SPORTS SNAPS

Evening Star, Issue 22798, 5 November 1937, Page 5

SPORTS SNAPS

NO. 70: T. CHETTLEBURGH LEADING ALL-ROUND CRICKETER [By Hooker.] Although just 25 years of age, Tom Chettleburgh has had six seasons’ experience of Plunket Shield cricket, and throughout that time the Grange player has been ranked as one of the best all-rounders in the province. He is a sound and attractive batsman, with the ability to score runs quickly, and likewise has that fighting spirit which is so rteqsssary when a side is up against ft. He is a more than useful slow legbreak bowler, and has been quite effective on many occasions as a change bowler in representative cricket. Although his length is not always good, on his day Chettleburgh requires playing. As a fieldsman, he is in the first flight, and though he has been fielding at coyer of late, he is just as good in the slips. Chettleburgh began his cricket at the Maori Hill School, and it was while there that ho first came under the influence of the North Ground, being one of the two boys from his school sent there for coaching. Thus, it was only to be expected that when he left school, he should turn to the Grange Club, which had dfeveloped his cricket from the start, and to which he has proved a very good club member.

When ho was about 11 years of age Tom found a place in the Otago junior school representatives, against Southland, and at that time he bowled at a fast pace. In the succeeding two years he was a member of primary schools’ representative senior eleven, and while still at primary school was in the Boys’ Association junior representative team against Canterbury. A performance of note was registered while playing with the Maori Hill team in the Boys’ Association competition. He went in first and batted through the innings for 62 not out, and took 11 wickets for 6 runs in the two innings. When about to go to Christchurch for a Boys’ Association match Chettleburgh discarded pace in favour of slow leg-break bowling, with which he has been a valuable unit of his club’s attack, though he would do still better with more control over the ball. Chettleburgb had three seasons as a member of the Otago Boys’ High School first eleven, and it is interesting to recall that contemporary with Chettleburgh was the New Zealand representative, D. A. B. Moloney, so that the school had two slow bowlers of more than average quality to call upon. In one match against Southland Boys’ High School Chettleburgb took seven wickets for 21 runs, and in club games he put together two centuries for the school. He played his first match for Grange in senior cricket the day after he left school in 1929, and ever since has been one of that club’s most successful allrounders, his success in all departments of the game being duo in no small measure to the coaching and encouragement ho has had from Arthur Galland. In club cricket Chettleburgb .has made five centuries, his highest tally being 146 for Grange against University about three seasons ago. He headed the Grange batting averages two seasons in succession, and on one occasion held both batting and bowling averages. Chettleburgb appeared first in representative cricket m the 1931-32 season, and he has played regularly for the province over since, with the exception of the 1935-36 season, when he did not play at all. His highest total in representative cricket was his 85 for Otago against Canterbury at Dunedin last season, and he has an average for all Plunket Shield games of_ over 35. He is a great enthusiast for the game and a warm favourite with cricketing crowds, his obvious enjoyment of his cricket appealing to .the spectators. Ho was a member of the Soccer eleven at Otago Boys’ High School, and later turning to Rugby was a member of the Union Club’s second fifteen. He did a fair amount of boxing at school and also took part in amateur athletics.