he did fairly .well in representative matches, it having been his best season in big cricket. Conradi has had a lean time. M‘Mullan, Alloo, and Chadwick have borne the chief burden—Alloo, especially. The side made a sorry showing the Saturday Alloo was absent, and there is no gainsaying that he is the brains of the team.

The tragic death of Harry Baker and the departure of Lcn. Casey proved disastrous to Dunedin. Their star batsman, R. Cherry, could not do anything right, lack of practice being his -trouble. “Dick” Torrance heroically faced his big _ tasks, Saturday after Saturday, bowling as steadily as ever, M‘Gregor did not give him the assistance that one expected, and some of the others were equally disappointing. The dub has no reason to be despondent, however, as with colts of the calibre of Cavanagh, Ritchie, N. Cherry, and others, the future cannot be any?*'ng but bright. Cavanagh has developed into one of the most promising of the younger brigade. Sinclair has done well in recent matches, but the honors go to Strang, who heads the averages. The club made a real find in White, who is a wicketkeeper of class. , , , The game is greatly handicapped bore through lack of suitable grounds, and probably now that the association has begun to show a little interest in essentials an attempt will ho made to secure the Cale. for nest season. The Oval is rapidly becoming a hopeless proposition for serious cricket, and it .is to be hoped that no further senior games will he staged there until it Las received attentions from a plough and an expert or two. The North Ground is also hardly suitable for senior games, though it has to bo admitted that the wickets provided there have been surprisingly good. . When Cavanagh and Sinclair began to make themselves at home in Dunedin’s second innings on Saturday the Albion skipper probably had a few regrets about having closed down with a couple of wickets in hand. Neither batsman appears to be troubled very much by the howling, hut alter putting on fairish scores they-relieved the situation ai} far as their opponents were concerned by getting themselves out. If there had been a batsman who could have stayed for any time the north enders might have had something of a fright, but as it was they scored a comfort&ble win. Just when Torrance was beginning to make a nuisance of himself Blamires tossed him down a “ donkey-drop. Torrance considered it an invitation for him to try his hand at heating the previous biggest hit seen on the North Ground, and he clouted the ball with wonderful gusto. Unfortunately, he did not get it square on, though even then it shot from his bat with the velocity of a cannon ball, going in the direction of Duncan at cover. The fieldsman made a spectacular spring for it, and the next instant was seen with the ball safely in his hands. How it got there seemed a mystery, and even Duncan appeared to be surprised that the flying piece of leather stuck. _ _ . Churchill, jun., in the adjoining match, was also responsible for a great catch. He .was fielding in the middle of the Albion wicket, or thereabouts, when a lusty hit sent the ball soaring over his head, and, apparently, well out of roach. Churchill stepped backwards for a yard or two, and with his hand stretched upwards brought off a seemingly impossible catch. While still on the subject of catches, it might be mentioned that M'Gavin’s catches in the Carisbroolc-Grange game were both hotly_ disputed. They were very low, and it was contended that the fieldsman had taken them off the § round. Neither the umpire nor I‘Gavin thought so, however. Some of Blamires’s lobs proved fatal on Saturday. This most-despised ball is always likely to prove destructive when administered judiciously. M'Gregor was one of the rev. gentleman’s victims, and his manner of being .dismissed caused no little amusement, as just prior to having his stumps scattered about the landscape he had called ®ut to hi§ youthful partner, Ritchie, to

“ look out for the lobs.” It was pwy cisely one of these that finished hint. Sinclair, Cavanagh, and Ritchie til batted well, but it must be admitted that the bowling was very ordinary, Shepherd’s absence showing just hew weak the attack is. The few spectators who lined ta.i planks at Carisbrook were treated a very indifferent exhibition by the Grange batsmen. Knight started scratchily, but improved later, and his 82 was one of his best efforts tMs season. Towards the end ho opened out, Chadwick and Elmes were the only other batsmen to roach double’, but there was nothing particularly Extractive about their innings. Dunedin won the fielding trophy, the other three teams being close upl BLUNT’S TEST RECORD. The following are Roger Blunt’s test match performances:— 1920-21 v, Australia 8 . * 28 ▼ . Australia ... ... ... ]6 26 1922v. M.Ci.C 15 25 r. M.C.C m * 6 v M.C.C 0 63 1923v. New South Wales ... 0 26 1924- —• v. Victoria 39 77 v. Victoria -■ ... 4 17 1925v. Queensland ... 19 22 v. Victoria 5 67 v. South Australia 65 34 v. New South Wales ... 73 1926v. Melbourne C.O 47 ' 187 v. Melbourne C.C. ... ... 104 103 Total 1J24 Average 41.63 ALBION CLUB’S AVERAGES. SECOND GRADE A. l —Batting.—

I. N.O. H.S. R. Aver, J. Allen ... ... 6 2 75 196 49 E. Williams ... 10 1 46 227 25.22 A. Rice ... ... 3 2 14 25 25 Simmers ... ... 12 0 100 277 23.1 Kendall ... ... 10 1 41 193 21.44 Traynor ... ... 2 1 11 18 18 M'llroy ... ... 8 1 68 142 17.88 Lindsay ... ... 1 0 14 14 14 Cook ... 3 0 29 41 13.5 Howie ... 2 0 16 27 13.5 L. Silver ... 10 2 22 104 13 M'Donald ... 3 0 28 39 13 J. O’Brien ... 7 1 23 70i> 11.66 Churchill, jun. 9 1 26 90 11.25 •Silver ... 4 0 16 43 10.75 Churchill, sen. 11 0 30 109 9.9 Romans ... ... 3 1 9* 14 7 •Not out. Played 8 won , 1 -st 3, points 14. —Bowling — 0. M, R. W. Aver. Lindsay M'Donald ... ... 2 0 2 1 2 ... 1 0 2 1 2 Simmers ... ... 32 8 112 15 7.46 M'llroy ... 82 20 185 20 9.25 Churchill, sen. 132 27 349 34 10.26 Romans ... 5 2 22 2 11 L. Silver ... ... 45 9 142 12 11.83 Williams ... „. 95 23 268 18 14.88 Traynor ... 13 3 50 3 16.66 JV Allen ... ... 10 0 27 1 27 SECOND GRADE B (C TEAM). —Batting. — I. N.O. H.S R. Aver. Lindsay ... - 3 0 102 135 4.5 L. Silver ... 2 0 35 61 30.5 Samuels ... ... 8 4 18* 58 14.5 H. J. Vorrath 4 0 23 46 11.5 V. Robinson ... 17 2 27 167 11.13 L. Holden ... 16 1 28 166 11.06 Shepherd ... 17 0 55 176 10.35 Gibson ... 13 1 21 121 10.1 Romans ... ... 7 1 26* 54 9 B, T. Smith ... 8 1 18 61 8.71 Reid ... ... 17 0 37 143 8.41 Miller ... 16 1 21 120 8 Munro ... 6 0 17 43 7.16 Butcher ... ... 3 0 6 10 3.33 Kildare ... ... 6 1 8 16 3.2 •Not out. Played 16, won 9, lost 5, drew 2. —Bowling — 0. M. R. W. Aver. Holden .„ ... 89 17 259 38 6.81 Gibson ... 24 4 71 10 , 7.1 Reid ... 47 6 154 18 8.55 Lindsay ... ... 3 1 9 1 9 Romans ... ... 49 12 158 17 '9.3 Shepherd ... 14 1 62 5 12.4 Robinson ... 78 12 301 24 12.54 Miller ... 8 0 32 2 16 Samuels ... ... 15 2 66 4 16.5 SECOND GRADE B (D TEAM). —Batting. I. N.O. H.S R. Aver. M'Donald 2 0 63 64 32 Malcolm ... ... 4 1 29 67 22.33 Thompson ... 2 0 18 31 15.5 Martin ... 3 0 24 42 14 Henderson ... 11 1 40 125 12.5 Byers Howie „. 2 0 21 25 12.5 ... 3 0 20 37 12.33 Brown _. 12 1 30 119 10.9 M'Ghie ... ... a 0 24 79 9.89 M'Allum ... ... 5 1 16* 38 9.5 Stanaway ... 11 0 26 94 8.55 Williams ... 2 0 14 16 8 Dakin ... 2 0 9 15 7.5 G. Silver ... 7 2 10* 35 7 Blair ... 5 1 11 26 6.5 M'Casldll ... 5 2 3 9 3 Davies ... 4 1 3 6 2 •Not out. Played 16, won 7, lost 7, drew 2. —Bowling — 0. M. R. W. Aver. Brown ... .. 7 0 16 3 5.33 Henderson .. 101 20 276 44 6.27 Malcolm .. 17 3 44 6 7.33 M'Ghie ... .. 72 16 197 22 3.95 Thompson .. 11 2 51 5 10.2 M'Allum .. 21 5 55 5 TT, G. Silver .. 37 8 114 9 12.66 Stanaway .. 18 3 65 3 iii.bti Howie ... .. 13 4 29 1 29 THIRD GRADE. —Batting. — I. N.O. H.S R. Aver. E. Silver - 13 3 106* 276 27.6 G. Silver ... 3 0 46 66 22 ... 9 0 35 171 19 16 2 44 229 15.26 ... 4 0 43 53 14.5 Wright ... 16 1. 47 195 13 Campbell Rigby Davies ... ... 13 ... 7 ... 6 2 2 0 21 22 20 143 64 48 13 12.8 8 ... 4 1 14 24 8 Todd ... 7 0 32 52 - 7.43 Flynn ... 14 ... 13 1 3 16 13 74 49 5.7 4,9 Russell ... 8 4 5* 12 3 Stephenson Rennick ... ... 7 ... 5 0 3 ' 8 2 u 4 2 2 Carson ... 4 0 3 4 1 Played 16, won 11, lost 2, drew 3. —Bowling — 0. M. R. W. Aver. 119 30 345 75 4.6 Wright 49 15 166 23 7.21 70 19 216 29 7.45 Leader 29 9 84 11 7.57 Rigby ... .. Todd ... m 7 10 2 3 28 32 5 3 9.33 10.60 Flynn 15 6 101 7 14.43 Campbell ., 15 2 53 4 14.6 The first grado team’s averages were published op Jg? n “ a 35i '