CRICKET NEWS AND NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 20995, 8 January 1932, Page 4

CRICKET

NEWS AND NOTES

[By Sumtituii.]

OTAGO’S FINE SHOWING. The victory of Otago over Auckland, the first occasion on which our men have defeated an Auckland team on the latter’s ground, is a very satisfactory result, but one that might have been looked for after the splendid game in Christchurch. It is only to be regretteed that the Canterbury match was lost after such a great recovery. Nevertheless, the latest win, Otago’s first in Plunket Shield cricket for some years, should mean a real fillip for cricket here, and should arouse considerable interest for the Wellington match which will be played at the end of the present month or early in February at Dunedin. On- this occasion the victory was achieved by the good all-round play of most members of the teanij and not by one or two brilliant individual efforts. This again is highly satisfactory, and shpws that what might be termed the rank and file of the team are coming up to expectations and finding their feet in big cricket. Among the young ones, D. Smith has justified the predictions made regarding him, and there is no doubt that, being full of cricket, he should now quickly develop into one of Otago’s best. His batting against Auckland was sound, and be contributed two useful scores. Regarding his bowling, there is something in what a northern writer says, that with more accuracy he should be a valuable member of the Otago attack. Moloney has also shown himself worthy of the confidence placed in him, and his slow bowling will always be useful, and increasingly so as he gains that confidence which will enable him to strike a length right away. He was just a little disappointing with the bat, but is more than useful in this respect, and may be said to have firmly established himself in the representative team. Hawksworth has done remarkably well behind the wickets, and has dissipated that feeling of anxiety concerning what has been lacking in Otago teams for some years - past. By his great performance in Christchurch, where he kept his wicket intact while 184 runs were put on. he has also added considerably to his value as a member of the team.

As was predicted in view of F, T. Badoock’s improved form this season in club cricket, the coach has been a tower of strength, both in batting and bowling. His performance in Auckland’s second innings, in which he sent down fifty-one overs, twenty-eight of them maidens, and took four wickets for 65 runs, has been the subject of considerable praise in the north, and his steady, accurate bowling has been invaluable to Otago in both matches. His dashing batting has been the means of knocking the bowlers, even bowlers with international reputations, off their'length and, paving the way for the others to take toll. Scores of 105 in the second innings against Canterbury and 84 in the first knock against Auckland are evidence that in spite of his so-called uncertainty in starting he can do better as an opening batsman than further down the' list,_ although batsmen of that type certainly are liable to smash the ball about when going in sixth or seventh. However, as Otago does not possess an ideal opening batsman with the exception of Reg. Cherry, it was a good move to put Badcock in that position. It was the custom many years ago in big cricket to open the innings with a ‘“dasher ” and a stonewaller, and a notable example were the Australian pair, M‘OonnelT and A. C. Bannerman. There were other examples, ’•too, in the cricket of that period. It has been more the custom latterly, however, to open with two men who will wear down the bowling. Two batsmen of this type who did well in the Auckland match were Alex. Knight and Reg. Cherry, and they may be said to nave saved the situa-

tion after the early loss of Blunt in the first and second innings respectively. Against this the brilliant Blunt failed, though his run out in the first innings was unfortunate. Blunt’s super-effort, of course, saved Otago in Christchurch, besides creating records, and there is some cause for congratulation in the showing of the team at Auckland, which was such as to indicate that it was not entirely dependent upon our champion. Blunt’s failure in both innings is still another instance of*that uncertainty which makes the game of cricket such a glorious one. C. Elmes did not have much bowling to do apparently, but he justified his inclusion -by his batting alone, scores of 49 and 16 coming from his bat in the Auckland match. He is a stylish batsman when he gets going, and may get a lot of runs for Grange in the remaining club games. R. W. Couplahd, although not brilliant perhaps, was one of the steady all-rounders who so often help to keep a team together. His long experience in the game has given him the temperament which often makes up for lack of briliance.

Jack Dunning got 36 in the first innings, but unfortunately the Carisbrook man did not strike particularly good form on the trip until he was able to drive home the victory against Auckland by taking five wickets for 65. His captaincy _ of the team has been criticised in the north, and though no doubt he might have iised more subtle tactics in order to bring off a sensational match against Canterbury, it must be said that great captains are scarce, and there does not seem anyone to replace him at the moment. On the other hand, too, it should be added that he is a'comparatively young skipper, and is acquirng _ the experience which may stand him in good stead in the coming seasons. A gratifying feature was Otago's fielding, which showed a great improvement, and was better than Auckland’s. As was stated last week, it was only a matter of confidence with this keen team and of getting experience by playing in as many big matches as possible. Otago was fortunate in getting rid of Mills cheaply in Auckland’s first innings, as the left-hander is always dangerous, and this he showed in the .second innings, when he played a characteristic knock for 50 odd. Gillespie is in the same category, and put together two useful tallies. By getting these two men for 50 or less in the second innings the Otago bowlers put up a good performance. Like Blunt, Vivian fell from his previous performance against Wellington, and it was fortunate indeed for Otago that he followed our champion’s example,. because there is no doubt at all that this young fellow is one of the finest batsmen in New Zealand, and one who should become greater as time goes on. His innings of 165 against Wellington was reported to have been indeed a brilliant effort, and his hitting powerful and confident enough to have come from a much older and more experienced man. This fine young lad is said to have filled out considerably and grown into a fine stamp of cricketer. His allround ability was again proved by the fact that he was Auckland’s best bowler against Otago. It was unfortunate for Auckland that Lyon and Hay were injured, but such things happen in cricket, and Otago has not been exempt from slices of ill-luck for many years past, so it is to be hoped the turning point has now come, and that this really good team will be kept together, With the inclusion of Dickinson Otago should be able to develop a side that will once more finish at the top of the Plunket Shield competition instead of at the bottom.

NO-BALLING OF GILBERT. The Sydney ‘ Sun ’ says that Eddie Gilbert, the Queensland aboriginal bowler, was “ no-balled ” by Umpire A. N. Barlow in the Queensland-Vic-toria cricket game for “ jerking the wrist.” Barlow, in keeping with cricket tradition, has offered no public explanation of his action. Gilbert feels his position keenly, believing that he has let his team down. The Queensland skipper, Frank Gough, classed Gilbert as tne fastest bowler in Australia. He said Don Bradman and Alan Kippax, against whom Gilbert bowled in the Sydney Shield game, agreed that Gilbert was yards faster than Harold Larwood.”

OTAGO AVERAGES. The following are the averages of the members of the Otago team on the northern tour:—

Three-figure scores were made as follows : R. C. Blunt.—33B not out, v. Canterbury. F. T. Badcock.—los, v. Canterbury. —Highest Scorers. — The highest scorers in each of the four innings were as follows: — A. Knight.—3B, first innings v. Canterbury. R. C. Blunt.—33B not out, second innings v. Canterbury. F. T. Badcock. —B4, first innings v. Auckland.

R. Cherry—79, second innings v. Auckland. —Otago’s Record.— v. Canterbury.—Otago, 161 and 589; Canterbury, 472 and 279 for 7 wickets, Canterbury won by three wickets. v. Auckland.—Otago, 347 and 198; Auckland, 200 and 238. Otago won by 107 runs. —Plunket Shield Holders.— Holders of the Plunket Shield to date have been as follows 1906-07, Canterbury; 1907-08, Auckland; 1908-09, Auckland; 1909-10, Auckland; 1910-11, Canterbury; 191112, Auckland;, 1912-13, Canterbury; 1913-14, Canterbury; 1914-15, Canterbury; 1916-18, no matches played; 1918- Wellington and Canterbury; 1919- Auckland; 1920-21, Wellington; 1921-22, Auckland; 1922-23, Canterbury ; 1923-24, Wellington; 1924-25, Otago; 1925-26, Wellington; 1926-27, Auckland; 1927-28, Wellington; 192829, Auckland; 1929-30, Wellington; 1930-31, Canterbury. A PEERLESS BATSMAN. Good judges of cricket in Australia and England have frequently stated that in Blunt the dominion possesses a batsman good enough to hold a place in the representative eleven of any country (says a writer in the ‘Dominion’). By running up the great score of 338 not out for Otago against Canterbury this week he gave another proof of his outstanding ability as a batsman. When it is remembered that he amassed this mammoth score against bowlers of the calibre of I. Cromb and Merritt, it will be realised what a peerless batsman Blunt is.

Followers of the game in Wellington are well aware of the Otago man’s capabilities with the hat, as they saw him score a century in each innings for New Zealand against the Melbourne Cricket Club’s team at the Basin Reserve in the 1926-27 season.

Incidentally, these two centuries were the centre of four three-figure scores which Blunt made in succession at that time. He made 187 against the Melbourne Club’s team for New Zealand at Christchurch, 104 and 103 against the same team at Wellington, and then accompanied the New Zealand team Homo, and hit up 119 against. Martineau’s eleven at Maidenhead in the opening match of the tour. Though this record Plunket Shield soore of 338 not out is the highest innings Blunt has played, lie hit up 225 for New Zealand against the Gentlemen of England this year, and scored 216 for the New Zealand team against Goulbourn in the 1925-26 Australian tour. He has altogether scored eleven centuries for New Zealand, and let us hope he will go on to delight followers of the game in this country with many more of his brilliant batting displays.

WOODFULL’S VALUE AS OPENING BATSMAN. Australia has had some great opening batsmen, but has she ever had a better one than William Maldon Woodfull? When we talk of opening batsmen otir mind naturally recalls Trumper, Duff, Bardsley, and others, all of whom did great things for Australia, In Trumper and Duff we probably had our greatest opening pair, and they gave many exhibitions that thrilled the crowds. Bardsley, the great lefthander, Jacked their brilliance, but he was a wonderful performer. Then there were Lyons and Bannerraan, the hitter and the stonewaller, and there was Joe Darling, who could play the steady game or hit like a demon, ■as the occasion required. And there were others.

But for consistent service and real value were any of these men of more value to their side than Woodfull has been in the past few years P One doubts it (says the ‘ Sporting Globe ’). Certainly none of them was his equal for consistency. Failures he has had, of course, but they have been few, and he has been in match after match, the man who has held the bowlers at bay when wickets were falling at the other end, and has laid the foundation for the good totals that have followed. To the spectator his batting has lacked the brilliance of men like Trumper and Duff, or the devastating onslaught on the bowling that made Lyons so dangerous. Rather has he been the plodder, against whom the bowlers have hurled themselves in vain. As an opening batsman the hitter who can smash the bowling is invaluable when he is successful, but in the long run it is the man who can help his comrades by holding the enemy at bay for a day or two who proves the more valuable. Woodfull fills this requirement grandly: hence his great value to Australia and Victoria. There is no need to recall the great part his batting played in winning the rubber for Australia in England last year. This season he is living up to his reputation against the South Africans, for in each of the two tests he has played his part well.NOTES. Auckland enthusiasts have not failed to point to the value of F. T. Badcock’s association with the Otago team, and followers of the game here will join in congratulating the coach on his very fine all-round efforts. However, it may be pointed out that on the last occasion that an Otago team was so severely trounced in Auckland the northern coach, A. F. Wensley, played no small part in Auckland’s victory, for he it was who went through the visiting team in the first innings to finish up with remarkable figures. Stan Smith, a new choice by Victoria as a slow bowler, has done well for Richmond, and is a nephew of Dave Smith, the ex-Australian test player. Ho is a googly bowler who is fairly fast through the air, and can make the

wrong ’un come back a. long way. Last season he took twenty-one wickets for 13.42 each.

A. W. Roberts, who put together a score of 181 for Canterbury against Wellington this week, was one of those players who was just a little unlucky to miss selection in the New Zealand team for England last year. His score in the Wellington match was his second century in Plunket Shield cricket, for last season he made 116 in the second innings of the match against Wellington at Lancaster Park. He batted six times, and made 216 runs, with an average of 36.00, while he also claimed one wicket. According to the Christchurch ‘ Sun ’ Roberts has been the most successful batsman of- the past year in club cricket. He finished the 1930-31 season at the head of the club batting averages with 70.27, and at present his average for club cricket this season is 107.75. For 'representative matches he ranked fourth in the batting list last season. We have seen some strange parking places for chewing gum, but that affected by an Otago fieldsman in the cricket match with Canterbury takes honourable mention (says the ‘Sun’). When he was not busily chewing it on the field, this player parked his gum behind the lobe of his left ear. As an aid to catching the palm of the hand would be a better place! That Otago fieldsman’s parking place reminded us of the joke about parking one’s Spearmint on the bedpost over (K)night. There are times when a batsman, however hard a hitter he may be, must settle down to play the rock. That position faced Hawksworth, the Otago wicket-keeper, when he went into join Blunt for the last wicket in the Plunket Shield match against Canterbury (says the Christchurch ‘Star’). His play was an inspiration, not from the point of view of brilliance, but of determination. Hawksworth resisted all sorts of temptations served up by wily bowlers, and stayed in while the total mounted by 184, his own tally being only twenty. On the few occasions on which ne essayed a scoring shot Hawksworth shoved himself quite a capable scorer, turning them round to leg and placing them to the off in good style. We heard a genuine feminine comment on the result of the Plunket Shield match between Otago and Canterbury (humorously remarks the ‘ Sun ’). “It’s disgusting,’’ declared the feminine partner of a cricket enthusiast. “ Blunt makes all those runs, and then they are wasted, because Canterbury still wins.” J. T. Burrow's seemed a bit short of work on _ Christmas ’Day, when he bowled eight overs against Otago for 22 runs and two wickets, but on Monday he bowled much better in sending down thirty-two overs for 68 runs and four wickets. So in the whole match he bowled forty overs for 90 runs and six wickets, an average of 15 runs a wicket—the best bowling, average on either side (says the ‘Sun’). The Hon. Joe Darling, M.L.C., of Hobart, a former Australian XI. captain, sends the ‘Referee.’ his view of Bradman, as a result of Lord Tennyson’s criticism. He says: “Bradman is the world’s marvel, but has yet to prove himself equal to the late Victor Trumper on fiery and. sticky wickets, which are the wickets of the past,” Lord Tennyson is to take an English, cricket team on tour to the West Indies, leaving London on February 1 next year. Twelve players are to compose the party, and others in the West Indies will be available to play. It will be the fifth occasion on which Lord Tennyson has taken a team to the West Indies. Invitations have been accepted by G. T. S, Stevens (Middlesex), A. E. 6. Baring (Hampshire), 6. Brown (Hampshire), E. H. Bowley (Sussex), and G. Geary (Leicester). G. Brown is the left-hand batsman who scored well for England in lihe tests against W. W. Armstrong’s 1921 team. Says the Christchurch ‘Star’: “In the Otago team that played Canterbury was a young Australian, D. Smith. His mam purppse was to provide fast bowling, and for a short man he got a remarkable amount of pace off the pitch. All he needed was more accuracy. His figures were ene for 58 and none for 32—he will do better later on.” , . t The Plunket Shield matches to date have been brimful of interest, with sensations a-plenty to lend added spice to the games. While there have been several very fine scores put together, notably by‘Roger Blunt, C. S. Dempster, &. G. Vivian, A, W. Roberts, F. T. Badcock, and M. L. Page, the batsmen have not had things all their own way, and if the games have not brought to light the bowler that New Zealand is looking for at least they have shown that there are some strong sides in the dominion to-day, and have also given the game an impetus that should be felt in the very immediate future.

—Batting.— U 8 S 9 bO eJ I ■"4 Innings. Not o« Highest c5 2 M '< R, C. Blunt ... 4 1 338* 376 125.33 F. T. Badcock 4 — 105 212 53.00 0. J. Elmes ... 4 1 49 108 36.00 R. Cherry 4 — 79 120 30.00 D. Smith 4 — 39 101 25.25 A. Knight ... 4 — 42 98 24.50 W. Hawkesworth 4 2 21 42 21.00 R. W. Coupland 4 — 24 66 16.50 J. A. Dunning 4 — 36 50 12.50 -J. M'HafRe ... 2 — 13 19 9.5 D. A. R. Moloney 4 — 11 31 7.75 W. A. Priest ... 2 — 0 0 — —Bowling.— Runs. Wkts. Avg. R. W. Coupland ... 136 7 19.42 F. T. Badcock ... 246 9 27.33 J. A. Dunning ... 228 7 32.55 D. A. R. Moloney 140 4. 35.00 R. C. Blunt ... ... 158 4 39.50 D. Smith ... ... 115 2 57.50 C. Elmes ... 84 0 — —Century Makers.-