CRICKET

Evening Star, Issue 22890, 23 February 1938, Page 4

CRICKET

[By Wallaby.]

HOW THEY STAND Following are the positions occupied by the senior, intermediate, and sec-ond-grade A teams, which all play twoday matches, at the conclusiou of the seventh round:— FIRST GRADE.

A GAME OF CHANGES VALUABLE PARTNERSHIP Things looked very black indeed for Albion on Saturday when the board read 17—5—1. The first wicket had fallen at 8, the second at 9, the third at 9, the fourth at 13, and the fifth at 17. Lemin and Elmes were at their top, the left-hander’s first five overs being maidens, with two wickets thrown in, while Lemin, at the same stage, had bagged two wickets for 9 runs. But shortly after the fifth wicket fell, for some unaccountable reason, Knight took these two bowlers off. It appeared to be an act of altruism, and the batsmen then at the wickets (Duncan and Sinclair) _ accepted the gesture in the right spirit—for their side —and set about cementing a partnership which ultimately realised 102 runs.

It was not a brilliant, not even a faultless partnership. Dropped catches and loose fielding helped to lengthen the duration of it; but it was sound enough to change a hopeless position into one with possibilities. Duncan’s was a stout-hearted captain’s knock, and Sinclair ably aided and abetted him. Duncan was there exactly two hours and ho hit nine 4’s in his 82, which was made out of 142 scored while he was batting. Sinclair’s 41 included a straight 6 over the bottom wicket. The “ tail ” wagged sufficiently to bring the total to 182, which, considering the bad start, was a satisfactory one.

Lemin bowled consistently well. After his first successful spell he was brought back, some time later, for an over, and again spelled; then a third visit to the crease gave him a second batch of three wickets, making six in all, at a cost of 52 runs. Elmes took the other three (one was run out) for 34, He bowled steadily, and seven ,of his 16 overs were maidens. Of the six other bowlers tried only Chettleburgh impressed. At his first spell he kept an excellent length and frequently bothered the batsmen but subsequently he was erratic and. was punished—none for 38 off eight overs. Grange’s fielding was again poor, the throwing in particularly being very bad. The placing of the field was puzzling at times, as when a left-hand bowler (Elmes) operated with no slips, while shortly afterwards he had three, closely placed. Martin, by the way, took three quite good catches in that position.

Grange started well when they batted; or, rather, Chettleburgh did, for that bright bat was in a merry mood. Laying on the wood in refreshing style, he hit two 6’s and three 4’s while making 40 in 31 minutes, the score when he made a mighty “swipe” at Frood and was bowled, being 50. Without any addition to that total two more wickets'fell, Moir Jbw for 0 and 'Toomey stumped for 8. This stumping by Everson was a brilliant bit of work, the ’keeper taking a fast medium one and having the bails off in a flash as Toomey just lifted his foot. Elmes and Knight carried on to 81, when Knight made a weak stroke to be caught at mid-on. The situation was not too bright at this stage, but Henderson (twice missed by Mitchell off hard shots) hit strongly, and Elmes went along very nicely, the two playing out time. Elmes made a number of really good strokes, the off-drive and a clean hook off balls just short enough, being finely executed. Hands, a promoted junior, bowled very promisingly to get two wickets for 67. He is a right hand, medium pace, and will improve with experience. Frood. a left-hander, also bowled very steadily 7, and Duncan brought about the separation of a dangerous partnership when he had Knight caught. Albion’s fielding was much superior to that of Grange.

Notes and Comments

NOT LIKE CHAMPIONS LOW SCORING BY LEADERS The outstanding feature of the first day’s play when the two leading teams, Old Boys and University, met, was undoubtedly the fine double achieved by the Old Boys’ bowler Graham. Going on fairly late in the innings after the regular bowlers had done moderately well, Graham quickly cleaned up tho rest, and came, out with the striking average of five wickets for 18 runs off 5.2 overs. Then, going in No. 5 when his side batted, he played an attractive innings for 60 not out, getting his runs mostly on the off side, some very sweet cover drives being among his best strokes. It was a highly satisfactory day’s work for Graham. The wicket on the University Oval is not a good one this year, and high scoring cannot bo expected there. Nevertheless, it was a poorish exhibition of the batting art, taken all round, which yielded only 283 runs for 16 wickets from two teams who are in such prominent positions. True, University’s place (second) on the list is rather a false one, as they aro not really that good. Outright wins against the weak teams have given them helpful points. Of ’Varsity’s 140 Uttley got 51, a sound, Uttley-like knock; that is to say, Uttley in his watchful mood. Dunn also held the fort for a considerable time on the same line of defence. This player is at least consistent, and his 37 was easily the second best score on the side. Apart from Graham’s effort there was little in the Old Boys’ innings to arouse enthusiasm. Giles got 28 very nicely, and, towards the close of the play, Martin enlivened things a little while getting 16 not out, but ffve of the six batsmen disposed of failed to reach double figures. Little and Jolly caused most of the trouble, the former taking three for 41 and the latter two for 35, M'Kelvey getting the odd wicket for 21 runs. On the face of it there is not a great deal of difference between the teams, but Old Boys should win, and, if the low scoring continues, as it most likely will, thev have an excellent chance of netting eight points and so putting themselves in an unassailable position. CARISBROOK " AT HOME " THE " A’S " HAVE IT The Carisbrook Club was “ at home ” on Saturday, when its two senior teams met on a typical Carisbrook wicket. This being so, the 111 scored by the B s cannot be regarded as a particularly bright effort. There were only three double-figure scores in it, the veteran M‘Mullan’s 39 being the highest. The B’s would be leather a helpless swarm, so to speak, without M’Mullan this season; he has headed the scores on numerous occasions. Finney, who since lie came into the side has done quite well, got a couple of dozen, and Bqtting one dozen. Up to the middle distance it was Dunning and Nimmo who were sending the batsmen back to the pavilion, but when J. Cameron was brought to' the crease he made short work of the “ tail,” taking three wickets for 2 runs with 10 balls. It was certainly a lively flutter. Nimmo’s three cost 27 runs, and Dunning, who also bagged three, had 31 runs scored off him. Tho A’s reply was a more consistent one, six of the seven men who have so far batted reaching double- figures. Young Frasvr’s contribution was a nice 53 not out. The boy is doing well this season, and should settle down as he grows older into a very useful batsman. He has. some excellent strokes in his repertoire, and confidence will come with the years. Hercus is a reliable opener, and his 35 was the result of sound play. H. Cameron did not get very far this time, he, like Dunning and Stevenson, making 15, while Cox reached 19. A total of 155 for six is a safe lead, and the A’s will no doubt hustle things along on Saturday in an endeavour to snatch an eight-pointer. The “ B ” battery is not a very strong one, and as their main bowler, Kerr, ivas punished fairly severely (one for 57 off eight overs), it was left to Dougan (two for 16), Bell (two for 23), and Francis (one for 44) to do the work. \ SLOW BUT SURE DUNEDIN HAS A DAY IN Though Dunedin, in one of its rare bursts of run-getting, put up the highest total registered on Saturday, it was not an inspiring exhibition of batting. Still, the runs are on the slate, and as the Dunedin batsmen have had so few opportunities of staying at the wickets for any length of time, they are scarcely to be blamed for adopting “ safety-first ” methods. Groves, who made top score (69) rather overdid the thing, however, being at the wickets for the best part of three hours for his runs, and giving no indications of being an expert in stroke-making. Throughout his long tenancy of the crease he did not get the hall to the boundary, Rodgerson and Robertson, on the other hand, batted quite soundly without indulging in any fireworks. Rodgerson, while he has scarcely lived up to his promise as a batsman in the Christian Brothers Old Boys’ senior team a few seasons ago, should develop into a useful player. His 55 was certainly a useful contribution to the score. Robertson has his own solid style of batsmanship, which has served him well, not only in club matches, but in representative engage-

ments, and his 51 were got in this characteristic style. Torrance put a little life into the proceedings, and a longer stay at the wickets by him would have been appreciated, especially by the onlookers. His 25 included a fine hit for six to long on. In recovering the ball pfter this hit, by the way, the fieldsmen first unearthed among the vegetables in the garden in which the hit landed another ball which had evidently been the subject of a “ lost-ball ” episode on some previous" occasion. Kaikorai’s attack cannot be said to have been dangerous; it rarely even looked like reaching • that stage. M'Gregor was easily the most successful of the eight trundlers who were tried, his five wickets costing only 52 runs, which, in the circumstances, was a very creditable performance. Cook, as usual, was accurate, and his 14 overs yielded 47 runs and one wicket. Pringle, the Kaikorai footballer, who was playing his first match in the senior eleven, began very promisingly and caused the openin'? batsmen a little anxiety for a while. He captured only one wicket, however, the last of the innings, but his 12 overs were not unduly expensive at 35 runs. Kaikorai’s fielding was quite good, though they are weak in the wicketkeeping department, with the result that Dunedin’s total was swelled by the addition of 30 extras. This, by the way, constitutes a challenge to the opposing wicket-keeper for next Saturday. WOMEN'S BATTING RECORD DOUBLE CENTURY TO MISS BISHOP While the men of Grange and Albion were battling it out in the centre of the North Ground on Saturday history was being made on another pitch on the same ground, where the Grange and Roslyn Mills women’s teams were playing against each other. The Mills had been in and made 49. Then Misses M. Bishop and E. lliach, opening the innings for Grange, entered into a partnership which brought the total to 334 before Miss Riacli’s wicket fell, her score being 135. Miss Bishop went on to compile the at score of 213 not out, and Grang .. total at stumps was 387 for two wickets. Anyone with a knowledge of cricket could not but be impressed, not only by the size of the score put up by these two girls on Saturday afternoon, but by the manner in which the runs were made.. Miss Bishop’s skill in stroke making might well he envied by many men cricketers who find places in senior elevens. Her stance is good, and she gets over the ball and hits it hard and cleanly. Her off shots particularly are beautifully executed, and time and again the ball was sent fizzing along the ground past the men’s senior wicket, while the girls fielding on the other side were chiefly engaged in retrieving the ball from the roadway. Miss Riach was not far behind her partner in style and effectiveness. Miss Bishop has a fine record in cricket. She is a New Zealand and Otago representative. She was the first to make a century in women’s cricket, and is now the first in Otago to make a double century. This season, for Grange, her scores are 61, 117, 13, 2, 42, 6, 38, 131, 99, 33, 36, and 213 not but, a total of 721 runs at an average of 65.54. As a bowler, too. Miss Bishop has good figures, for she has taken 30 wickets for 207 runs, average 6.90 per wicket. So that tho Grange girl can claim to be a splendid allround player. Miss Riach is also a prolific scorer, having, like Miss Bishop, three centuries to her credit this season, and her aggregate runs amount to 535. She has on occasions proved a useful change bowler, her nine wickets to date having cost 65 runs. In Miss Bishop and Miss Riach the Grange Club and the Otago province obviously possess a very fine pair of women cricketers. LEG GLANCES The Dunedin Groves was very quiet and peaceful during the three hours he patted against Kaikotrai. All the same, he put 69 runs into tho book. Dick Torrance, jun., like his dad, loves the feel of a ball going off the bat for 6. He hit a real long one on Saturday. Albion’s new man, Hands, has a good pair. He held Knight when the latter looked like making a day of it. Reg. Bell bowled H. Cameron with a “ringer”; he also tricked Stevenson into being stumped. Some tone about Bell’s bowling. M'Mullan should change his name to M’Dougall, so repeatedly does he top the score for the B’s.

Pringle, the big Kaikorai forward, was an All White with the senior cricket eleven on Saturday. He bowled well for a while, and was not penalised for “ foot up.” The eighth bowler tried by Grange on Saturday was Tilbury. He carried on until Hands was removed by a run out, this finishing the innings. Cook and Constable were together for some time as howlers for Kaikorai, hut the area wasn’t big enough for Torrance when he hit one clean out of Tonga Park. Had Chettleburg connected with that ball which bowled him on Saturday there might have been work for the leadlight artist. Church windows are expensive, too. It is doubtful whether Oldfield himself has done many smarter bits of stumping than that by which Everson disposed of Toomey on Saturday. _ The Australian public is cricketminded, so ’tis said. The total attendance for the three days of the Victoria v; Tasmania match at Melbourne was 864, and the total receipts £l7 11s Bd. K. Rigg, rejected for the English tour, made 58 and 60 (top score each time) against practically the Australian eleven last week-end. Uniform scoring, so to speak, but it was hard to get Rigg out. Spots on the sun were not in it with the damage done by the Planets on Saturday. _ With the bat—227 for one wicket; with tbe ball—opponents dismissed for 25. The womenfolk have arrived all right.

The Grange women’s team also closed up Roslyn Mills pretty effectively—3B7 for two as against all out for 49. L. Nash, fast bowler who played in a test against Allen’s team last summer, took all 10 wickets in an innings in a recent club match in Melbourne. There is a Dempster and a Lowry playing in the Melbourne senior cricket competition, and both doing well. Oldfield intends visiting England shortly in a private capacity. A group of old-timers at Lord’s for the test will include Oldfield, Woodfull, Carter, Macartney, Mailey, O’Connor, and Woadell Bill. There is a Grimmett in the Mornington (second grade) team who can apparently bat but nob bowl. Doesn’t seem right somehow. Chettleburgh was in a hurry to get back to work on Saturday evening, and hit up 40 in half an hour. There are some other batsmen who should he given night jobs. SHEFFIELD SHIELD Appropriately enough in its sesquicentennial year. New South Wales was the premier cricket State. The final positions were as follow:

TEN WICKETS IN INNINGS

The feat of taking all ten wickets in an innings is an uncommon one in any class of cricket, and Laurie Nash, the South Melbourne fast bowler, joined a distinguished group when he performed it against Prahran on Saturday. _ He is only tho third bowler to do it in District cricket in the last 15 years. Don. Blackie, playing for St. Kilda, took all ten Fitzroy wickets for 64 runs in 1926-27, and Percy Wallace did it for Prahran against Carlton in 1928-29, the cost being 61 runs (says the ‘ Sporting Globe ’). In first class cricket in Australia the feat has been performed only twice, George Giffen, playing for Australia against tho Rest_ at Sydney in 1883, taking the ten wickets at a cost of 66 runs, and Tim Wall, the South Australian fast howler, taking the ten New' South Wales wickets for 36 runs at Sydney in 1932-33. W. P. Howell, A. A. Mailey, and C. V. Grimmett have performed the feat for Australian teams in England. , Usually, when wickets are as they were on Saturday, we expect the lefthanders to take the honours, but most of the successful ones on this occasion were men of pace. They were able to make the ball kick and fly on the uncertain wickets, and batsmen found themselves unable to handle them, and few fast bowlers can ho more difficult on 'such wickets than Nash. WILSON SHIELD MATCH (Contributed.) A most enjoyable match was played during the week between the Mornington and City Tramway staffs for the Wilson Shield. The result ended in favour of the Hill team by a good margin. The highlights in order of merit are as follow ;—Tom Halliday’s good howling for the City team, by dismissing Hollander early with a really classy delivery, although Hollander had his revenge later by howling Halliday. Weaver played an outstanding knock to head the Hill’s total, his display was greatly appreciated, and shows his return to form. The wicketkeeping was of a high order, •Mitchell and Stiglish proving their worth in this direction. For the City team Nisbet bowled well. Martin, for City, made 27 runs by hard hitting in very Quick time. Braithwaite also compiled a useful score. The howling of Hollander and Parsons for Hill was very consistent, being unchanged throughout the innings. The greatest delight of the match was the fielding by the Hill team; this alone was a big factor in its ultimate success, which was thoroughly deserved. After a very happy speech by Mr T. Halliday, the Wilson Shield was handed over to the Mornington captain. ' NOTES Mr S. Deihl, one of the umpires who officiated in the Otago-Wellington match, and who is regarded as a very efficient adjudicator, is in hospital just now undergoing treatment to his foot. Otherwise he is in good health, and he hopes to be donning the white coat again before the season closes. There appears to be plenty of batting talent in Grange’s junior ranks. For the club’s intermediate team on Saturday Brown scored 115; for the Second Grade A team MTvor got 121 not out and Donovan 76 not out; for the Second Grade B’s Stronach scored 87, and for the Second Grade B (Section fl.) Marshall got 70. Not a bad array of scores for one afternoon.

In the annual match on Saturday between South Taranaki and Rangitikei at Marten, which had to be abandoned because of rain after South Taranaki had been dismissed for 140, Tom Lowry, the former New Zealand cricket captain and manager of the last team to tour England, obtained the best bowling average, taking two wickets for 6 runs, including that of South Taranaki’s top scorer, W. Geary, who was well set. It may not be remembered, but in 1931 Lowry topped the fowling averages of the New Zealand team in England. There is a rumour abroad in Australia that young Ross Gregory, whose omission from the team to tour England caused surprise, may go to the Old Country for a year or two and join up with Sir Julian Calm’s team. Tho colt was very disappointed at being left out, and it is said that he would like a period abroad to widen his experience before settling down to his accountancy career. If Sir Julius Calm can provide an opportunity in this line. Gregory may yet be seen in England.

An extraordinary coincidence was revealed when an Australian enthusiast, feeling that young Gregory had been unlucky to miss the tour, went into figures and discovered that the Victorian in Sheffield Shield matches in 1936-37 had scored 394 runs at an average of 39.40. In bowling he had precisely the same number of runs knocked off him—viz., 394 —and his average was 39.40, identical with his batting average. The Auckland Cricket Association is moving with a view to securing a visit from an Australian State team, the idea being to arrange two or three matches in the North Island only, so that the whole tour, in these days of quick passages across to Sydney, would last no more thaii between two and three weeks. It should be made more generally known that cricket is played in the South Island also. The members of the Australian tfiam chosen to tour England are required to pass a medical examination before finally signing up. This would appear to be necessary when we read that Bradman has had an attack of the ’fin ; that Badtock stood down from the last Shield match , because of gastric trouble ; that Walker is still suffering from the effects of a fractured finger; and that Brown has gone into a rest home for a few days. Then there is M’Cormick, whose sciatica caused him so much bother last season. Looks as though a nurse or two, or an ambulance unit will be necessary on the tour.

to ■ •a m 03 to •is_g % ii CS is fl p2 Old Boys 3 2 1 1 38 University 2 2 2 1 30 Grange 0 5 1 1 29 Albion 2 1 3 1 24 Carisbrook A 1 2 3 1 23 Carisbrook B 0 2 4 1 17 Kaikorai 1 0 5 1 14 Dunedin ... ... 0 1 5 1 11 INTERMEDIATE. Old Boys N.E. Valley 3 2 1 3 2 2 I 0 34 32 Dunedin 2 2 3 '0 29 Albion 3 0 3 1 29 Carisbrook 0 4 2 1 25 Kaikorai 1 2 4 0 20 Grange 1 2 4 0 18 University 0 0 C 1 5 SECOND GRADE A. Grange 5 1 0 0 45 Port Cbalmers 4 1 I0 37 Green Island 4 1 1 0 37 Y.M.C.A 3 1 2 0 29 Dunedin 3 0 3 0 27 Carisbrook 2 0 4 0 17 Albion 1 1 4 0 13 Kaikorai 1 I 4 0 13 High School 1 0 5 0 9 University 0 0 6 0 0

W. AVI. L. LI. D. Pts. N.S. Wales ... 3 1 0 1 1 21 South Australia 2 1 2 1 0 14 Victoria 1 2 1 1 0 12 Queensland 0 0 3 1 1 3